|
Country
|
Gabon | 
Liberia |
|
Leader
|
President: Ali Ben Bongo
|
President: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
|
|
Population
|
1,608,321
| 3,887,886
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
52.290 years
| 57.410 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Libreville
| Monrovia
|
|
Largest city
|
| Libreville (population: 578,156) | Monrovia (population: 939,524) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.729
| 0.364
|
| GDP per capita |
$16,400 US
| $500 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
63.2%
| 57.5%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.1
| 2.4
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
16.1%
| 13.8%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
21.000%
| 85.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic; multiparty presidential regime
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
17 August 1960 (from France)
| 26 July 1847
|
| Religions |
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
| Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%
|
| Languages |
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
| English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
|
| Exports |
crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
| rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
|
| External Debt |
$2,726,000,000 $
| $228,000,000 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)
| Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.900%
| 1.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
| Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
|
| Area |
267,667 km sq
| 111,369 km sq
|
| Coastline |
885 km
| 579 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; always hot, humid
| tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
|
|
|
|
