Gabon
Africa · Libreville · GA
Gabon is the green, sparsely populated country of the West African coast and the Congo basin, a land of the enormous rainforest, the oil wealth and the most ambitious network of the protected national parks of the continent. The country, with the small population of its cities crowded on the coast, holds the vast wild interior where the forest elephants, the gorillas and the great troops of the mandrills roam the parks of the Lope, the Loango and the Ivindo, and where the surfing hippos of the Loango coast and the whales of the offshore give the extraordinary wildlife spectacles. The capital of the Libreville, the modern city of the estuary and the beaches, anchors the government and the commerce of the economy, and the culture of the country, from the masks and the music of the interior peoples to the church and the colonial squares of the capital, holds the layers of the history. Gabon is the great wild destination of central Africa.
Overview
Gabon is a country in Africa. Its capital is Libreville and the international dialling code is +241. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include French. Local currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF). We also list 1 city in Gabon: Libreville.
The Coast of the Loango and the Hippos of the Surf
The coast of the Loango, the lagoon and the beaches of the western national park of the country, is one of the few places in the world where the forest meets the ocean in a continuous band of the wild, and where the elephants and the buffalos walk directly onto the golden sand. The famous hippos of the coast, the surf-loving herd that swims and plunges in the waves of the Atlantic offshore, give the park its most celebrated and most unlikely spectacle, and the whale sharks and the humpbacks visit the waters of the coast in their seasons. The channels and the lagoons of the park, explored by the pirogue of the guides, hold the birds, the monkeys and the crocodiles of the coastal world, and the lodges of the park organise the walking and the boat safaris of the wild shore.
The Park of the Lope and the Mandrills of the Savanna
The old park of the Lope, the central national park of the country that surrounds the historic town of the interior, protects the unique contact of the world heritage forest and the savanna of the Lac, a mosaic of the habitats that has existed for thousands of years. The park is famous for its populations of the great mandrills, the enormous and dazzlingly coloured monkeys that gather in the troops of the hundreds at the feeding sites of the research, and the forest elephants and the gorillas of the interior also roam the park. The bais, the natural clearings of the forest where the animals gather to drink and to feed, offer the classic wildlife watching of the region, and the history of the colonial trading posts and the ruined buildings of the Lope town add the human memory to the wild landscape.
The Capital of the Libreville and the Coast of the Bay
The capital of the Libreville, the modern, prosperous city built on the estuary of the Komo on the coast of the country, is the small, comfortable political and commercial heart of the nation, with the boulevards, the cathedral, the markets and the wide beaches of its shoreline. The bay of the city, the harbour and the avenue of the seaside run the life of the coast, and the museums of the capital, from the national museum with its arts of the peoples of the country to the arts centre of the contemporary scene, hold the cultural wealth. The districts of the city, the residential quarters, the embassies and the fish market of the port, give the visitor the easy, friendly face of the Gabonese metropolis, and the weekend beaches and the lagoons of the environs complete the picture of the capital.
The Rainforest of the Interior and the Elephants of the Forest
The interior of the country, the vast, nearly empty rainforest of the Congo basin that covers the majority of the national territory, holds one of the last great wildernesses of the continent, and the eleven national parks of the nation protect its extraordinary wealth. The forest elephants of the country, the smaller, darker cousins of the savanna elephants that roam in the herds of the deep forest, and the populations of the western lowland gorillas of the parks, are the flagship species of the conservation work, and the research stations of the national parks give the visitor the rare tracking of the great apes. The waterfalls of the Ivindo, the huge falls of the rivers that pour through the forest of the interior plateau, and the treks of the forest connect the traveler with the ancient, dark heart of Africa.
The Estuaries and the Birdlife of the Coast
The coast of the country, the long band of the estuaries, the mangroves and the lagoons that stretches from the border of the south to the equator, shelters the rich birdlife and the marine world of the region. The mangroves and the mudflats of the estuaries of the north, the protected national parks of the Akanda and the Pongara, hold the enormous populations of the migratory shorebirds, the herons, the egrets and the kingfishers of the water, and the turtles of the leatherback lay their eggs on the nests of the wild beaches of the coast. The whales and the dolphins of the offshore waters and the dugongs of the lagoons complete the picture of the sea, and the boat trips of the estuaries give the visitor the quiet, abundant nature of the shoreline.
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- Capital
- Libreville
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc (XAF)
- Languages
- French
- Calling code
- +241
- Internet TLD
- ga
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Gabon.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Gabon?
Libreville is the capital of Gabon, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Gabon?
You pay with Central African CFA franc (XAF) in Gabon. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Gabon?
The languages we list for Gabon are French. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Gabon?
The dialling code for Gabon is +241 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Gabon do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Gabon: Libreville (capital).