Gabon

American  

[ga-bon, ga-bawn] / gæˈbɒn, gaˈbɔ̃ /

Also Gabun

noun

1. Official Name Gabonese Republic.  a republic in western equatorial Africa, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by People's Republic of the Congo. 102,290 sq. mi. (264,931 sq. km). Libreville.

2. an estuary in western Gabon. About 40 miles (65 km) long.

---

Gabon British  

/ ɡabɔ̃, ɡəˈbɒn /

noun

1. Former English spelling: Gaboon.  a republic in W central Africa, on the Atlantic: settled by the French in 1839; made part of the French Congo in 1888; became independent in 1960; almost wholly forested. Official language: French. Religion: Christian majority; significant animist minority. Currency: franc. Capital: Libreville. Pop: 1 640 286 (2013 est). Area: 267 675 sq km (103 350 sq miles)

---

Example Sentences

It will take time for Ghana, Gabon, Guinea and Benin to gauge whether their strategies have paid off - maybe one or two decades, Kpatindé says.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Soft power is also an important factor - by promoting their culture and building a robust network around the world, countries like Benin, Guinea, Gabon and Ghana stand to gain global influence.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

The veteran Gabon striker, who had a disappointing AFCON, scored for Marseille but they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 away to Paris FC.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

Until recently, most of this shadow fleet sailed under obscure colors, such as the flag of Gabon, or established flags of convenience, such as Liberia’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

A strain of simian aids virus was recently isolated from a chimpanzee in Gabon, in West Africa, which is, so far, the closest thing to hiv-i that anyone has yet found in the animal kingdom.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston