Stepping into the “Last Eden” of Africa—welcome to Gabon!

A country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa that is world-renowned for its commitment to conservation. There are around 2.5 million people living here, and the capital is Libreville, a coastal city whose name translates to “Free Town,” founded by freed slaves in the mid-1800s. The official language is French, alongside many indigenous languages like Fang.

Gabon covers about 267,667 square kilometers (103,347 square miles). That’s almost the same size as the state of Colorado in the U.S., or about the same size as New Zealand or as Italy. An incredible 88% of the country is covered by dense tropical rainforest, making it one of the greenest nations on Earth.

The most popular sport is Football, and the country successfully co-hosted the Africa Cup of Nations twice. Their national animal is the Black Panther, which is also the nickname for the national football team, symbolizing the strength and stealth of the wildlife found deep in their jungles.

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of green, yellow, and blue, where the green represents the vast forests, the yellow symbolizes the equator that crosses the country and its sun, and the blue stands for the Atlantic Ocean.

The food is rich and centered around the bounty of the forest and sea. You must try Poulet Nyembwe, which is chicken cooked in a thick, creamy sauce made from palm nuts—it is considered the national dish. You’ll also find plenty of Manioc (cassava) served as a starch, and because of the French influence, the local bakeries produce excellent bread and pastries.

Gabon is home to the Loango National Park, one of the few places in the world where you can see “surfing hippos” and elephants walking right on the sandy beaches! The country made headlines in 2002 when it set aside over 10% of its entire land area to create a system of 13 national parks. It is also a sanctuary for 80% of Africa’s remaining gorillas and a massive population of forest elephants. If you are interested in history, you can visit the Lopé National Park, where you’ll find ancient rock carvings (petroglyphs) that are thousands of years old. Gabon is also one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to its significant oil and manganese reserves.

From the misty mountains of the interior to the wild, untouched coastlines, Gabon is a land of pristine nature and deep-rooted traditions. Merci! That means “Thank you!”