Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu origin. Gabon has at least 40 tribal groups with separate languages and cultures. The largest is the Fang. Tribal boundaries are less sharply drawn in Gabon than elsewhere in Africa. French, the official language, is a unifying force.
More French people live in Gabon today than in colonial times.
Historical and environmental factors caused Gabon's population to decline between 1900 and 1940. It is one of the less densely inhabited countries in Africa, and a labor shortage is a major obstacle to development. A government census in 1980-81 reported the population at 1.2 million, a substantial increase over previous estimates. August 17, 1960. From top, blue, yellow, and green horizontal bands.