Location: The Gabon Republic is situated on the western coast of central Africa. Formerly a province of French Equatorial Africa, Gabon attained independence on August 17, 1960. Gabon is one of the most prosperous black African countries. A dense tropical forest covers most of the country.

Chief Crops: Cocoa, coffee, rice, peanuts, sugarcane.

Economy: The economy, traditionally dependent on forestry , is now dominated by mining. The manganese deposit at Moanda in the south is one of the world's richest deposits. Crude oil production is already the fifth highest in Africa. Uranium, gold and iron ore are also mined.

Industry: Processing of food, timber and textiles.