Gamba
Encyclopedia
Gamba is a small town in Gabon
lying on the southern bay of the Ndogo Lagoon
. Historically, the area was populated by gatherer-hunter-fishermen autochthons scattered in small villages around the Ndogo Lagoon and the Yenzi Lake.
With the discovery in 1967 of a major oil field by Shell in the area, the town boomed and immigration of workers from various other parts of the country resulted in the population today of about 8000 people. Though production from the Gamba field is now only a fraction of what it once was, Gamba remains an important and strategic oil hub, being one of only two oil terminals in Gabon (the other one being Cape Lopez
.
Most people live in the heart of the town, divided into five blocks called “Plaines”, while most senior Shell staff live in Yenzi, half a dozen miles away from the heart of the city near the airport and the oil terminal.
Balumbu people are known to be the autochthons of the region, even though the Punu and Fang people are now possibly the majority ethnic groups present. The name Gamba stands for fog in Vili, probably because of the foggy weather during the dry season.
Gamba attracts many tourists from all over the world because of its remarkable biodiversity, and the proximity of Sette Cama and the Loango National Park
. As a result of all that activity, life in Gamba is very expensive, and the ongoing economic crisis makes things more difficult for residents.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
lying on the southern bay of the Ndogo Lagoon
Ndogo Lagoon
The Ndogo Lagoon is located in the southwestern part of Gabon. Sette Cama and Gamba are two known places that lie on its banks. The Ndogo Lagoon has probably the largest density of island in the world. There are about 350 of them. Close to the mouth of the Ndogo lagoon, around many islands you can...
. Historically, the area was populated by gatherer-hunter-fishermen autochthons scattered in small villages around the Ndogo Lagoon and the Yenzi Lake.
With the discovery in 1967 of a major oil field by Shell in the area, the town boomed and immigration of workers from various other parts of the country resulted in the population today of about 8000 people. Though production from the Gamba field is now only a fraction of what it once was, Gamba remains an important and strategic oil hub, being one of only two oil terminals in Gabon (the other one being Cape Lopez
Cape Lopez
Cape Lopez is a 55 km-long peninsula on the coast of west central Africa, in the country of Gabon. It separates the Gulf of Guinea from the South Atlantic Ocean, and is located at latitude -0.63° and longitude 8.7° . Lying in the delta of the Ogooué River, it shelters the seaport of Port-Gentil...
.
Most people live in the heart of the town, divided into five blocks called “Plaines”, while most senior Shell staff live in Yenzi, half a dozen miles away from the heart of the city near the airport and the oil terminal.
Balumbu people are known to be the autochthons of the region, even though the Punu and Fang people are now possibly the majority ethnic groups present. The name Gamba stands for fog in Vili, probably because of the foggy weather during the dry season.
Gamba attracts many tourists from all over the world because of its remarkable biodiversity, and the proximity of Sette Cama and the Loango National Park
Loango National Park
Loango National Park is a national park in western Gabon. It protects diverse coastal habitat, including part of the 220 km² Iguéla Lagoon, the only significant example of a typical western African lagoon system that is protected within a national park....
. As a result of all that activity, life in Gamba is very expensive, and the ongoing economic crisis makes things more difficult for residents.