The French continued to keep a close eye on the situation in Gabon, and still keep one of their military bases there (Camp de Gaulle).
On August 17, 1960, independence was achieved by one of today’s richest African countries – Gabon. Gabon’s wealth is largely based on oil, and the country also has the highest HDI (Human Development Index) in the region. Gabon is relatively sparsely populated – it has a population of about 1,475,000 on an area of as much as 267,667 square kilometers. This makes Gabon less populated even than desert states like Chad and Mali. Gabon, however, is not a desert state, but most of its territory is covered with rainforests.
Gabon gained independence from France, whose colony it had previously been. The first president of independent Gabon was Léon M’ba. The French continued to keep a close eye on the situation in Gabon, and on one occasion even intervened militarily. It seems almost unbelievable that the French Republic still has one of its military bases in Gabon (Camp de Gaulle). It houses members of a French military unit called the 6e Bataillon d’Infanterie de Marine.
