Geography of Gabon
Location: | Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
Geographic coordinates: | 1 00 S, 11 45 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Colorado |
Land boundaries: | total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km |
Coastline: | 885 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate: | tropical; always hot, humid |
Terrain: | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 1.21% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 98.15% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 70 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | NA |
Environment - current issues: | deforestation; poaching |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note: | a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity |