The National Assembly of Gabon has 120 deputies elected for a five-year term.

However, since Gabon has no patrol boats, foreign trawlers ( especially French and Spanish ) often illegally capture tuna in Gabonese waters.

Gabon is sub-Saharan Africa ’ s third-largest crude oil producer and exporter, although there are concerns that proven reserves are declining and production has declined as well.

Radio France Internationale has relay stations throughout Gabon.

Gabon has 1, 600 km of perennially navigable waterways

The African country of Gabon has a small, professional military of about 5, 000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police.

Gabon has followed a non-aligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries.

Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled.

Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, and former Zaire.

Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the UN Peacekeeping Mission to the Central African Republic ( MINURCA ).

Since 2003, Canada has also been working with Gabon in the Group of Friends of the Great Lakes Region, which Canada co-chairs, in support of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Since independence, Gabon has been " one of France's closest allies in Africa ".

U. S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.

The UNCCD has 194 country Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Gabon Airlines has its headquarters in Libreville.

The Agency's headquarters are in Paris and it has three regional branches in Libreville, Gabon ; Lomé, Togo ; and Hanoi, Vietnam.

Shlyakhter is a Russian physicist who noted that the existence of the natural nuclear fission reactor at Oklo in Gabon gave evidence that the physical fine-structure constant α has changed less than 10 < sup >− 17 </ sup > per year over the last two billion years.

Jean Ping the Deputy Prime Minister of Gabon who has a Chinese people | Chinese father and a black Gabonese mother was elected as Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union on 1 February 2008.

Countries currently participating include Madagascar, the first country to participate which since 1989 has generated over $ US50 million towards preservation, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Gabon, the Philippines and Zambia.

A Space Elevator orbital interface has been constructed, connecting the city of Libreville, Gabon to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.

In 1990, France, which has always maintained a permanent military base in Gabon as well as in his others previous colonies, helped maintain Bongo in power in the face of sustained pro-democracy protests that threatened to oust him from power.

The Sunday Times ( UK ) reported on 20 June 2008 as follows: A mansion worth £ 15m in one of Paris's most elegant districts has become the latest of 33 luxury properties bought in France by President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon ... a French judicial investigation has discovered that Bongo, 72, and his relatives also bought a fleet of limousines, including a £ 308, 823 Maybach for his wife, Edith, 44.

The flag of Gabon has colours which are green, representing the forests ; gold, representing the equator ; and blue, representing the sea.

In 2004, Sinopec prospected for oil in the 1, 550 square kilometers of Loango National Park in southern Gabon and encountered criticism for what domestic and foreign environmental critics said were poor and damaging methods.

Countries where ASL or a derivative of ASL is the national or a widespread language include Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana ( with BSL ), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d ' Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya ( minority use ), Liberia, Madagascar ( minority use ), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines ( L2 use ), Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, and Zimbabwe ( with ZSL ).

In 1906, the Oubangui-Chari territory was united with the Chad colony ; in 1910, it became one of the four territories of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa ( AEF ), along with Chad, Middle Congo, and Gabon.

Relations with Gabon are good, although it is not a neighbouring country.

exclusive maritime economic zone boundary dispute with Cameroon is presently before the ICJ ; maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay ; maritime boundary dispute with Nigeria and Cameroon because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea

Under the 1961 constitution ( revised in 1975 and rewritten in 1991 ), Gabon became a republic with a presidential form of government.

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 official and private creditors.

Perhaps the most important station in Gabon ( and one that many shortwave radio listeners are familiar with ) is the privately owned Afrique Numero Un, which operates on FM in the Libreville area and also broadcasts via shortwave radio.

Gabon is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military ( as covered under Article 98 ).

Canada established diplomatic relations with Gabon in 1963.

Gabon is involved in a maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay.

There are significant ties with West African and Sahel countries and Morocco entertains good relationships with Senegal, Gabon and Burkina Faso.

Kuroda's prediction was verified with the discovery of evidence of natural self-sustaining nuclear chain reactions in the past at Oklo in Gabon, Africa in September 1972.

Traveling from the Atlantic Ocean coast in present-day Gabon via the rivers Ogooué and Lefini he arrived in 1880 in the kingdom of the Téké where on 10 September 1880 he signed the treaty with king Makoko establishing French control over the region and making his capital soon afterwards at the small village named Mfoa later to be called Brazzaville.

* Western-most point-the point at which the border with Gabon enters the Atlantic Ocean, Kouilou department

After the fall of France in 1940, the French colonies of Cameroun and French Equatorial Africa ( except for Gabon ) joined the Free French while the remainder sided with the Vichy Regime.

The outcome of this campaign was mixed with the Vichy French claiming victory at the Battle of Dakar and the Free French claiming victory at the Battle of Gabon.

After receiving word of the coup from the country's vice president, officials in Paris sent paratroopers to Gabon in a matter of hours and M ' Ba was quickly restored to power.

K. Ajuluchukwu, Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe, G. C. M Onyiuke, and so many others – diplomats like O. U. Ikpa ( Portugal ), Godwin Onyegbula ( Foreign Ministry ), M. T. Mbu ( Foreign Affairs ), Emeka Anyaoku ( Commonwealth Secretary ), Ralph Uwechue ( Paris ), Dr. Sebastian Okechukwu Mezu ( Abidjan ), Ignatius Kogbara ( London ), Austin Okwu ( Tanzania ), Ugwu ( Gabon ), Dr. Ifegwu Eke ( information ), Okoko Ndem ( Propaganda ), Sylvester Ugoh ( Bank of Biafra ), N. U. Akpan, Dr. Otue ( Canada ) Aggrey K. Orji and Dr. Lemeh ( New York ), Dr. Aaron Ogbonna ( West Germany ), etc.

When Gabon found itself on the brink of a civil war after the first multiparty presidential elections in 1993, with the opposition staging violent protests, Paris hosted the talks between Bongo and the opposition, resulting in the Paris Agreement / Accords which restored calm. In France, his old ally, Mr. Bongo and his family lived in the rarefied air of the super-rich.

While a deputy he lived in Paris and toured Gabon regularly.

* Contes du Gabon ( Paris: Cle International, 1981, 1991 ) ISBN 978-2-85319-229-3

* R. P. Roques, Le Pionnier du Gabon Jean-Rémy Bessieux ( Paris, 1957 )

By 1961, only the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon, the Malagasy Republic and Senegal still belonged to the Community ; the constitutional bodies no longer continued to function ; the term ‘ president of the community ’ disappeared from official statements ; and it seemed that the only remaining differences between those states that were members of the community and those that had left it lay in the fact that the diplomatic representatives in Paris of the former bore the title high commissioner, and those of the latter ‘ ambassador ’.