The oldest human artefacts to have been discovered in Gabon are stone spearheads, which date back to 7000 BC, but little more is known about Gabonese prehistory.
The earliest of the present inhabitants are the Pygmies; from AD 1100 onwards various Bantu tribes began migrating into the area.
It was in 1472 that the Portuguese discovered Gabon. Thereafter, Gabon was primarily of interest to the Dutch, French and British, who negotiated with the coastal tribes for slaves and ivory from the interior.
Between the 16th and 18th centuries the region was part of the Loango empire, during which time the main inhabitants were the Omiéné and Fang tribes.
The slave trade ceased in the middle of the 19th century, but not before it had destroyed the social inter-relationships of the tribes it affected.
Land on either side of the Gabon River was annexed peacefully by the French during the mid-19th century as a province of French Equatorial Africa.
The Republic of Gabon moved peacefully into independence in 1960 after a three-year period of internal self-government.
A French-style constitution was adopted the following year and Léon M'Ba became Gabon's first President. After seven years of stormy pluralism, the ruling Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) declared Gabon a one-party state, but retained broadly pro-Western policies.
Gabon’s current president, President Ali Bongo Ondimba, took office in 2009, and is the son of President Omar Bongo – one of Africa's longest serving heads of state.
From 1990, in common with much of the rest of Africa, the Omar Bongo’s government effected the transformation from a one-party state to a pluralistic political system.
At the heart of the country's policies lie exceptionally close relations with France. In particular, Gabon is a key supplier to France of uranium and a number of other strategic minerals.
Gabon's only problem in the region concerns the island of Mbagne which lies in the Corisco Bay, potentially the site of large oil and gas deposits: occupied by Gabon in 1970, it is also claimed by Equatorial Guinea.
About 60% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), the remainder follow Muslim and animist beliefs.
Social conventions:Dance, song, poetry and myths remain an important part of traditional Gabonese life.
Photography: It is absolutely forbidden to photograph military installations. In general, permission to photograph anything should be requested first, to prevent misunderstandings.
The official language is French. The principal African language is Fang. Eshira is spoken by a tenth of the population. Bantu dialects spoken include Bapounou, Miene and Bateke.
