Gabon Statistics

Geography-Population

Capital:  Libreville

Area:  267,667 sq km

Climate:  tropical; always hot, humid

Population:  1,576,665 (July 2011 est.)

Languages:  French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Government-Economy

Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime

Independence Day: 17 August 1960 (from France)

Currency: CFA Franc (XAF) ; 100XAF = 0.22USD; 1 USD= 465.27 CFA Franc

GDP: $22.54 billion (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $14,600 (2010 est.)

Information for Foreign Students in Gabon

Obtaining a Visa

A visa is compulsory for all the nationals from other countries; there are different types of visas: Single-entry: £60 (Tourist or Transit); £80 (Business). Double-entry: £110 (Tourist or Transit); £150 (Business). Multiple-entry: £280 (business) £200 (tourist). For further information, you are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.

Embassy of the Gabonese Republic in the UK: 27 Elvaston Place, London SW7 5NL, UK Tel: (020) 7823 9986.

Embassy of the Gabonese Republic in the USA: 2034 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA Tel: (202) 797 1000

Housing

In general, most accommodation in Gabon is provided in hotels, classified from 1 to 5 stars. There are hundreds of youth hostels in Gabon, offering very simple accommodation at very low prices. There are hostels in all major towns of Gabon. Link for hotels http://www.africastay.com/gabon. Link for hostels http://www.hostels247.com/hostels/

Health

If you are travelling within Gabon, it is advisable to get a Medical Insurance or Travel Insurance for Gabon. Find out the local emergency number and the address of the nearest hospital when you arrive in Gabon. Your local guide should know.

Money

Libreville is one of the most expensive cities in the world. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros.

There is a HSBC branch in Gabon and BNP Paribas bank (http://bicig-gabon.com/ ) information can be available on the website.

Phoning

Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is variable. You can buy a sim card made for the local network.