Western Lowland Gorilla
Gabon is home to roughly half the world's western lowland gorilla population, making its forests one of the last great refuges for these powerful, intelligent primates.
Flag of Gabon
Field Report
Gabon is a small, forested country on the west coast of Africa, sitting right on the equator where the continent bulges out toward the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most heavily forested places on Earth, filled with gorillas, elephants, and thousands of species that live in its ancient rainforests. About two and a half million people call Gabon home, speaking dozens of different languages and belonging to many different ethnic groups, most of whom have not yet heard the message of Jesus.
From the Field Notebook
Western Lowland Gorilla
Gabon is home to roughly half the world's western lowland gorilla population, making its forests one of the last great refuges for these powerful, intelligent primates.
Forest Elephant
Smaller and darker than their savanna cousins, forest elephants carve paths through Gabon's dense jungles that other animals depend on for travel and food.
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The beaches of Gabon's coast host one of the largest leatherback sea turtle nesting sites in the world, where females come ashore at night to lay their eggs.
Poulet Nyembwe
Often called Gabon's national dish, this chicken stew is slow-cooked in rich palm nut sauce until the meat is deeply savory and tender.
Fufu
A soft, doughy staple made from pounded cassava or plantain, fufu is eaten by hand and used to scoop up soups and stews at most family meals.
Mbika
Ground pumpkin seeds cooked with greens and spices create this thick, nutty dish that is a comforting everyday food in many Gabonese homes.
Gabon sits almost perfectly on the equator, which means it has no real summer or winter — just wet seasons and dry seasons all year long.
More than 85 percent of Gabon is covered by tropical rainforest, yet the country has one of the smallest populations in Africa, so wildlife outnumbers people in huge stretches of land.
Gabon is one of Africa's top oil producers, and that oil wealth means it has a higher average income than most of its neighbors — though that money is not spread evenly among its people.
The country has over 800 kilometers of Atlantic coastline, and some beaches there are so remote that elephants and gorillas have been spotted walking along the shore.
Gabon has more than 40 different ethnic groups and around 40 local languages, meaning a family in one village may speak an entirely different mother tongue from a family just a few hours away.
Daily Life
68
Years life expectancy
89%
Can read and write
100%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Gabon is home to 52 distinct people groups — 7 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
A majority of Gabon's people follow Christianity (73.4%). Evangelical Christians make up about 10.8% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Fulani, Adamawa
26,000 people
Hausa
18,000 people
Wolof
15,000 people
Deaf
7,000 people
Bandoumu, Minduumo
6,400 people
Prayer Journal
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