Geography of Gabon

This article describes the geography of Gabon.

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Geographic coordinates

Map references

Africa

Area

• Total: 267,667 km²
• Land: 257,667 km²
• Water: 10,000 km²

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

• Contiguous zone: 24 nm
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Territorial sea: 12 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, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Land use

• Arable land: 1%
• Permanent crops: 1%
• Permanent pastures: 18%
• Forests and woodland: 77%
• Other: 3% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

40 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

NA

Environment - current issues

Deforestation; poaching

Environment - international agreements

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
• Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

See also: Gabon