Recent Info

Summary

Based on the general census in 2013, the population of Gabon was 1,811,079 inhabitants, with 934,072 men and 877,007 women. It is relatively young—the average age is 26, and half of the population is under 22. Among them, 1,458,464 people are Gabonese residents, and 352,615 are foreign residents. In rural areas, 90% of Gabonese speak at least one local language (RGPL, 2013).
According to official data mentioned during a press conference held in Libreville on April 27, 2017, it appears that the “Pygmies”—the first inhabitants of Gabon before the arrival of the Bantu, numbering today 16,162—are present throughout the entire territory. In northern Gabon, Baka people are mostly distributed in seven villages on the outskirts of the Minvoul area and are estimated to be 372–683 inhabitants. The reconnaissance of the Baka habitat carried out upstream of the Ivindo and that of the entire region would yield 866 individuals (GITPA, 2020).
The indigenous peoples in Gabon have lived to the rhythm of the national parks program since 2002. To date, however, no relevant project promoting their culture has been implemented, perhaps because the culture has not attracted the attention of the forestry authorities. The Ecotourism Development Support Project, initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in 2018, appeared as a response to the constraints of biodiversity conservation through the desire to involve indigenous peoples and local communities. Although Law 003/2007 on National Parks does not clearly present the standards of community ecotourism with a view to contributing to the sustainable management of national parks, National Parks’ “Management Plans” take into account the social dimension depending on the cases. Thus, the support for developing community ecotourism is compatible with the challenges of sustainable hunting in Gabon.

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