Gabon

Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Guinea.

Gabon originally was under the control of French West Africa. In 1886, it was united with French Congo. In 1904, Gabon was granted a certain degree of colonial autonomy which prevailed until 1934, when it merged with French Equatorial Africa. Gabon Republic was proclaimed Nov.28, 1958.

Low population density, abundant petroleum, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the highest HDI and the third highest GDP per capita (after Equatorial Guinea and Botswana) in the region.