Gabon: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 25,767,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 21,775,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 84.51% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | - | | Primary Forest, % total forest | - | | Primary Forest, % total land | - | | Other wooded land (ha) | - |
Gabon : Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 100% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 0% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
Gabon: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | - | - | | Modified natural (ha | %) | - | - | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | - | - | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 36,000 | 0.2% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | - | - |
Gabon: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 21,927,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 21,826,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 21,775,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (10,100) | -0.05% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (10,200) | -0.05% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (152,000) | -0.69% | | Change in rate (%) | 1.46% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | - | | Primary 2000 (ha) | - | | Primary 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | - | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Change in rate (%) | - | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | - | | Other 2000 (ha) | - | | Other 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | - | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Change in rate (%) | - | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | 36,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 36,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 36,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | 0.00% | | Change in rate (%) | #DIV/0! | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 21,891,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 21,790,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 21,739,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (10,100) | -0.05% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (10,200) | -0.05% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (152,000) | -0.69% | | Change in rate (%) | 1.46% |
Gabon: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 0 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 0.00% |
Gabon: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | - | | Private (%) | - | | Other (%) | - | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | - | | Private (%) | - | | Other (%) | - | | Designated functions of forest – primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | - | | Protection (%) | - | | Conservation (%) | - | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | - | | None of Unknown (%) | - |
Gabon: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | - | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | - | | Other (ha) | - |
Gabon: Protected areas
| Protected areas | | Biosphere reserves, 2005 | 1 | Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 | 3 | | World Heritage sites, 2004 | 0 | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land | 0.3% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land | 0.00% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.30% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 | 3.00% |
Gabon: Biodiversity - Wildlife
| Amphibians | | total species | 41 | | endemic species | 4 | | threatened species | 2 | | Birds | | total species | 632 | | endemic species | 0 | | threatened species | 5 | | Mammals | | total species | 166 | | endemic species | 3 | | threatened species | 11 | | Reptiles | | total species | 130 | | endemic species | 3 | | threatened species | 1 | | Wildlife diversity | | total species | 969 | | endemic species | 10 | | threatened species | 19 |
Gabon: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | - | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 3 | | Endangered | 6 | | Vulnerable | 59 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | 6651 | | Number endemic | 0 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 107 |
Gabon: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | 5,971 | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | 1,314 | | Dead wood (M t) | 392 | | Total (M t) | 7,677 | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | 2,986 | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | 657 | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | 196 | | Carbon in litter (M t) | - | | Soil carbon (M t) | - | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | -2,200 | | 2000-2005 | -2,200 | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | n.s. | | 2000-2005 | n.s. | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 3,600 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 627 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 4,227 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | n.s. | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | - | | Wood fuel (US$) | - | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | - | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $- | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | 4,000 |
Gabon : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 520 | | Imports | - | | Exports | - | | Consumption | 520 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 2,584 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 2,500 | | Consumption | 84 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 117 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 103 | | Consumption | 14 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 251 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 165 | | Consumption | 86 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | - | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | - | | Consumption | 0 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | - | | Imports | 6 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 6 |
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Gabon: Environment
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; poaching | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | | Natural hazards | NA |
Gabon: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 1.26%
permanent crops: 0.66%
other: 98.08% (2001) | | Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
Gabon: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan African nations. 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, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a 14 month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies. | | GDP - per capita | $5,800 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 2.1% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 6%, industry: 58.8%, services: 35.1% (2005 est.) | | Industries | petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement | | Economic aid - recipient | $331 million (1995) | | Debt - external | $3.857 billion (2005 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% |
Gabon: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 1,389,201 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 2.45% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 5.4 | | Percent rural (2003) | 16.2% | | Median age (years) | total: 18.57 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 4.77 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality |
Largest Cities in Gabon
Cities and urban areas in Gabon with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Libreville | Gabon | 541000 | 541000 |
| Port-Gentil | Gabon | 102100 | 102100 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World’s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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