Gabon

Facts and Figures

Location-On central Atlantic coast, Eq.Guinea and Cameroon on North, Congo on the East and South
Area-267,667 sq.km
Geography - Densely forested, coastal lowlands, plateaus in North, East and South, mountains, extensive Ogooue river basin.
Population -1,425,000
Distribution - 84 % urban
Ethnic Groups -Fang, Nzebi, Dbanba, European
Languages –French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, others
Religions –Christian 75%, Native religions.
Capital City – Libreville
Government Type – Republic.
Head of State – President Omar Bongo Ondinba, since 1967
Head of Government – Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong, since 2006
Currency – CFA Franc 512.47= $1US
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – $ 9.5 bln
Per Capita GDP -$ 6,800
Economy – Food and beverages, textiles, lumber, oil, cement, mining, ship repair
Electricity Production – 1.5 bln kwh
Literacy – 64%
Life Expectancy – 53.2 male, 55.8 female
HIV Rate – 8 %
Telephones – 39,100 lines
Railroads-815 kms
Ports- Port Gentil, Owendo, Libreville
Vehicles- 35,000 units
Daily News paper Circulation - 29 per 1000
Radios – 501 per 1000
TV sets – 251 per 1,000
Internet – 40,000 users

Facts and figures are the latest available at time of publication and may not necessarily be the most accurate.

Gabon is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Africa. With just five people for every square kilometer, only Namibia (2.5), Botswana (2.8) and Libya (3.4), are less densely populated than the Republic of Gabon. Also like those three nations, Gabon is blessed with immense natural resources shared among a quite small population.
To give you some idea of Gabon’s favorable resource to people balance, it has a population less than 1/3 of Addis Ababa with a per capita average income of $ 6,800 US. This means that the typical Gabonese is the 8th most well-off African alive. You may recall from a recent Africa 2000 issue that Equatorial Guinea tops the world list with $ 50,200 dollars per capitain annual income.
Gabon is the most stable nation in Africa. This statement is not as categorical as it sounds when we take a look at Gabon’s post independence record.
The area now occupied by the Republic of Gabon was settled by various central Africa peoples and kingdoms. Some of Africa’s most enigmatic tribes still exist in the rain forested interior of Gabon. Rock art dating from 12,000 years ago has been discovered indicating that human settlement was indeed pre-historic.
The various and frequently warring tribes fell under French domination in the second half of the 19th century and it was only in 1960 –170 years later – that Gabon became an independent nation.
The Republic of Gabon is virtually indistinguishable from the personality of benevolent dictator Omar Bongo, Africa’s longest serving ruler. He has been the not completely undisputed ruler for 40 of Gabon’s 47 years of independence.
President Omar Bongo is certainly not a democrat although he permitted multi-party politics in 1990. Election monitors were also not too happy with how Bongo was re-elected in 1998 and 2005. However, the president has brought prosperity, stability and harmony of regional relations to make Gabon a genuine and rare African success story.
The nearly two centuries of French colonization have left indelible marks on Gabonese society. This is reflected in the language and culture of especially urban Gabon – or practically the entire nation, as over 83% of Gabonese live in cities.
Gabon has a fairly large community of resident and naturalized Europeans. This is mostly French in character with a smattering of other nationalities. The prosperous community of expatriates is attracted by the natural resources and the guaranteed socio- political stability maintained by President Omar Bongo.
Libreville is one of the most picturesque African capitals. It is not anywhere near as bustling a metropolis as most other cities in
Africa but its modest size is its main advantage. Libreville is full of trendy eateries along the vibrant open air markets with all their myriad colors.
Gabonese love their sports and of late have been appearing on the African soccer scene. Though tiny, the nation has trounced mighty goliaths further to the west.

A multi talented star

Oliver N’Goma (born 23 March 1959) is a Gabonese Afro-zouk and reggae singer and guitarist. Nicknamed “Noli,” he was born in Mayumba in south-west Gabon in 1959. He is best known for his 1990 song Bane, which was popularized by Radio Africa N.1 and Gilles Obringer.
N’Goma was first exposed to music by his father, a teacher and harmonium player. Although he took his first music lessons when he was eight years old, he began performing for audiences after moving to Libreville to attend school. While taking classes in accounting, he joined the Capo Sound, the school band, where he learned to play guitar. The group played at formal dances and balls, teaching N’Goma the art of performing on stage.
N’Goma was a poor student, devoting himself to music and cinema instead of his classwork. His loves of film lead to a job with Gabon TV, who sent him to France in 1988 where he was trained as a cameraman. While spending a winter in Paris, he finished work on music he’d written in Gabon. He shared his music with Manu Lima, a well-known record producer for African music. Lima was impressed with the young man’s work, and handled the artistic direction of N’Goma’s first record Bane.
The album enjoyed modest success at first, until an African radio station began to play his songs. The title track scored large success in Africa, France, and the French West Indies, and continues to rank as a party anthem in those areas. It enjoys success comparable to Mario by Franco or Yeke Yeke by Mory Kante. The album is one of the best-selling African albums to date.
N’Goma released a second album, Adia in December of 1995, again working with Manu Lima. Five years later, his third album Seva debuted. A greatest hits complation, Best of Oliver N’Goma was released in 2004.

Beyonce bounces to 1 million USD
Sheraton Addis shelves out big bucks to confirm superstar

By Kirubel Tadesse

Beyonce, one of the most celebrated of singers and actresses, with two Grammy awards is coming to perform for the new Ethiopian festival in Addis Ababa on September 12, 2007. Sources told Capital that Sheraton Addis is bringing her shelving one million dollars plus expenses.
The 26-year-old singer is expected to be accompanied by other American singers whose identities have not yet been made public, although 50 Cent is said to be among those who are expected to finalize the deal to come to Addis for the new millennium celebration. Sources informed Capital that Michael Jackson will also attend the great celebration as a special guest together with other VIPs. The Sheraton Addis refused to confirm any deals with singers coming from abroad.
Over 200,000 Ethiopians in diaspora, tourists and other guests are expected to arrive for the millennium celebrations.
Sheraton Addis so far has brought JA Rule, Wyclef Jean, Maxi Priest, Kool and The Gang, Chaka Demus, Sean Paul, Shaggy and other singers for Christmas and Ethiopian New Year. Beyoncé will be the first female star to have come to Addis. Keep your fingers crossed.

Enlightenment Art Academy - Lighting “the fire within”

By Kirubel Tadesse

Artist Eshetu Tiruneh and his former student Artist Asnake Kifle had something in common for more than a decade. Both of them had a dream of teaching art to youth. This common passion brought them together to work on establishing an art academy. After a few years in preparation, their dream became reality in October 2006 when they opened the Enlightenment Art Academy (EAA).
Director of the Academy, Artist Eshetu, graduated from the school of fine Arts, AAU with great distinction in painting in 1981. He did his Masters of Art in the former U.S.S.R’s Moscow State Academy of Fine Arts named after V.I.SUIKOV, specializing in painting and graduating with honors. He served as stage designer and poster artist in Hager Fikir Theater and also taught in his alma-mater for three years. He has held more than fourteen exhibitions together with other artists in Addis Ababa and Gonder. Germany, Nigeria, Czechoslovakia and the former U.S.S.R are some of the countries Eshetu has displayed his artwork.
When Artist Eshetu came to Ethiopia after completing his education in the former U.S.S.R, he wanted to start teaching right away. However, lack of fund and other constraints kept him from realizing his dream. He then found himself a partner, Artist Asnake.
Co-founder and instructor at the Academy, Artist Asnake, graduated from the school of fine Arts and Design, AAU in 1990. He has had fifteen Exhibitions at the Addis Ababa Hilton, Alliance Ethio-française, Addis Ababa Municipality, National Museum and other venues. He has also held five group shows in different locations in Holland between the years 1995 and 1996.

Enlightenment Art Academy was established with a modest capital and with twenty five students initially but more importantly, it has a much bigger dream. Academy Director, Eshetu says “We enroll students and help them light that fire we call talent... In our two years program we teach students the ABC of art.”
While talking with the director we watched students attending Artist Asnake’s class. After class, I got a chance to talk to some of the students whose pictures were displayed on the walls. One of them was Kirubel Kebede. Kirubel told me that he spent the last eight months in the Academy. When I asked him if he has seen any improvements in his skill, he replied: “I have experienced tremendous change in my abilities. I went to Art School, the education there is fine but we were too many for the teacher to give us each individual attention. Here we are ten to fifteen per class; that translates in quick changes for everyone.”
The founders of the academy are also happy that these students are showing progress. “We teach them how to express themselves in art. Let your paints tell your story is the motto.”
“They choose their paints to define themselves,” said Asnake when I asked him what he thinks about his students.
Enlightenment Art Academy in parallel to its 10 +1, 10 +2, 10 +3 regular programs, gives specialized short-term training for children in a program called “Talent Nurturing”. It also offers special courses for journalists to help them cover art related events better, said Director Eshetu.
“Anybody with talent can come and start taking class at any time. There was a medical doctor who was with us for the first semester. That’s what makes art education different from other types of education and pursuits,” he concluded.