ldren born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Gabonese
Ethnic divisions:
Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou,
Bateke), Africans and Europeans 100,000, including 27,000 French
Religions:
Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist
Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
61%
male:
74%
female:
48%
Labor force:
120,000 salaried
by occupation:
agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government
2.5%
note:
58% of population of working age (1983)

*Gabon, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Gabonese Republic
conventional short form:
Gabon
local long form:
Republique Gabonaise
local short form:
Gabon
Digraph:
GB
Type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)
Capital:
Libreville
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga,
Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence:
17 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
National holiday:
Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic Party established)
Political parties and leaders:
Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), El Hadj Omar BONGO,
president; National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons);
Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP); National Recovery Movement
(Morena-Original); Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG); Gabonese
Socialist Union (USG); Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP); Union for
Democracy and Development (UDD)
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Elections:
National Assembly:
last held on 28 October 1990 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of
vote NA; seats - (120 total, 111 elected) PDG 62, National Recovery Movement
- Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons) 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement
(Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independents 3
President:
last held on 9 November 1986 (next to be held December 1993); results -
President Omar BON