Another Coup in Gabon
- August 31, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Another Coup in Gabon
Subject: International Relations
Section: Places in news
Context: Soldiers in Gabon had seized power and appointed the republican guard chief as head of state.
More about the news:
- Soldiers in Gabon had seized power and appointed the republican guard chief as head of state.
- Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema had been “unanimously” designated president of a transitional committee to lead the country.
- Another coup was attempted in Gabon in 2019,but it was overpowered.
Some facts about Gabon:
- The Republic of Gabon is positioned at the Equator in West-Central Africa, with its borders extending to the Atlantic Ocean.
- The capital city Gabon is Libreville.
- Its neighboring countries encompass Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north, and the Republic of the Congo to the east and south.
- Gabon was a former French Colony and gained independence from France on August 17, 1960.
- Languages spoken in Gabon are French (official) and a variety of Bantu languages.
- Gabon employs the Central African CFA franc (XAF) as its currency,
- In terms of religion, the majority of Gabon’s populace identifies as Christian, while a minority adheres to Islam, and a smaller segment follows traditional beliefs.
- The Ogooué river is the largest watercourse in Gabon.
- Gabon is blessed with mineral resources such as petroleum, manganese and iron, as well as high-quality forest resources. In 2010, the petroleum industry accounted for 46.4 percent of the GDP, giving Gabon one of the highest income levels among African countries. However, it is predicted that the petroleum will be depleted in the mid-term, and so the government is aiming to create an economy free of dependence on petroleum.