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The '''Gabonese Republic''' is a [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[Capitalism|capitalist]] [[List of States|state]] in Central Africa near [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Sao Tome and Principe]], [[Cameroon]] and the [[Republic of the Congo]]. | {{Infobox_location|title = Gabon|image = 800px-Flag of Gabon.svg.png|imagecaption = The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The yellow alludes to the Equator – which cuts across the country and also symbolizes the sun.The green epitomizes the natural resources of Gabon,as well as its "extensive forested area" of Gabon. The blue represents the sea.|map = Location Gabon AU Africa.svg.png|mapcaption = Gabon's location within Africa|location = Middle Africa|inhabitants = 2,119,275 people (2018)}}'''Gabon''', officially the '''Gabonese Republic''' is a [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[Capitalism|capitalist]] [[List of States|state]] in Central Africa near [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Sao Tome and Principe]], [[Cameroon]] and the [[Republic of the Congo]]. | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
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=== First Contact === | === First Contact === | ||
The [[First Contact (Concept)|first contact]] made between Europeans and the Gabonese were explorers of the [[Portuguese Empire]] who colonised [[Sao Tome and Principe|São Tomé and Príncipe]] in the late 1400s. Gabon was used as a centre of entry for the [[Atlantic Slave Trade|slave trade]] and some colonisers established themselves | The [[First Contact (Concept)|first contact]] made between Europeans and the Gabonese were explorers of the [[Portuguese Empire]] who colonised [[Sao Tome and Principe|São Tomé and Príncipe]] in the late 1400s. Gabon was used as a centre of entry for the [[Atlantic Slave Trade|slave trade]] and some colonisers established themselves as rulers of some small islands and points on the coast, but nothing really came of it. Dutch, English, and French traders came in the 1500s. | ||
=== French Colony === | === French Colony === | ||
Revision as of 07:52, 13 March 2020
</image> <image source="map"></image> <label>Type</label> <label>Level</label> <label>Location</label> <label>Inhabitants</label> </infobox>Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic is a liberal and capitalist state in Central Africa near Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.
History
Pre-Colonial History
Unfortunately, little is known about Gabon before European colonialism except that it was settled in the 1300s by Bantu peoples, little is known of life then, but tribal art suggests a rich cultural heritage.
First Contact
The first contact made between Europeans and the Gabonese were explorers of the Portuguese Empire who colonised São Tomé and Príncipe in the late 1400s. Gabon was used as a centre of entry for the slave trade and some colonisers established themselves as rulers of some small islands and points on the coast, but nothing really came of it. Dutch, English, and French traders came in the 1500s.
French Colony
In 1839, Gabon was colonised by the French Empire. In 1842 American missionaries from New England established a mission at the mouth of the Komo River in 1842. In 1849, the French authorities captured an illegal slave ship and freed the captives on board. The captives were released near the mission station, where they founded a settlement which was called Libreville (French for "free town"). It operated as a fairly standard colony, with a white French minority controlling most of the wealth and it largely being used to extract natural resource and cheap laborers for overseas markets.
Independence
Gabon was decolonised in 1960 and became a representative democracy with two main political parties, one representing social democracy and one representing centrist liberalism. This soon ended after a military coup in 1964 followed by French military intervention, by the democracy was unstable, eventually becoming a one-party state/dictatorship in 1968 and attempted to forge a unified national identity as opposed to more decentralised tribal relationships.
In 1990 a wave of uprisings and strikes by students and workers led to massive wage increases, creation of a representative democracy, introduction of freedom of assembly and press. Two coups were averted and the government became relatively stable, becoming one of the healthiest and wealthiest states in Africa. However, recently the country has suffered from a military coup and a fair bit of corruption.