Gabon is a Central African nation of striking political continuity, cultural diversity, and lush equatorial landscapes. Since independence in 1960, it was long governed under the Bongo dynasty, which shaped a highly centralized republic with strong presidential powers. Its people over 40 ethnic groups including the Fang, Punu, Bantu, Myene, and Pygmy communities maintain rich traditions from animist rites like the Bwiti religion to vibrant music and dance ceremonies. Geographically, Gabon is dominated by dense rainforests covering nearly 89% of its land, traversed by the Ogooué River basin, and experiences a hot, humid tropical climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons under the Köppen classification.

Political Overview

Gabon operates as a presidential republic where the president wields considerable authority over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, appointing the prime minister, cabinet members, and senior judges, and possessing the power to dissolve parliament and delay legislation. From 1967 until 2023, the Bongo family maintained uninterrupted rule first under Omar Bongo Ondimba, who established a single-party state, and then under his son Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose leadership has faced criticism for patronage and weakened democratic checks, especially after his 2018 stroke. Following a coup d’état on 31 August 2023, General Brice Oligui Nguema assumed power and has since overseen drafting of a new constitution approved by referendum on 16 November 2024 which extends presidential terms to seven years, allows one re-election, and tightens candidacy requirements in ways that concentrate authority in the executive.

Cultural Heritage and Identity

Gabonese identity is profoundly shaped by its mosaic of over 40 ethnic groups, each contributing unique languages, rituals, and social structures most prominently the Fang, whose wood-carving traditions and masks are central to national art. The Bwiti spiritual movement, originating among the Fang-Ntumu, blends indigenous animism with ceremonial initiation rites involving the iboga plant; it remains a powerful symbol of cultural resilience and is even studied for its therapeutic potential. Recognition by UNESCO of intangible heritage elements especially among Pygmy groups like the Babongo, Baka, and Bakoya underscores Gabon’s commitment to safeguarding endangered traditions, from forest knowledge to oral storytelling and musical heritage.

Geographical Landscape and Climate

Positioned on the Atlantic equator between latitudes 3° N and 4° S, Gabon spans coastal plains, hilly interior plateaus, and the vast Ogooué River basin, whose tributaries create a network of waterways vital for transport and biodiversity. Approximately 89.3 % of the country remains cloaked in dense equatorial rainforests the second-largest in Africa while savanna landscapes emerge in southeastern and southwestern provinces, supporting unique wildlife corridors. The climate is classified chiefly as tropical monsoon (Am) in the north and tropical savanna (Aw) in the south, with average coastal temperatures of 25–27 °C year-round, two rainy seasons (February–May and September–December), and two dry seasons, moderated slightly by the Benguela Current offshore.