The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Bank of the Central African States

      Currency code:

       XAF

      Exchange rates:

       Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.99

       (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Gabon

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       39,000 (1998)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       120,000 (2000)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: adequate service by African standards and

       improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system

       domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,

       tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a

       domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

       international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic

       Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable to be in service in 2002

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)

      Radios:

       208,000 (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

       4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)

      Televisions:

       63,000 (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .ga

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       1 (2001)

      Internet users:

       18,000 (2002)

      Transportation Gabon

      Railways: total: 814 km standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

      Highways: total: 8,464 km paved: 838 km unpaved: 7,626 km (2000 est.)

      Waterways:

       1,600 km (perennially navigable)

      Pipelines:

       gas 210 km; oil 1,426 km; water 3 km (2003)

      Ports and harbors:

       Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo,

       Port-Gentil

      Airports:

       57 (2002)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

      Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 47 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 24 (2002)

      Military Gabon

      Military branches:

       Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential (Republican) Guard (charged

       with protecting the president and other senior officials), National

       Gendarmerie, National Police

      Military manpower - military age:

       20 years of age (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - availability:

       males age 15–49: 305,603 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - fit for military service:

       males age 15–49: 158,226 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

       males: 12,853 (2003 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $81.9 million (FY02)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       2% (FY02)

      Transnational Issues Gabon

      Disputes - international:

       creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

       with Equatorial Guinea is hampered by dispute over small islets on

       Mbane/Mbagne bank, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

      ======================================================================

      @Gambia, The

      Introduction Gambia, The

      Background:

       The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a

       short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and

       1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation

       treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned

       political activity, but a 1996 constitution and presidential

       elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a

       nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round

       of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early

       2002.

      Geography Gambia, The

      Location:

       Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

      Geographic coordinates:

       13 28 N, 16 34 W

      Map references:

       Africa

      Area:

       total: 11,300 sq km

       land: 10,000 sq km

       water: 1,300 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

      Land boundaries: total: 740 km border countries: Senegal 740 km

      Coastline: 80 km

      Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

      Climate:

       tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season

       (November to May)

      Terrain:

       flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

       highest point: unnamed location 53 m

      Natural resources:

       fish

      Land use: arable land: 19.5% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 80% (1998 est.)

      Irrigated land:

       20 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)

      Environment - current issues:

       deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law

       of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship

       Pollution,