Oyem is the capital of Woleu-Ntem province in northern

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 ...

, lying on the N2 road and the River Ntem.

Geography

The town lies on a plateau at an elevation of about . It is the administrative and transport center for the surrounding agricultural area. Oyem is located 411 kilometers away from the national capital,

Libreville Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire Province, Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. A ...

History

Oyem is named after a large tree that grows around the town. In the 1990s, there were several female

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...

officers raped and murdered in Gabon, stirring controversy over the safety of its locations. The town was sieged by rabid dogs in March 2004, who killed three of five residents infected. The town council was forced to shoot 50 strays. In October 2004, Oyem was affected by water and power cuts. In December of that year, it was severely affected by a rare

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

outbreak which spread across northern Gabon. About 50 cases were reported in Oyem. A small Jewish community composed of former Christians has developed in Oyem. The community practices Jewish customs, but does not yet have a synagogue.

Economy

Cocoa and coffee are the most important cash crops in Oyem and are trucked to the Cameroon ports of Kribi and

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. It was home to Central Africa's largest port, now being replaced by Kribi port. It has the country ...

for export. Rubber and potatoes are also farmed. The town has an airport, Oyem Airport.

Facilities

Within the town is a hospital, two churches, an agricultural school, a government secondary school, and a customs station.

Demographics

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Oyem is twinned with: *

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

, France

Notable people

* Daniel Ona Ondo - Gabonese prime minister * Guélor Kanga - Gabonese football player

References

{{Authority control Jewish communities Jews and Judaism in Gabon Populated places in Woleu-Ntem Province