Not all African countries are poor. There are those who have more or less established economies and social services. An example of such a prosperous (in comparison with others) state is Gabon. Information about the country (geography, weather, history, tourist sites) will help to form an opinion about it, and possibly plans for the next vacation.
History
Unfortunately, reliable written sources telling about what happened on the territory of this state before the 15th century do not exist. Thanks to cave paintings, it is only known that the country was inhabited mainly by the pygmy tribes long before BC. But at the end of the 15th century, Gabon became one of the colonies of Portugal. For the next four hundred years, the slave trade flourished there, and the population was used as a living commodity. After the abolition of slavery, the country came under the patronage of France, first as part of the French Congo, and then French Equatorial Africa. And Gabon received full independence in 1960, after which the country began to develop independently, and quite successfully. The form of government is the presidential republic. Interestingly, in 2011-2012, Gabon even served on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.
Back in the mid-18th century, Libreville was founded, which means "City of Freedom." It is still the capital of the state and one of the largest settlements in Gabon. They built an international class airport and seaport.
Where is Gabon located?
As for the geographical position, it provides all the makings for the development of the tourism industry: the equator crossing the country, the coastline with a length of almost 900 km, the presence of large rivers in the continental part.
Gabon is a country that is hidden in a secluded corner of Central Africa. It adjoins three states: in the north - with Cameroon, in the north-west - with Equatorial Guinea, and in the east and southeast - with Congo. The western border is the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate and environmental conditions
Although the territory of the country is relatively small, two climatic zones border there - equatorial and subequatorial. The proximity of the ocean coast affects high humidity in lowlands and contributes to the prosperity of mangroves and rainforests. The average temperature in the year is 27 ° C, but in general it ranges from 22 ° C to 32 ° C, that is, in our understanding, there is no autumn or winter. But the year can conditionally be divided into four seasons: two dry and two rainy, which alternate with each other. There is a lot of rainfall: from 1800 mm to 4000 mm, depending on part of the country. The most comfortable time for tourist trips to Gabon is from May to September. This is a dry period when there is almost no rainfall.
Gabon is a country of rivers and bays. Therefore, there is an abundance of animals and plants that like to live near water bodies. For example, there are many monkeys, leopards, elephants, hyenas, buffalos.
Mangrove vegetation thrives in coastal areas. And in general, about 85% of the country is occupied by tropical rainforests. In the mainland there are even savannas, and in the north and south there are mountains. In a word, Gabon is a country rich in various landscapes, as well as unique flora and fauna.
Population
The country has more than 1.6 million inhabitants. They prefer to settle closer to the coast, for example, in the capital Libreville and other big cities (Port-Gentil, Franceville). Pygmies live in the continental part of the country. These are tubular tribes, characterized in that all adults on average reach only 130 cm in height. They live a simple life, like their ancestors thousands of years ago: hunt, collect berries and herbs, communicate with wildlife and prefer to wear only loincloths .
As for religion, the majority of Gabonians are Catholics (the centuries-old colonization by European countries affected). There are Protestants and Muslims, but there are few. But along with official religions, the cult of ancestors is extremely common here.
The official language of Gabon is French, but people communicate in local dialects, since 98% of the Gabonians belong to the Niger Congo ethnic group.
Economy
The country is rich in such minerals as iron ore, manganese, uranium, gold, oil. Gabon maintains trade relations with France, the USA and China. The production of food products (coffee, sugar, cocoa) is also developed. Most government revenue came from the export of timber and manganese. But in the 70s of the last century, oil deposits were found, which provoked a slight economic recovery in the Republic of Gabon.
Information about the country, in particular about the welfare of its inhabitants, is such that now the average per capita income in Gabon is 4 times higher than the same figures for most other African countries. But due to the uneven distribution of funds, 30% of residents are still quite poor, and the main capital is concentrated in the hands of influential people. Although, due to the fact that a third of the population lives in large developed cities, and not in the outback, the Gabonese have access to the basic benefits of modern civilization.
Tourism
This industry also brings considerable revenues to the treasury. Although the country’s infrastructure is not yet developed, for example, there are no five-star hotels yet, the service is not at the highest level, and there are no special historical monuments or attractions, but tourists do not go there for this. Here it is wonderful to combine travel and relaxation. In hot Gabon they strive to see the wildlife that was not affected by human intervention, impressive landscapes, and also to see firsthand the representatives of the pygmy tribe.
In 2002, more than 10% of the country's territory was declared a protected area, and this is a lot. In Gabon, there is everything: the ocean, and the equator, and mountains, and plains. And if you add to this the important fact that visas to this country are not very expensive, that is, there is every chance to replace another vacation in Turkey with a trip to Gabon. The only thing that must be done before departure is the necessary vaccinations.
Who knows, maybe Gabon is a country that will soon become a mecca for tourists?