Gabon

Discover Gabon

Fun Foods

Poulet Nyembwe, Brochettes, Grilled Fish, Bâton de Manioc, Atanga, Beignets, Baked Bananas

On the beaches of Gabon, hippos go to the sea. In Loango National Park, these giant animals wade out into the Atlantic Ocean and bob through the crashing waves, which is why people call them the “surfing hippos.”

They aren’t the only beach visitors. Forest elephants stroll out of the jungle to graze by the waves, and from July to September, humpback whales leap just offshore.

Gabon is one of the greenest countries on Earth, with more than three-quarters of it covered in rainforest. In 2002, the government set aside about a tenth of the country as 13 national parks to protect its gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants.

People have lived here for thousands of years, and kingdoms like Loango once ruled the coast. Then European traders arrived. For centuries, they bought and shipped away enslaved Africans from this shore.

The capital has a powerful story behind its name. In 1849, the French freed a group of people from a slave ship and settled them here.

They named their new town Libreville, which means “free town” in French.

Later, France made Gabon a colony. It stayed that way until 1960, when Gabon became independent.

After independence, one family ruled for a very long time. Omar Bongo became president in 1967 and held power for over 40 years, and when he died, his son took over.

In 2023, soldiers removed the son from power, ending the family’s 56-year rule. The general who led them was elected president in 2025.

For adventures, ride a wooden canoe called a pirogue up the Ivindo River, past roaring waterfalls and gray parrots in the treetops.

In Lopé National Park, more than a thousand mandrills, monkeys with bright red-and-blue faces, sometimes travel together in one giant group.

For food, try poulet nyembwe, the national dish: chicken simmered in a rich orange sauce made from palm nuts. It’s often eaten with bâton de manioc, a chewy stick of cassava wrapped in banana leaves.

For dessert, Gabonese families love baked bananas.

Sources: CIA World Factbook: Gabon, New World Encyclopedia: Gabon, and Wikivoyage: Gabon.