Libreville

Geography

Situation

Libreville is located on the estuary of Gabon, on the north-western coast of the country. The mouth of the delta of the river Komo which throws in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Golfe of Guinea, bathes its southern periphery, while that in north, the forest and the mangrove reign on a vast quasi uninhabited space.

relief

Libreville is built on hills where small rivers descend which are thrown in the estuary of Gabon.

History

Libreville was founded in 1849 by released slaves of a ship slave trader named the Elizia. It nevertheless was used as starting point with the French colonization of Gabon and becomes the capital of the French Congo, before losing this statute with the profit of Brazzaville in 1904.

Theater of fatal confrontations in 1941, Libreville, and Gabon under colonial administration, chooses to rejoin the camp of the Free France in November 1940, against that of the Vichystes colonists. It is of Libreville that will start from many combatants of Freedom incorporated in the Force L which will become later, the the 2nd division armor-plated of the Maréchal Leclerc, and will join the Chad where it is named by the Général de Gaulle, military commander of Chad. The column will cross North Africa to release the France under occupation in 1944.

In 1956, Leon Mba is elected mayor of Libreville (the first mayor of Libreville). It will become a few years later, the 1st president of the Gabonese Republic until his in November 1967 death. The independence of Gabon is proclaimed the August 17th, 1960 in the future capital. A mausoleum is set up in its memory with Libreville, Boulevard Leon Mba.

Remained a simple village until the declaration of independence, Libreville made then important great strides, in particular with great work of the end of the year 1970 when the government launches a series of great work: beginning of construction and the startup of the railroad Transgabonais (1978), the stage Omnisports President Bongo is built to accommodate the first plays of Africa Centrale (1976), the construction of the first buildings of the University with Libreville (1970).

In 1977, Libreville shelters the 34ème top of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The city is also marked as of the dark years of the dictatorship, by murder series, assassinations of political opponents and mysterious disappearances. It is the theater of riots in 1990 (French military intervention, " the Operation Shark "), in 1994 after the defeat with the first presidential elections post-monopartists of the principal opponent Paul Mba Abessole, arrived in 2nd position, and 1998. In 2003, André Dieudonné Berre is elected mayor of Libreville, succeeding Paul Mba Abessole, historical opponent rejoined with the president Bongo (1996-2003).

Demography

The Gabonese capital gathers more of the third of the inhabitants of the country. Its population growth is fast and its rather anarchistic development, the urban infrastructures not following the rate/rhythm of new constructions. Libreville is a cosmopolitan city where are côtoient all the ethnos groups of Gabon, the immigrants of central Africa and the West (Nigerians and Beninese in particular), of Europeans, of the Lebanese one, and more and more an Asian population of Chinese origin. The most underprivileged inhabitants live in Bidonville S known under the name of matitis (district of Akebe for example).

Economy

Libreville is also an important center commercial of wood (okoumé mainly) in the under-area of central Africa. An important industrial and harbor park is with the southern periphery of Libreville, in the commune of Owendo. It shelters important ore, harbor and industrial infrastructures. The port ore tanker exports the production of manganese of Haut-Ogooué which reaches that point by the railroad Transgabonais. In addition to the central services of the State, the Gabonese capital gathers many tertiary sector. With Mount-Bouët the largest market of the country with its hundreds of retail dealers is. There exist however two large hypermarkets, one called Mbolo (hello in Gabonese languages) and giant ECSC.

Education

Libreville shelters two of the three principal universities of the country, of which oldest, the university Omar Bongo (UOB) gathers thousands of students.

Health

The general hospital CHL, the hospital complex Jeanne Ebori, several private clinics as well as the new hospital of the Armies Omar Bongo Ondimba, the service of the population, allow a decent access to medical care.

Tourism

Splendid architectural and artistic buildings are there to be discovered such as the columns of the Church Saint-Michel of kembo, some buildings of the colonial era in downtown area, the building of the national museum of arts and traditions on the Boulevard of the seaside, without forgetting the installations of the cathedral Sainte Marie, vestiges of the first catholic mission of Monseigneur Remi Bessieux in Gabon.

Leon Mba airport

Libreville shelters also the principal airport of Gabon, the International airport Leon Mba. A permanent French military base occupied by 6th BIMa (De Gaulle camp) is installed in the North of the Gabonaise capital.

External bonds

Official site of the Town hall of Libreville
Arts center French Saint-Exupéry, Libreville/French-speaking Gabon
Numerical Campus of Libreville
Photographs of Libreville

Simple: Libreville

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