|
Country
|
Gabon | 
Ireland |
|
Leader
|
President: Ali Ben Bongo
|
President: Michael D Higgins
|
|
Population
|
1,640,286
| 4,775,982
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
52.150 years
| 80.440 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Libreville
| Dublin
|
|
Largest city
|
| Libreville (population: 578,156) | Dublin (population: 1,024,030) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.729
| 0.96
|
| GDP per capita |
$17,300 US
| $41,700 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
63.2%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.1
| 7.7
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
16.1%
| 15.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Pallonji Mistry ($2.5bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
21.000%
| 14.600%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic; multiparty presidential regime
| republic, parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
17 August 1960 (from France)
| 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
|
| Religions |
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
| Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
|
| Languages |
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
| English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
|
| Exports |
crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
| machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
|
| External Debt |
$2,758,000,000 $
| $2,352,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
| euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.800%
| 0.900%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 3
|
| Location |
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
| Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
|
| Area |
267,667 km sq
| 70,273 km sq
|
| Coastline |
885 km
| 1,448 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; always hot, humid
| temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
|
|
|
|
