Gabon: Beyond the Colonial Legacy Book

	List of Tables and Illustrations
	Acknowledgments
	Introduction	1
	Notes	5
1	Early History to Independence
	Precolonial Gabon	6
	European Exploration and Early Commerce	10
	Early French Initiatives	15
	The Colonial Era	21
	The Civilizing Mission and the Origins of Gabonese Nationalism	26
	World War II and Independence	29
	Notes	36
2	The Postindependence Era
	The Leon Mba Era: 1960-1967	39
	The Bongo Era Begins: The Search for Absolute Power	47
	The Political Process: The Search for Equilibrium	55
	Challenge and Change: The Role of Discontent	59
	Notes	69
3	The Economy
	The French Role in the Economy	71
	The Major Revenue Producers: Timber and Petroleum	75
	Economic Diversification: The Transgabonais	81
	Mining	83
	Agriculture	87
	Manufacturing and Construction	92
	Foreign Trade and Commerce	93
	Commercial Fishing	93
	Tourism	94
	Economic Realities: From Boom to Austerity	95
	Notes	100
4	The Society
	The People	102
	Religion	109
	Class, Stratification, and Ethnicity	112
	Education	115
	Public Health	118
	Communications	121
	Notes	122
5	Foreign Relations
	France and Gabon	124
	Inter-African Relations	127
	Gabon and Western Europe	130
	Gabon, the USSR, and Eastern Europe	131
	Gabon and Islam	132
	Gabon, China, and the Pacific Rim	134
	Gabon and the United States	135
	Gabon and Canada	136
	Gabon and Latin America	137
	Conclusion	137
	Notes	138
6	Looking to the Future
	The Political Environment	139
	Economic Prospects	142
	Notes	144
	Selected Bibliography	145
	About the Book and Author	149
	Index	151