Colors and the Meaning of the Gabon Flag
Gabon became one of the few countries in the African continent that did not use the Pan-African colors on its flag after it gained independence from the colonial system of France. The flag consists of green, yellow and blue colors that divide the flag horizontally into three equal parts.
The green color symbolizes the forests of the country, the yellow color sun and the Ecuadorian line passing through the country. The blue color of the flag symbolizes the sea where the country is located.
History of the Gabon Flag
In 1839, France agreed to become a protector of Gabon. In 1910 the country became one of the five regions of the French Equatorial Africa federation. The flag used in this period was a blue-white-red French flag with three vertical stripes.
The first flag of Gabon was adopted in 1959 just before independence. This accepted flag consisted of two horizontal lines, green on the top and blue on the bottom, and a thin yellow line separating these two horizontal lines. The blue-white-red tricolor French flag was found in the upper left of the flag.
It is said that the green color represents the forest, the yellow equator, and the blue Atlantic Ocean. In 1960 when Gabon became fully independent, the flag was modified and redesigned. On the new flag, the French flag was removed and the thin yellow strip in the middle was replaced with the other strips. Thus, the present-day Gabon flag was introduced. Since 1960, the flag of Gabon continued to fluctuate in the territory of Gabon.
Neighboring Countries of Gabon
It is located in the middle part of the African continent. It is adjacent to Cameroon in the north, Equatorial Guinea in the northwest, and the Republic of Congo in the south and east.
Main Characteristics of Gabon
Gabon is a country famous for its underground mines in Ecuador. Thanks to the oil deposits in the country, it has become one of the richest and welfare countries of Africa. Its capital city is Libreville, the country’s largest city. Although the official languages are French, there are forty languages used by the local people. They use the Central African CFA franc as currency.
It has a humid tropical climate. During the period of June-September, the driest and rainy periods are experienced. December and January are the peak periods of precipitation. There is not a very rich kitchen for local dishes. They were influenced by world cuisine, mainly French cuisine. The most consumed alcoholic beverage is beer. Freshly squeezed fruit juice varieties should be tried among the drinks.
| Country | Gabon |
| Code | GA (GAB) |
| Calling Code | 241 |
| Capital City | Libreville |
| Currency | central african cfa franc (XAF) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇬🇦 |
| Highest Point | Mont Bengoué (1,070 m) |
| Internet TLD | .ga |
| Population(2017) | 2,025,137 |
| Total Area | 267,668 km2 |