Geography of Gabon

Land Use	(2012)
• Arable land	1.26%
• Permanent crops	0.66%
• Other	98.08%

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File:Koppen-Geiger Map GAB present.svg

Gabon map of Köppen climate classification.

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Gabon is a country in Central Africa, lying along the Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Bight of Biafra.

Area and borders

Area

Total: 267,668 km²
- country rank in the world: 76th/77th
Land: 257,670 km²
Water: 10,000 km²

Area comparative

Australia comparative: approximately Template:Sfrac larger than Victoria
Canada comparative: approximately Template:Sfrac the size of Newfoundland and Labrador
United Kingdom comparative: approximately Template:Sfrac larger than the United Kingdom
United States comparative: slightly smaller than Colorado
EU comparative: approximately Template:Sfrac smaller than Italy

Gabon has a total of 3,261 km of international boundaries. It borders Equatorial Guinea (335 km) and Cameroon (349 km) to the north and the Republic of the Congo (2,567 km) to the east and south. Gabon lies on the equator.

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: Template:Convert
Contiguous zone: Template:Convert
Exclusive economic zone: Template:Convert

Terrain

File:Share Of Forest Area In Total Land Area, Top Countries (2021).svg

Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021). Gabon has the fourth highest percentage of forest cover in the world.

Narrow coastal plain with patches of Central African mangroves; hilly interior; savanna in east and south. A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 420 km² of tidal flats in Gabon, making it the 50th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Irrigated land: 44.5 km² (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 164 km³ (2011)

Environment

International agreements:

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Climate

The equatorial location of Gabon means that it has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) and a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw), with the temperature being hot year-round and humid, although the Benguela Current can moderate temperatures.

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Climate change

Gabon is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its dense coastal population, economic hubs along the shore, and dependence on rain-fed agriculture.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web</ref> Rising sea levels threaten to erode the coastline and contaminate freshwater sources with saltwater. The country is already experiencing more frequent and severe extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and storms, which damage infrastructure, displace communities, and disrupt food security and livelihoods.<ref name=":18">Template:Cite web</ref>

To adapt, Gabon prioritises protecting its coastal areas, as well as its fishing, agriculture, and forestry industries.<ref name=":17" /> Gabon's vast forests act as a net carbon sink.<ref name=":19">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":20">Template:Cite book</ref> It is recognized as a global leader in climate action and is widely considered the most carbon-positive country in the world, due to its strong conservation efforts.<ref name=":18" /> However, Gabon’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil and other natural resources, leaving it exposed to global market shifts and climate-related risks. In 2023, the country accounted for just over 0.04% of global greenhouse gas emissions (24.7 million tonnes). Gabon has pledged to stay carbon neutral beyond 2050 and, with adequate support, aims to maintain net carbon removals of 100 million tons CO₂ equivalent per year beyond that date.<ref name=":21">Template:Cite web</ref> It also seeks to expand its renewable energy sector.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite web</ref>

Extreme points

Northernmost point - unnamed location on the border with Cameroon on the Ntem River, Woleu-Ntem province
Easternmost point - the unnamed location on the border with the Republic of Congo immediately south-west of the Congolese village of Mbeyi-Mbola, Haut-Ogooué province
Southernmost point - the point at which the border with the Republic of Congo enters the Atlantic Ocean, Nyanga Province
Westernmost point - the north-west point of Cape Lopez, Ogooué Maritime province