Geography

Gabon: Ruhizha

Photo: Callan Cohen, Birding Africa

At 267,667 km2 Gabon is small by African standards. Situated on the equator, it is, to its core, tropical. Warm and humid all year round, rain falls during two seasons - September to mid-December and mid-February to mid-May and averages between 1400 and 3500 mm per annum.

Most of the country lies between 450 and 800 m in altitude, with only a handful of peaks rising above 1,000 m. The coast is scarred with colossal lagoons, fed by numerous large rivers, such as the Ogooué.

Fewer than two million people inhabit Gabon and a remarkable 74% of the country is still forested, although this is changing rapidly with logging companies being particularly active. Still, a good reserve network protects 11% of the country.

More details can be found at CIA Factbook.