A relatively flat terrain
From the coastal plains to the plateaus and hills of the country's interior, Gabon's relief is varied and in some places rugged. The coastal plains range in width from 20 to 300 km, with mangrove swamps and lagoons in some areas. On the Libreville side, they are indented by deep rias and the capital is surrounded by hills. To the south, Cape Lopez, where Port-Gentil is located, juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. In the Nyanga and Ngounié provinces, sweeping the region from west to east, the Chaillu massif is followed by the Ngounié plain, irrigated by the river of the same name, and then the Ikoundou mountains, separated from the Mayombé massif by the Nyanga plain. The massifs are covered by forests, while large grassy savannah plains follow the courses of the Nyanga and Ngounié rivers. The Chaillu massif, which stretches into the Republic of Congo, is home to some of Gabon's highest peaks, Mount Milondo at 1,020 meters and Mount Iboundji at 972 meters. The Mayombé massif forms a vast chain of low mountains stretching from Angola to the Lambaréné region. Peaks rarely exceed 800 m in altitude, such as the Koumounanwali massif, which at 833 m dominates the Ngounié plain. However, you have to go to the north-east of the country, in the province of Ogooué-Ivindo, to find Gabon's highest peak, Mount Bengoué, which reaches 1,070 m in altitude. In this northern and northeastern part of the country, the landscape is one of tiered plateaus, entirely covered by forest, where hills rise up. The occasional isolated relief breaks the monotony of the landscape. On the other side of the country, near the Congolese border, we find the Batéké plateaus, whose height varies between 500 and 830 meters. A former volcanic zone, they are made up of sand and sandstone dating from the Tertiary age, covered by grassy and shrubby savannahs, interspersed with lush forests. They are crossed by several rivers that have shaped erosion cirques along their edges. Finally, the Cristal Mountains, northeast of Libreville, line the western part of the northeastern plateau, stretching from Equatorial Guinea to the Republic of Congo. Running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, they form a natural barrier between the coastal plains and the plateaus and plains of the hinterland. They tower 800 m above the Noya plain and feature a rugged relief, due to the many rivers that flow through them. In the deep valleys, torrents flow down to impressive waterfalls such as the 95 m-high Kinguélé.
A particularly irrigated country
Almost the entire Gabonese territory is watered by numerous permanent rivers. The most remarkable of these is the River Ogooué, which originates in Congo-Brazzaville. It enters Gabonese territory south of Boumango, crosses the Batéké plateaux via Franceville and Lastoursville and follows the equator to N'Djolé, where it turns south to Port-Gentil. After Lambaréné, it forms an inland delta with a myriad of lakes, of which Zilé is one of the largest. Most of these are dotted with a plethora of wild, lush islands. This delta then turns into a maritime delta, whose arms enclose the Cap Lopez peninsula. The Ogooué thus flows for 1,170 km before emptying into the ocean, and its basin covers almost the entire territory of Gabon. Navigable up to N'Djolé for around 250 km, it receives numerous tributaries at the entrance to the plain, which take their source in the Gabonese massifs. The main tributary is the Ivindo, some 500 km long. It joins the Ogooué on the right bank, near the village of Kankan. Another major tributary, the Ngounié, flows into the River Ogooué some 5 km upstream of Lambaréné. Originating in the Chaillu massif in the Birougou mountains, the Nyanga is Gabon's second longest river, at 600 km. It flows through the Niari department in Congo, then through the Gabonese province that bears its name, including the capital Tchibanga, before ending its course in the ocean. The Moukalaba River is its main tributary. With a length of 230 km, the Komo River is Gabon's third largest river. Its source is in Equatorial Guinea, in the south-western part of the Woleu-Ntem plateau, which it irrigates entirely. Its course is disturbed by a few irregularities, such as the Tchimbélé and Kinguélé waterfalls. These were built on a fault rejection, with a total drop of 110 m, and supply Libreville with electricity. Its most important tributary is the Mbèi River.
Important natural resources
Wood, oil, manganese, uranium, gold, diamonds, timber, lead, silver... Gabon has almost everything! Gabon's mineral wealth is considerable, oil in particular! Oil fields are found mainly in the south of the country, notably off the coast of the Cap Lopez and Gamba peninsulas. The country's other major mining resource is manganese. With production set to reach 7.5 million tonnes by 2022, the country will become the world's2nd largest producer, behind South Africa. Gabon also has significant natural gas reserves, with the highest concentration in the area around Rabi-Kounga, Olouwi and Ozangue. The forest, for its part, is both a source of constraints, as it represents an impenetrable massif that makes communications difficult, and of great wealth, thanks to its exploitation. For example, ebony, mahogany and okoumé from the rainforest are one of Gabon's main natural resources. Nevertheless, the country is committed to preserving the balance of this dense forest. In 2021, it was rewarded by Norway for keeping this promise and reducing its carbon emissions.
