micals, petroleum products, construction materials

Imports--partners: France 38%, US 8%, Cameroon 5%, Netherlands 4%,
Cote d'Ivoire, Japan (1997)

Debt--external: $4.1 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient: $331 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per
US$1--577.61 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55
(1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 22,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios: 250,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (in addition, there are five
low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 40,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 649 km Gabon State Railways (OCTRA)
standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Highways:
total: 7,670 km
paved: 629 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,041 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable

Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports and harbors: Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville,
Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,613 GRT/22,599 DWT
(1998 est.)
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1 (1998 est.)

Airports: 62 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 52
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 26 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard
(charged with protecting the president and other senior officials),
National Gendarmerie, National Police

Military manpower--military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 280,719 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 144,133 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 11,392 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures-