nch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three
chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court;
Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts

Political parties and leaders: African Forum for Reconstruction or
FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General
Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ
[Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican
Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic
Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA, secretary
general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE,
president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; National
Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul
M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally
for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,
CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Jules-Darius OGOUEBANDJA
consulate(s): Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Charge
d'Affaires Thomas F. DAUGHTON embassy: Boulevard
B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone:
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow,
and blue

Economy Gabon

Economy - overview: Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that
of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp
decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a
large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on
timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early
1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to
face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports.
Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the economy is hobbled by poor
fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP,
and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to
a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with offi