Gabon

Gabon is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. It has an area of nearly 270,000 square kilometres and its population is estimated at 1.5 million people.

Did you know that:
1. The region was initially inhabited by the Pygmy peoples later the people of the Bantu tribes immigrated to the place.
2. The climate of Gabon is mostly hot and humid owing to the fact that it lies right on the equator.
3. Libreville, which means free town, is the capital of Gabon and was founded in 1849 by freed slaves. It however was not declared the capital of Gabon till 1993.
4. Gabon has rich reserves of manganese, iron, petroleum and timber.
5. Almost 80-85% of Gabon is covered by rainforests, 11% of which has been dedicated for national parks making these parks some of the largest nature parks in the world.
6. The rainforests of Gabon are home to 777 species of birds.
7. Ogooué is the largest lake in Gabon and stretches over a distance of 1200 km.
8. The entire country of Gabon is just slightly smaller than the state of Colorado in the United States.