- Port-Gentil
Infobox Settlement
official_name =Port-Gentil
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pushpin_label_position =bottom
pushpin_map_caption =Location in Gabon
subdivision_type = Country
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subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 =Ogooue-Maritime
subdivision_type2 = Department
subdivision_name2 =Bendje Department
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latd=0|latm=43|lats= |latNS=S
longd=8|longm=47|longs=|longEW=E
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footnotes =Port-Gentil (1993 est. pop. 80,000) is the second-largest
city ofGabon and a leadingseaport . It is the center of Gabon'spetroleum andtimber industries. Although it lies inshore, the nearby mainland is a remote forest area and it is not connected by road to the rest of the nation. The city lies close toCape Lopez , the westernmost point in Gabon.The settlement was established on
Mandji Island in the delta of theOgowe River by the French, who signed a treaty with theOrungu people in 1873. It was used as a base for the expeditions ofde Brazza into the interior, then in 1894 acustoms post was set up, becoming the nucleus of a trading center that includedHatton & Cookson , John Holt,Woermann ,Société du Haut-Ogooué , andCompagnie d'Exploitations Forestières Africaines . The main products were initiallyrubber andivory , gradually supplemented bywood s, particularlyokoumé forplywood .The town was named after the French colonial administratorÉmile Gentil in 1900. AfterWorld War I it became a port fortimber , but it grew rapidly only after Elf beganoil exploration in the area.A 1947 population of 4,500 grew to 21,000 by 1960. An
oil refinery was established bySOGARA in the 1960s, withnatural gas added in 1968.The town is now known for its
hotel s and its nightlife, while attractions include theSt Louis Church (built in 1927), azoo , acasino ,beach es and agolf course , as well as thewildlife in localswamp s.Transportation
Port Gentil is technically on an island, and no bridge connects it to the mainland. The limited number of paved roads within the city are also poorly maintained. It has an airport serving as the main channel of transportation with the world. Regular flights are operated from the airport to
Libreville , capital ofGabon . Oil company charters to other destinations are a regular sight from the airport.Gallery
References
*
David E. Gardinier , "Historical Dictionary of Gabon", 2nd ed. (The Scarecrow Press, 1994) p. 275-276
* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1599163,00.html Port Gentil - the world's most expensive city, Time Magazine online, Mar 16 2007]
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