What is the Capital of Gabon? Libreville is Gabon’s largest city and capital. The city is located near the Gulf of Guinea on the banks of the Komo River. The region is the livelihood of the timber trade.
The city of Libreville, where French and French Americans and those who want to return to Africa from the liberation of the black slaves who work in the colonies of the Caribbean islands. This is the reason behind the name.
When did Libreville Become the Capital?
The city and its surrounding region, in 1839, had long been inhabited by Mpongwe people before the French seized the territory of the region. During the French sovereignty, in 1843 the Libreville boat was brought to a market where sold slaves were waiting to be marketed to the world. Freed slaves were brought here by the ships. For this reason, the city was named Libreville, inspired by Freetow. Until 1960, when independence took place, it grew slowly and reached 31,000 population.
After Gabon’s independence from colonial rule in 1960, Libreville was chosen as the capital of the independent state. Since then, it has grown even larger and now hosts about half of the country’s population.
Features of Libreville
It has a population of 578,156 by 2018. The surface area is 65.42 square kilometers. The city has a tropical monsoon climate with a long wet season and a short dry season. The wet season lasts for about nine months with heavy rains during these months. The dry season lasts from June to August, and despite the lack of rain, it is very cloudy during this time of year.
The city is home to advanced shipbuilding and lumber industry. It is also exported from Libreville to overseas markets such as rubber, cocoa, lumber.
Important Places to See in Libreville
The main places of interest in Libreville are; Pointe Denis Beach, a stunning beach on the edge of the city, is a spectacular building built in 1970 by President Bongo, Palais Presidentiel, one of the most important structures in Libreville, St Michael Cathedral, a preserved rainforest park The Arboretum is also Sibang and the city’s seaside boulevard.