Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000,
including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Religions: Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%

Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira,
Bandjabi

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

Government Gabon

Country name: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Government
type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
legalized in 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)

National holiday: Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG),
12 March (1968)

Constitution: adopted 14 March 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the
Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since
2 December 1967) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois
NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj
Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre
MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91
seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental
assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats);
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms
elections: NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9
February 1997 (next to be held in NA 2002) election results: National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86,
RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others
3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53,
RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9

Judicial bra