GABON

CURRENCY:

CFA Franc - XAF (CFA = Communauté Financière Africaine)

Please note the CFA Franc is tied to the Euro. The Central African Republic is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Bank of Central African States (Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale) is valid - currency issued by the Bank of West African States(Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) is NOT VALID here.

Note: Libreville is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

DENOMINATIONS:

NOTE: XAF10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500.

COIN: XAF500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1.

US DOLLAR ACCEPTED?

CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS AND ATMS:

Gabon is part of the French Monetary Area.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE:

Credit cards are not widely accepted.

TRAVELLER'S CHEQUES:

Best in Euros though they are not widely accepted.

BANKING HOURS:

Mon-Fri 0730-1130 and 1430-1630.

CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS:

Declare on arrival.

COUNTRY OVERVIEW:

Gabon is a country in West Central Africa. It has been independent from France since 1960, it has been led by two Presidents. The first inhabitants of Gabon were the Pygmy people. The capital and largest city is Libreville, which is also described as the most expensive city in the world. The official language is French.

POPULATION:

Around 1.5 million.

ECONOMY:

Gabon is described as prosperous compared to some of its neighbouring countries. Despite this, the country relies heavily on its natural resources - it has large offshore oil production. The main trading partners are the USA, China and Russia, and most of Gabon's imports come from France. The income of the country has not been invested much in the modernization of the economy. The country has had to take loans from the IMF and France in order to pay off overseas debts.