Gabon, a central African country, is rich in natural resources. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, it borders Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo. It is sparsely populated, with a population of 2.3 million and forests covering 88 per cent of its territory. ALSO READ: Gabon's President Bongo under house arrest According to the World Bank, Gabon has one of the highest urbanization rates in Africa with more than four in five Gabonese citizens live in cities. Libreville and Port-Gentil are home to 59 per cent of the country’s population. One in two Gabonese citizens is under the age of 20 and the fertility rate in urban areas is four children per woman against six in rural areas. From its independence in 1960 to Wednesday, August 30, Military takeover from President Ali Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years, here are ten key dates in Gabon's history. 1960: Independence A former French colony, Gabon proclaimed its independence on August 17, 1960. In February 1961, Léon Mba became president. Deposed by a coup d'état three years later, he was brought back to power by French military intervention. 1967: Omar Bongo in power for 41 years In December 1967, on the death of Léon Mba, Albert-Bernard Bongo came to power. In 1973, after converting to Islam, he became El Hadj Omar Bongo, to which he added his father's name, Ondimba, in 2003. He was elected President in 1973, 1979 and 1986. In 1990, he introduced a multi-party system and still won election if 1993, 1998, and 2005 against an opposition. 2009: Ali Bongo On October 16, 2009, Ali Bongo Ondimba, son of Omar Bongo who died in June, was sworn in as president. He was elected in August of the same year.. 2014: Social tensions In December 2014, violent clashes erupted between demonstrators and police during a banned rally demanding Ali Bongo's departure 2016: post-election violence The announcement of Ali Bongo Ondimba's re-election in the August 2016 election provokes unprecedented violence, the National Assembly set on fire, Oposition headquarters were bombed and outgoing president's rival, Jean Ping assaulted. 2018: Ali Bongo suffers a stroke On October 24, 2018, Ali Bongo suffered a stroke in Saudi Arabia, leaving him absent for many months, convalescing abroad and then in Gabon. 2019: failed coup - On January 7, 2019, an attempted military coup fails In November, the country was rocked by a wave of arrests amid suspicions of corruption. On December 5, Ali Bongo's eldest son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, is appointed coordinator of presidential affairs. June 2022: Gabon joins Commonwealth Gabon became the 55th member of the Commonwealth on 25 June 2022 following approval from Commonwealth leaders during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda. April 2023: Revision of the Constitution In April 2023, Parliament voted to revise the Constitution, reducing the presidential term of office from seven to five years and reverting to a single ballot. August 2023: Post-electoral military take over On August 30, the military announced that it had put an end to the regime, shortly after the announcement of Ali Bongo's re-election (with 64.27% of the vote).
