Gabon is a location.
Gabon ( [ ɡəˈbɒn ] [ ɡabɔ̃ ] ) , officially the Gabonese Republic ( République gabonaise ) , is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa . It has an area of nearly 270000 sqkm and its population is estimated at 1.5 million people . Abundant petroleum and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa , with the 4th highest HDI and the third highest GDP per capita ( PPP ) ( after Equatorial Guinea and Botswana ) in the region .