Gabon
is situated on the West Coast of Central Africa,
bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Congo.
The coast runs along 800km facing the Atlantic Ocean and
offers magnificent sandy beaches dotted with palm trees,
lagoons and estuaries.
With Libreville as its capital the country boast lush
tropical vegetation covering most of the interior land,
with some parts of savannah. The population speaks
French and the major African language is Fang, including
several other different dialects.
There are numerous rivers along which settlements have
cropped up, although most of the population lives in the
villages along the coast and not many actually live in
the main cities as Libreville, Port Gentil, Moanda
amongst others, for they prefer a more traditional
lifestyle.
The region of the Bateke Plateau is a breathtaking site
with savannah land, forests, rivers and plenty of
wildlife, from elephants to gorillas, panthers,
sitatunga to name a few. The largest national park for
wildlife spotting is the Lopé-Okanda Reserve where
practically all mammal species can be found as well as
350 different species of birds.
The sprawling beaches of the Atlantic Coast are
breathtaking, with the deserted beaches of Pointe Denis
and Ekwata or those offering water sports such as
Mayumba and Cap Estérias, where anything from scuba
diving to kayaking can be found. Whale watching is also
popular from July to September, where more than 3,000
humpback whales can be spotted.
Gabon offers an equatorial climate with a high rate of
humidity, the rainy season going from October to May and
the dry one from June to August.
The people from Gabon are called Gabonese. |