Country Guide

The Republic of Gabon is one of the four territories that formerly made up the French colony of Equatorial Africa; the others are the Congo, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. Gabon is bordered on the north by Cameroon and on the south by the Congo. It has a coastline on the South Atlantic and lies between 2°N and 4°S.

It is part of the same major climatic region described in more detail for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The whole country has a typical equatorial climate: hot, wet, and humid around the year, with much cloud. Annual rainfall is almost everywhere between 1,250 mm/50 in and 2,000 mm/80 in, rising to 2,500 mm/120 in near the coast and in the higher districts.

The table for Libreville illustrates conditions over most of the country. The driest months are almost everywhere June to August when the intertropical rain-belt has moved to its farthest position north.