GABON LIES ON THE EQUATOR, in western central Africa. It is bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean.Early Settlers
Settlement in Gabon (gah-BOEN) goes back many thousands of years. Tools and pottery dating back to the Late Stone Age have been found. The aboriginal peoples of the region were of small stature. A few thousand of their descendants, the Baka (BAH-kah) people, still live in the forests around the Ivindo River in the northeast (see CAMEROON and CONGO, REPUBLIC OF).
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CLIMATE |
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Gabon is hot and humid. A dry season extends from May to September, a rainy season from September until December, a second dry season until mid-February, and then heavy rains fall until May.
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The early history of Gabon is marked by shifting populations. Bantu-speaking peoples first migrated into the region probably around 500 B.C.E., and by about 100 C.E. they had begun making and using iron. By the 1400s the Loango Kingdom of the Vili people extended into southern Gabon (see CONGO, REPUBLIC OF). This became part of the great medieval empire of Kongo, with its power base far to the south in Angola (see ANGOLA and CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF). By the 1500s the Myene (mee-AE-nae) peoples were established along the northern coast, the Orungu (oe-ROON-goo) around Cape Lopez, and the Mpongwe (uhm-PAWN-gwae) on the Gabon River. No large empires could develop in the dense rain forests. The 1600s and 1700s saw further Bantu immigration as Fang (FAHN-jee) people entered Gabon from the north.
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A Deadly Dance |
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The Bantu peoples were masters of ironworking. The traditional weapons of the Fang and the Kota (KOE-tah) peoples were deadly but beautifully crafted. Curved, sicklelike knives were made for throwing. They had finely edged iron blades about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long. Knives were used in warfare as well as in risky ritual dances, where the dancers had to leap over the moving blades.
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FACTS AND FIGURES |
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Official name: République Gabonaise Status: Independent state Capital: Libreville Major towns: Port-Gentil, Franceville Area: 102,317 square miles (265,001 square kilometers) Population: 1,400,000 Population density: 14 per square mile (5 per square kilometer) Peoples: 36 percent Fang; 25 percent Mbede (including Mbete, Teke); 22 percent Eshira; 17 percent other Official language: French Currency: CFA franc National day: Independence Day (August 17) Country’s name: The word Gabon comes from the Portuguese gabão, meaning "hooded cloak," the shape of the coastline around the Gabon River, according to early explorers.
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