Franceville
Encyclopedia
Franceville or Masuku is one of the four largest cities in Gabon
, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway
and the N3 road
. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
chose it to resettle former slave
s and renamed it "Francheville" (meaning "city of the freed" in French) in 1880. The city later came to be called Franceville.
Features of the town include St Hilaire's Church (built in 1899), a large statue of President Omar Bongo
(who was born in Franceville), and a primate
medical research institute. The town also has a golf course
, while its airport
lies 20 km west in Mvengué
.
There is a market where numerous items can be purchased, including clothing, fruit and vegetables, electronics, meats, and the market also sells bushmeat, which includes African Rock Python, monkey
and local species of animals.
The infrastructure of Franceville is overall of better quality than the rest of the country, most probably because of the city's significance.
There are a few of hotels of which the best known is the Hotel Poubara, overlooking the president's holiday (vacation) home.
Franceville also has many waterfalls, of which one the best known is the Poubara Falls, which is co-located with a hydroelectric plant, which provides the area with constant electricity. President of Gabon Omar Bongo
was buried in Franceville on June 18, 2009.
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...
, with a population of around 22,000 people. It lies on the River Mpassa and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway
Trans-Gabon Railway
The Trans-Gabon Railway is the only railway in Gabon. It runs 670 km east from Owendo port station in Libreville to Franceville via numerous stations, the main ones being Ndjolé, Lopé, Booué, Lastoursville and Moanda.- Construction :...
and the N3 road
N3 road (Gabon)
The N3 road is one of the national highways of Gabon. It connects to the east of the country along the centre.Towns located along the highway include:*Alembe*Kazamabika*Lastoursville*Moanda*Franceville...
. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, best known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza , was a Franco-Italian explorer, born in Italy and later naturalized Frenchman...
chose it to resettle former slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s and renamed it "Francheville" (meaning "city of the freed" in French) in 1880. The city later came to be called Franceville.
Overview
Franceville was founded by Brazza as "Francheville" (meaning "city of the freed" in French) on June 13, 1880. As time went on, it became known as Franceville.Features of the town include St Hilaire's Church (built in 1899), a large statue of President Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
(who was born in Franceville), and a primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
medical research institute. The town also has a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, while its airport
M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport
M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport is an airport in Franceville, Gabon ....
lies 20 km west in Mvengué
Mvengue
-References:* * - Thèse de Donation Avele, Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV * Charles Nanga, , Mémoire ENA....
.
There is a market where numerous items can be purchased, including clothing, fruit and vegetables, electronics, meats, and the market also sells bushmeat, which includes African Rock Python, monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
and local species of animals.
The infrastructure of Franceville is overall of better quality than the rest of the country, most probably because of the city's significance.
There are a few of hotels of which the best known is the Hotel Poubara, overlooking the president's holiday (vacation) home.
Franceville also has many waterfalls, of which one the best known is the Poubara Falls, which is co-located with a hydroelectric plant, which provides the area with constant electricity. President of Gabon Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
was buried in Franceville on June 18, 2009.
See also
- OkloOkloOklo is a region near the town of Franceville, in the Haut-Ogooué province of the Central African state of Gabon. Several natural nuclear fission reactors were discovered in the uranium mines in the region in 1972.-History:...
- Natural nuclear fission reactorNatural nuclear fission reactorA natural nuclear fission reactor is a uranium deposit where analysis of isotope ratios has shown that self-sustaining nuclear chain reactions have occurred. The existence of this phenomenon was discovered in 1972 at Oklo in Gabon, Africa, by French physicist Francis Perrin. The conditions under...
- Franceville, New HebridesFranceville, New HebridesThe municipality of Franceville on Efate or Sandwich island was established during the period when the New Hebrides were a neutral territory under the loose jurisdiction of a joint Anglo-French naval commission...
- Cement in AfricaCement in Africa- Angola :* Lobitoo - proposal 2006* Nova Cimangola - state-owned cement company based in Luanda, associated with Scancem and Heidelberg Cement- Cameroon :* Douala - port - cement works* Yaoundé - national capital - cement works...
- Railway stations in GabonRailway stations in Gabon- Maps :* * * * - Existing :* Sahoué - port?* Libreville - capital* Owendo - port - 0km* Ntoum - 35km - cement factory - proposed junction for iron ore traffic to Santa Clara* Kango ____ * Andem - 57km * M'Bel - 85km* Oyam - 118km...
External links
- Franceville map and weather
- Mounana mine info at Mindat.orgMindat.orgMindat.org is a non-commercial online mineralogical database, claiming to be the largest mineral database and mineralogical reference website on the internet....
- Oklo mine info, site of over a dozen Precambrian natural nuclear reactors