Libreville, Gabon
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
, located on the
Gabon Estuary The Gabon River or Gabon Estuary is a short wide estuary in the western Gabon. The capital Libreville has a large port on the north bank of the estuary which collects water from the Komo River and River Ebe. The estuary empties into the Gulf o ...
. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire. Libreville is also a
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
on the Gabon Estuary, near the
Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...
. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inhabited by the
Mpongwe people The Mpongwe are an ethnic group in Gabon, notable as the earliest known dwellers around the estuary where Libreville is now located. History The Mpongwe language identifies them as a subgroup of the Myènè people of the Bantus, who are belie ...
since before the French acquired the land in 1839. It was later an American Christian mission, and a slave resettlement site, before becoming the chief port of the colony of
French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (, or AEF) was a federation of French colonial territories in Equatorial Africa which consisted of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based in Brazzav ...
. By the time of Gabonese independence in 1960, the city was a
trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...
and minor
administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
with a population of 32,000. Since 1960, Libreville has grown rapidly and now is home to one-third of the national population.


History

Various native peoples lived in or used the area that is now Libreville before colonization, including the
Mpongwé The Mpongwe are an ethnic group in Gabon, notable as the earliest known dwellers around the estuary where Libreville is now located. History The Mpongwe language identifies them as a subgroup of the Myènè people of the Bantu peoples, Bantus, w ...
tribe. French admiral Édouard Bouët-Willaumez negotiated a trade and protection treaty with the local Mpongwé ruler, Antchoué Komé Rapontcombo (known to the French as King Denis), in 1839. American missionaries from New England established a mission in Baraka, Gabon, on what is now Libreville, in 1842. In 1846, the Brazilian slave ship ''L'Elizia'', carrying slaves from the Congo, was captured near Loango by the French navy which was tasked with contributing to the British
Blockade of Africa The Blockade of Africa began in 1808 after the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom outlawed the Atlantic slave trade, making it illegal for British ships to transport slaves. The Royal Navy immediately established a pr ...
. Fifty-two of the freed slaves were resettled on the site of Libreville (French for "Freetown") in 1849. Following the
French Revolution of 1848 The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...
and establishment of the
French Second Republic The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852. Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...
, the former slaves organized an election to select leaders of the new village in 1849. A former slave named Mountier was elected Mayor of Libreville. Libreville was the administrative capital of France's Congo-Gabon colony between 1888 and 1904, when the capital moved to
Brazzaville Brazzaville () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo. Administratively, it is a Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department and a Communes of the Republic of the Congo, commune. Constituting t ...
. In 1910, Gabon became part of
French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (, or AEF) was a federation of French colonial territories in Equatorial Africa which consisted of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based in Brazzav ...
(''Afrique équatoriale française'', AEF). French companies were allowed to exploit the Middle Congo (modern-day Congo-Brazzaville). It soon became necessary to build a railroad that would connect
Brazzaville Brazzaville () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo. Administratively, it is a Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department and a Communes of the Republic of the Congo, commune. Constituting t ...
, the terminus of the river navigation on the
Congo River The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...
and the
Ubangi River The Ubangi River (; ; ; ), also spelled Oubangui, is a river in Central Africa, and the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou River, Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mea ...
, with the Atlantic coast. As
rapids Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...
make it impossible to navigate on the Congo River past Brazzaville, and the coastal railroad terminus site had to allow for the construction of a deep-sea port, authorities chose the site of Ponta Negra instead of Libreville as originally envisaged. Construction of the
Congo–Ocean Railway The Congo–Ocean Railway (COR; , ) links the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire (now in the Republic of Congo) with Brazzaville, a distance of . It bypasses the rapids on the lower Congo River; from Brazzaville, river boats are able to ascend the Con ...
began in 1921, and Libreville was surpassed by the rapid growth of
Pointe-Noire Pointe-Noire (; , with the letter d following French spelling standards) is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, following the capital of Brazzaville, and an autonomous department and a commune since the 2002 Constitution. B ...
, farther down the coast. Libreville received its first bank branch when Paris-based
Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale The (BAO, ), known from 1853 to 1901 as Banque du Sénégal and from 1965 to 1990 as the Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale (BIAO), was a bank headquartered in Dakar. During most of its history it was the main or only commercial ...
opened a branch in 1930. In 1940, Libreville was the central focus of the
Battle of Gabon The Battle of Gabon (French: ''Bataille du Gabon''), also called the Gabon Campaign (''Campagne du Gabon''), occurred in November 1940 during World War II. The battle resulted in forces under the orders of General Charles de Gaulle taking the c ...
as
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
's
Free French Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...
forces, supported by the Royal Navy, moved to consolidate control over French Equatorial Africa. With national independence on the horizon,
Léon M'ba Gabriel Léon M'ba (9 February 1902 â€“ 28 November 1967) was a Gabonese politician who served as both the first Prime Minister of Gabon, Prime Minister (1959–1961) and later, the President of Gabon, from 1961 until his death in 1967. A ...
won Libreville's first free mayoral election in 1956. Mba was later the first president of independent Gabon. The city's population was only 32,000 at independence, but grew rapidly thereafter. It now houses one-third of the national population.


Geography

From north to south, major districts of the city are the
residential A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...
area Batterie IV, Quartier Louis (known for its
nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...
), Mont-Bouët and Nombakélé (busy commercial areas),
Glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...
(the first European settlement in Gabon), Oloumi (a major industrial area) and Lalala, a residential area. The city's port and train station on the
Trans-Gabon Railway The Trans-Gabon Railway () is the only railway in Gabon. It runs east from Owendo port station in Libreville to Franceville via numerous stations, the main ones being Ndjolé, Lopé, Booué, Lastoursville and Moanda. History A railw ...
line to
Franceville Franceville is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of 110,568 at the 2013 census. It lies on the Mpassa River and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku. Overview P ...
lie in Owendo, south of the main built-up area. Inland from these districts lie poorer residential areas. North-west of Equatorial Guinea is where the city stands, labeling the city as a part of north-west Gabon. In terms of the country's surrounding boundaries, north is
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
, east is Congo, and south-east is the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
. It also rides the shores of the South Atlantic Ocean, which is on the country's west coast for reference. Additionally, in terms of aquatic geography, the Komo River passes through the city and empties into the ocean. The Komo River also stands as a potential hydroelectric source of power for the city which could generate supportive amounts of energy and power. Several city districts provide distinct and separate benefits throughout the city as well. In terms of nightlife, the Quartier Louis sector is most renowned. One of this zone's sides includes the coast, and this heavily influences the possible activities available in the area. Commercial areas within Libreville are housed in the Mont-Bouët and Nombakélé districts, which feature several shopping centers and stations selling purchasable goods. Oloumi contains much of the city's industry, integrating production separately from the districts that focus upon other aspects. Finally, Lalala and Batterie IV are residential and housing sectors, where much of the populace resides.


Climate

Libreville features a
tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
( Am) with a lengthy
wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
and a short
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
. The city's
wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
, which is also its autumn, winter and spring, spans about nine months (September through May), with a great deal of rain falling during these months. Its
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
(or summer) lasts from June through August, and is caused by the cold
Benguela Current The Benguela Current is the broad, northward flowing ocean current that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre. The current extends from roughly Cape Point in the south, to the position of the Angola-Benguela Front in the no ...
reaching its northernmost extent and suppressing rainfall. Despite the lack of rain, Libreville remains very cloudy during this time of year. As is common with many cities with this climate, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures at around .


Transport

Léon-Mba International Airport is the largest airport in Gabon and is located around north of the city. National Taxis operate around the city. Each district has a colour for its taxis and Libreville's is red. The National Society of Transport ( SOGATRA) launched new taxis that operate on a counter system in 2014. The Gabonese Transport Company operates a bus service to all districts of Libreville.


Landmarks

* Arboretum de Sibang * Palais du bord de mer * National Museum of Arts, Rites and Traditions of Gabon (Musee National des Arts, Rites et Traditions)


Education

The Omar Bongo University was founded in 1970. There are several high-end international schools in Libreville, including: * American International School of Libreville – American curriculum * Lycée Blaise Pascal de Libreville – French curriculum * International School of Gabon Ruban Vert – IB curriculum


Places of worship

Among the
places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is so ...
, they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Libreville (Catholic Church), Église de l'Alliance chrétienne et missionnaire du Gabon (
Alliance World Fellowship The Alliance World Fellowship (or The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA) is an evangelical Christian denomination It includes 6.2 million members throughout 88 countries within 22,000 churches. History The Alliance has its origins in two organization ...
),
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
, Evangelical Church of Gabon. There are also Muslim mosques.


Languages

Libreville is one of several African cities where French is truly becoming a native language, with some local features.


Economy

The city is home to a
shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
industry, brewing industry, and sawmills. The city exports
raw materials A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials/Intermediate goods that are feedstock for future finished ...
such as wood, rubber and cocoa from the city's main port, and the deepwater port at Owendo. Gabon Airlines has its headquarters in Libreville. Prior to their dissolutions, both Air Gabon and Gabon Express were headquartered on the grounds of
Libreville International Airport Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 cens ...
. The
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
's 6th Marine Infantry Battalion is based in the north of the city.


Notable residents

* Nadège Noële Ango-Obiang, writer and economist *
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang (born 18 June 1989) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah FC, Al-Qadsiah and Captain (associat ...
, footballer who plays for Al-Qadsiah and the
Gabon National Football Team The Gabon national football team ( French: ''Équipe de football du Gabon'') represents Gabon in men's international football. The team's nickname is The Panthers and it is governed by the Gabonese Football Federation. They have never qualifie ...
* Peggy Lucie Auleley, writer * Daniel Cousin, footballer who played for
Larissa FC Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. (), often known as AEL or Larissa, is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in the city of Larissa, capital of Greece's Thessaly region. AEL is one of the biggest Greek football teams and ...
and the Gabon National Team *
Marcel Lefebvre Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre (29 November 1905 – 25 March 1991) was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dakar, Archbishop of Dakar from 1955 to 1962. He was a major inf ...
, traditionalist Roman Catholic bishop, served as a missionary in Libreville *
Léon M'ba Gabriel Léon M'ba (9 February 1902 â€“ 28 November 1967) was a Gabonese politician who served as both the first Prime Minister of Gabon, Prime Minister (1959–1961) and later, the President of Gabon, from 1961 until his death in 1967. A ...
, first Prime Minister and first President of Gabon * Anthony Obame, Olympic silver medalist in the men's Taekwondo 80+ kg at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. *
Simone Saint-Dénis Simone Saint-Dénis (1934 2008) was a trade union leader from Gabon, who played an active role in politics in the post-independence era. Biography Saint-Dénis was born in Libreville in 1934, to parents from the Mpongwe people, Mpongwe ethnic ...
, trade union leader * Chris Silva (born 1996), professional basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Charles Tchen, Honorary consul for the
Kingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...
in Gabon


References


Bibliography


External links

*
Site officiel de la Mairie de Libreville
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1848 Capitals in Africa Port cities in Africa 1848 establishments in the French colonial empire 1848 establishments in Africa Ports and harbours of Gabon American colonization movement