INDEPENDENT ISLAMIC STATES

Gabon-1

Official Name: Gabon Republic (GA)

Capital city; : Libreville

Important Towns: Franceville, Moanda and Lambarene.

Area: 267.667 km²

Population        : 2,135,000 (2021)[1]

Average Human Lifespan: 54 years.

Ethnic Structure: Half of the population lives in cities, each of which is a commercial and administrative centre. The rest of the population lives in rural settlements, numbering about 4000 inhabitants. Of the forty or so ethnic groups that make up the population, the Fangs make up 30%, the Echirs 25%, the Adumas 17%, the Miene and the Punu.

Language: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira local languages.

Religion: In Gabon, which is influenced by France in terms of religion as well as language and culture, about 40% of the population is Christian, 30% Animist and the rest Muslim. Christianity was brought here by missionaries supported by European colonialists and spread as a result of the planned efforts of the colonial administration.

Geographical Situation: It is located in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, on the Equator, between the Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The coastal part of the country, which is about 800 km. long, is an accumulation area expanding towards the north and consists of alluvium and sandstones and Cretaceous rocks that come to the surface in places. On the other hand, most of the country is covered by 300-600 m. high plateaus consisting of precambrian sub-gneiss, granite, metamorphic schists and sandstones located behind the coastal plain. On these plateaus, Cristal Mountain rises in the north and Ibuci Mountain, a granitic mass in the central part. The Ogue (Ogooue) river, formed by the merger of tributaries coming from the north and south of the country, collects the waters of the largest part of Gabon and discharges them into the ocean. The southern and central part of the coastline is shaped by the accumulation of materials that lead to the formation of lagoons dragged by the Benguela current, and the northern part, where the old massif reaches the coast, is shaped by ria-shaped indentations. Under these climatic conditions, as much as 85% of Gabon's territory is covered by equatorial rainforests, which are floristically very rich and contain valuable timber tree species such as okume (Gabonese mahogany) and akarju.

Natural Resources: Oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron, hydro energy
Land Use: Arable land: 1.21%, crops: 0.64%, other: %98.

Mode of Government: Republic; multi-party presidential regime.

Political Parties: Gabon Democratic Party

History: The first inhabitants of Gabon were Pygmies speaking Bantu languages; later they were joined by other tribes, mostly from the Congo, and formed the people of today. The first European settlers were the Portuguese, who discovered the Gabonese coast in 1472. They were followed by the Dutch between 1580-1600 and the French who established a fortified settlement on the coast towards the middle of the 19th century. Europeans were interested in the slave, ivory and precious timber trade, especially ebony, and continued the slave trade until 1880. The French protectorate administration in Gabon started in 1837 and its sphere of influence was expanded by strengthening it with various treaties made with the tribal rulers in time. Protestant and Catholic missionaries, who followed the merchants and soldiers, tried to convert the local population to Christianity. France appointed a governor-general after the expeditions to the interior, so that the country, which had been governed by naval officers under French West Africa until then, was included in the French Congo (1888). Until the beginning of the 20th century, the natives revolted several times, but these revolts were always bloodily suppressed. In 1946, Gabon was given the status of France's overseas territories in the French Equatorial Africa, which was created in 1910, together with the Central Congo, Uban-gi-Shari and Chad. Gabon became an autonomous republic within the French Community in 1958 and became independent on 17 August 1961. Leon Maba, who rendered important services in the struggle for independence, was elected as the first president of the country. Maba was removed from the presidency by a coup d'état in 1964. However, he was reinstated with the intervention of the military unit sent by France. After Maba's death in 1967, Albert Bernard Bongo was appointed head of state. Bernard closed down all political parties in 1968 and established the Parti Democratique Gabonais under his own presidency, thus bringing single-party rule to the country. The constitution still in force is the constitution of the multi-party period dated 21 February 1961, but some articles have been amended in 1967, 1975, 1981 and 1986. Albert Bernard converted to Islam in 1973 and took the name of Omar and then went on pilgrimage. Omar Bongo was elected president for the third time for a seven-year term on 9 November 1986 by direct popular vote in accordance with the constitution, and remained in office with 51% of the vote in the elections held on 5 December 1993.

Internal Problems: Small population, sufficient natural resources and foreign investment have made the country one of the richest countries in the region. It is one of the few peaceful and trouble-free countries in Africa.

Islam in the country: Islam entered Gabon at the end of the 19th century through Muslim soldiers brought from Senegal to quell insurrections, traders travelling between the French-held Western Sudan and this region, and exiled Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba and Samori Turi. The Senegalese soldiers were stationed in a garrison in Aumale Castle and then set up a camp in Libreville. Some of them did not return to their country at the end of their duty, but settled on the Ogue coast and started a commercial life and married Gabonese women and became the first representatives of Islam in the country. On the other hand, Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba, the founder of the Muridiyya sect, which constituted a serious obstacle against French colonialism in Senegal, was exiled there after his arrest (1895) and was forced to live among the Christianised natives in Mayumba and Lambarene until 1902 under the supervision of a Catholic clergyman. Similarly, Samori Turi, who organised the people in Guinea against the French and tried to spread Islam, was arrested in 1890 and sent to Ndjole, Gabon, where he stayed until his death. Although these two men played an important role in the recognition of Islam in the country, it cannot be said that it has spread rapidly in Gabon and has been adopted by the masses; most of the Muslims here are still foreigners from outside, not Gabonese. Although it was admitted to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference as a full member in 1974, even the most optimistic figures show the rate of the Muslim population in Gabon as only 10%. Although Muslims are spread all over the country, they are particularly concentrated around the Gulf of Gabon and in the administrative units of N'Gounie and Nyanga, and despite their small numbers, they have long played an important role in administration and trade. There are still many Muslim administrators who have risen to the highest levels of government, including the president, ministers, generals, directors-general and police chiefs.

     Today, Muslims in Gabon have several mosques and madrasas in Oyem, Port Gentil, Franceville. There are various mosques and madrasas in Lambarene and the capital city Libreville and they play important roles in religious education life. Since Islamic knowledge is not provided in the official schools, the task of religious education falls to the mosques and madrasas, and the lack of books and teachers seriously complicates this task. The best organised madrasas are those in Oyem and Port Gentil. The Sultanate of Morocco has built a mosque in Libreville, and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have built mosques and cultural centres in some cities. In addition, the Râbıtatü'l-âlemi'l-Islâmî organisation has established a cultural centre. Muslims, including members of the Tijaniyya and Muridiyya sects, are not yet united under the umbrella of an association, nor do they have close relations with their co-religionists in other countries. An average of 200 people go on pilgrimage and thus establish rapport with people from other Islamic countries. In addition, Gabonese Muslim merchants interested in export-import are trying to develop friendship within the framework of their commercial relations with countries such as Morocco, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.[2]

Economy: Gabon is one of the richest countries in Africa due to its diverse natural resources, with the highest per capita national income of 8,601 USD (2021)[3]. The largest share in national income is provided by mining, which only 6% of the active population (around 55%) is engaged in. On the other hand, the share of the agricultural sector, which comprises 5S% of the active population, in national income is only 8%, and the share of industry, which is the field of activity for 14% of the active population, is 14%. The main agricultural products are cassava, sugar cane, cocoa, coffee, rubber, banana and rice. About 85 per cent of the need for nutrients is supplied from outside through imports. Forests, where valuable wood species are processed and exported, are an important source of income. Up to 8 million tonnes of oil are extracted annually, mostly from offshore wells; manganese, uranium, iron and lead are also among the main underground resources exploited. Gabon's exports are dominated by oil (82%), forest products (6%), manganese (6%) and uranium (6%). Finished goods, motor vehicles, machinery and foodstuffs are the main goods imported from abroad. In foreign trade, France is followed by the United States, Japan and Germany.

Currency: African Franc (XAF)

National Income per Capita: 8,601 USD (2021)

Exports: $6.677 billion (2006)
Export products: Crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
Export partners: USA 52.6%, France 6.3%, China 6.2% (2005)
Imports: 1.607 billion (2006)
Import products: Machinery, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials.
Import partners: France 40.5%, USA 6.4%, Cameroon 4.2% (2005)
Industry: Food and beverages, textiles, cement, oil extraction and refining, manganese, uranium, gold mining, chemical products, ship repair.
Transport: Railways: 814 km, Highways: 9,170 km; Waterways: 1,600 km
Pipelines: Natural gas 272 km; crude oil 1,354 km (2006)
Ports: Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil.
Airspaces: 56

Education: Rate of Authors: 63%.2
Administrative Divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem)
Affiliated International Organisations and Institutions: UN (United Nations), OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and IMF (International Monetary Fund)

[1]  www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)

[2]    Encyclopaedia of Islam, TDV.

[3]   www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)