Libreville Travel Guide, Gabon

Libreville Travel Guide – A Prosperous Centre

This Libreville travel guide will provide all the essential information concerning the capital of the sub-Saharan state of Gabon. Gabon is located in the eastern part of the Gulf of Guinea and is some 370 kilometers away from Malabo in Equatorial Guinea and Douala in Cameroon. The economy of the country is based on its abundance of natural resources as well as on clever and substantial private investments, and all the administrative coordination of these affairs is done through Libreville, the largest and most important city in Gabon. Libreville has a total of almost 600.000 inhabitants, more than one third of the country’s population, and it is also the main port and trade hub in Gabon.

Libreville Travel Guide – The Powerful City of Contrasts

Libreville, along with the territory of Gabon, was under French rule for a very long period of time, until the country obtained its independence in 1960. The capital got its name in reference to Freetown, Libreville meaning the same thing in French. After the independence it started growing slowly and promoted itself as an important trade post with increasingly growing population. Like most African capitals, Libreville is a city of contrasts, with different quarters that all have specific activities: Quartier Louis is famous for its nightlife, Nombakele is where you’ll find most shops, malls and markets, Oloumi is the most important industrial area and there are also several residential areas for the majority of the poor population. The port and the train station are located in the same neighborhood, but the Libreville International Airport is 11 kilometers away from the city and it is the largest and most important airport in Gabon.

Libreville Travel Guide – Culture and Industry

Libreville is also an important cultural centre in Gabon, reason for which is has quite a few objectives that are worth mentioning in any Libreville travel guide. The National Museum of Arts and Tradition is where you’ll discover all about the local culture in Gabon, and you can also visit St. Mary’s Cathedral and the two cultural villages. The Omar Bongo University, as well as the national school of law and that of administration are located in Gabon and the city also has several research institutes and a library.

Industrially, Libreville handles the large majority of the country trades and its major economical resources come from the shipbuilding and the brewing industries. Libreville is also known for its export of raw materials that include rubber, wood and cocoa.