Filed under Africa and more precisely Middle Africa, Gabon is a sovereign state. In formal use it is Gabonese Republic. Libreville is the capital.
Around 2.5 million people live there, placing it 143rd of 250 by population — between the Gambia above it and Botswana below. Among the 10 entries in Middle Africa it ranks 8th by area and 8th by population.
By land area it covers 267,668 km², which ranks it 78th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind New Zealand and just ahead of Western Sahara. That makes it almost exactly the same size as New Zealand.
How Gabon sits on the globe
Its reference point sits at 1.0° south and 11.8° east, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 111 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
The equator runs through or very close to it. Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Ecuador and Nauru.
It borders 3 neighbours: Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The largest of them by area is Cameroon, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 37.3 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Density comes out at around 9.5 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
The one official language is French. French is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 45 other entries including Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso and Burundi.
People from Gabon are called Gabonese.
Inside Africa it places 43rd of 59 by population, and it accounts for 1.1% of everyone living in Middle Africa.
Currency and codes
It uses the Central African CFA franc (Fr, XAF). It shares that currency with Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
The top-level domain is .ga. The international dialling code is +241. Its ISO codes are ga and GAB, which is what most databases and flag files use.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Gabon, the answer is Libreville.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Gabon shares borders with 3 countries:
Fun facts about Gabon
- Ranked by land area, Gabon is 78th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- It is 143rd of 250 by population, with about 2.5 million residents.
- Its full official name is Gabonese Republic.
- It shares land borders with 3 countries: Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
- Its capital city is Libreville.
- Population density works out at roughly 9.5 people per square kilometre.
- The equator runs across or very near it.
- French is official here and in 45 other entries worldwide.
Gabon — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Gabon?
- The capital of Gabon is Libreville.
- What is the population of Gabon?
- Gabon has a population of about 2.5 million, which makes it the 143rd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The Gambia sits just above it and Botswana just below.
- What currency does Gabon use?
- Gabon uses the Central African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XAF). It is shared with 5 other entries.
- Is Gabon a country?
- Yes. Gabon is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What language is spoken in Gabon?
- The official language of Gabon is French. It is also official in 45 other entries on this list.
- Which countries border Gabon?
- Gabon borders 3 countries: Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea. Cameroon is the largest of them by area.
- How big is Gabon?
- Gabon covers 267,668 km², ranking 78th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as New Zealand.
- Where is Gabon located?
- Gabon is in Middle Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 1.0° south and 11.8° east, roughly 111 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
