Gabon is divided into nine provinces, which they are further subdivided into 50 departments. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
The main river in Gabon, Ogooue River, arcs across the entire country, with major tributaries including Ivindo and Mpassa. Its mouth is at Port Gentil, on the Atlantic Coast, and it originates in the Republic of the Congo.
Gabon has a population that is estimated at 1,545,255. Historical and environmental factors caused Gabon's population to decline between 1900 and 1940.Gabon has one of the lowest population densities of any country in Africa, and the fourth highest Human Development Index in Sub-Saharan Africa.