In 2002, Gabon was a developing country located in Central Africa. With a population of 1.3 million people, it had a moderately strong economy based on oil production and timber exports. The literacy rate was low at 63%, and the majority of the population lived in poverty. The economy had transitioned from an agrarian economy to one based on oil production in the late 20th century and was heavily reliant on exports to other countries. According to computerannals, Gabon had an adequate infrastructure with well-maintained roads, reliable electricity and efficient telecommunications networks. Healthcare services were limited; while universal healthcare coverage existed, access to quality medical care was only available in some parts of the country. Education levels were also low; only half of adults had completed secondary school, while tertiary enrollment rates hovered around 10%. Despite its many advantages, Gabon still faced serious economic challenges due to its dependence on oil exports and its large public sector debt levels.

Yearbook 2002

Gabon. After a December 2001 election characterized by unrest and organizational problems, the opposition was offered in January to join the government. Three members of the National Forestry National Assembly (RNB/RPG), including party leader Paul Mba Abessole, received ministerial posts, as did Social Democrats leader Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou. However, the government remained strongly dominated by the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG).

In the spring, the Constitutional Court forced eight MPs, including two ministers, to resign after failing to vote in their constituencies.

According to Countryaah website, national day of Gabon is every August 16. Gabon’s two universities were closed in January after the country’s professors went on strike. The HEIs, which together have around 12,000 students, were only reopened in mid-November.

Climate

Always humid tropical climate. It is always humid with temperatures around 26 degrees. Only in midsummer (June to September) there is a short dry season and the temperatures are a little more pleasant (20-25 ° C).

Gabon Country Overview

Visa
Finnish citizens need a visa when traveling to Gabon. Please check the instructions for applying for a visa.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, GAB stands for Gabon.

Visa fees and policies are subject to change without notice depending on local authorities.

Currency
The Gabonese currency is the Central African Franc (XAF). At ATMs, Visa cards work better than MasterCard cards. You may want to bring euros or dollars in cash, which can be exchanged for francs on site.

Electricity
in Gabon has the same electricity as in Finland. An adapter is not required for Finnish devices.

Mobile phones
Check the availability of your mobile phone with your operator. The area code for Gabon is +241.

Time difference
The time difference between Gabon and Finland is -1 hour in winter and -2 hours in summer.

Food & beverage
Gabon’s tap water is not potable. All water and beverages must be industrially bottled. Salads and vegetables should also be rinsed with bottled water. Heated or tablet-purified water can be drunk. The food should be heated or cooked. Avoid food from street vendors.

Climate
Gabon’s suburbs usually revolve around +28 C and humidity is high. Gabon has a wet season from September to November and February to May, while the dry season is from May to September and December to January.

History. – Omar (Albert-Bernard) Bongo became president in 1967 on the death of L. M’Ba and has always been re-elected to the highest office in the state. In 1968 the single regime of the Parti démocratique gabonais was established, of which all Gabonese were to be members by right. Bongo tried to prevent a clash with the most impatient strata of the population by opening up to technocracy; in 1981 some constitutional changes led to the separation of the functions of president from those of head of government. The post of prime minister was thus restored, for the benefit of the trusted L. Mébiame. The fall in oil prices and the decline of the dollar led to an economic crisis in the mid-1980s which was addressed with a stabilization plan for the period 1986-90, supported by the International Monetary Fund. In 1990, a series of incidents severely tested the regime. The death of a leader of the opposition under suspicious circumstances led to a situation so serious that it induced France to displace its troops. The president first tried to repress the push towards democracy and then indulged it by proposing himself as a guarantor. Once the Constitution was reformed and a new prime minister was appointed in the person of C. Oyé-M’Ba, the one-party system was abolished and free elections were held. Due to repeated irregularities, these took place several times between September 1990 and March 1991: the ruling party (Parti Démocratique Gabonais, PDG) obtained 66 seats out of 120 in the National Assembly; the Morena (Mouvement de Redressement National), which had represented the opposition for a long time by operating abroad and in hiding, presented itself divided into two lists which obtained 17 and 7 seats respectively. After the approval of a new constitutional reform in 1991, Oyé-M’Ba formed a coalition government between the PDG and some minor forces, but the political situation remained rather difficult. Multi-party presidential elections were announced for December 1993.