Long-form name: Gabonese Republic

Type: republic; one-party presidential regime since 1964

Capital: Libreville

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

National holiday: Renovation Day (Gabonese Democratic Party established), 12 March (1968)

Branches: power centralized in president, elected by universal suffrage for seven-year term; unicameral legislature (93-member National Assembly, including nine members chosen by Omar Bongo) has limited powers; Constitution amended in 1979 so that Assembly deputies will serve five-year terms; independent judiciary

Leader: @m5Chief of State--President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Leon MEBIAME (since 16 April 1975)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: presidential election last held autumn 1986; parliamentary election last held February-March 1985; constitutional change separates dates for presidential and parliamentary elections

Political party and leader: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) led by President Bongo is only legal party

Communists: no organized party; probably some Communist sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, African Wood Organization, BDECA (Central African Development Bank), CCC, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jean Robert ODZAGA; Chancery at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-1000; US--Ambassador Peter SECCHIA; Embassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville (mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville); telephone 762003 or 762004, 761337, 721348, 740248

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

NOTE: The information regarding Gabon on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Gabon Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Gabon Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.