Crowd on beach in Gabon. *Photo from Wikipedia
August 17 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Gabon from France in 1960.
Bantu migrants settled the area beginning in the 14th century.
Portuguese explorers and traders arrived in the area in the late 15th century. The coast subsequently became a center of the slave trade with Dutch, English, and French traders arriving in the 16th century.
In 1839 and 1841, France established a protectorate over the coast. In 1862 – 1887, France expanded its control to include the interior, and took full sovereignty.
In 1910 Gabon became part of French Equatorial Africa and in 1960, Gabon became independent.
Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west.
*Reference: Wikipedia
