Franceville
{{about|the city in Gabon}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=July 2024}}
{{Expand French|topic=geo|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Franceville
| other_name =
| native_name = Masuku
| nickname =
| settlement_type =
| motto =
| image_skyline = Franceville.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| flag_size =
| image_seal =
| seal_size =
| image_shield = Coat of arms of Franceville, Gabon.svg
| shield_size =
| image_blank_emblem =
| blank_emblem_type =
| blank_emblem_size =
| image_map =
| mapsize =
| map_caption =
| image_map1 =
| mapsize1 =
| map_caption1 =
| image_dot_map =
| dot_mapsize =
| dot_map_caption =
| dot_x =
| dot_y =
| pushpin_map = Gabon#Africa
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 300
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Gabon
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Gabon}}
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = Haut-Ogooué Province
| subdivision_type2 = Department
| subdivision_name2 = Mpassa Department
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Jean Pierre Doumbeneny
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| leader_title2 =
| leader_name2 =
| leader_title3 =
| leader_name3 =
| leader_title4 =
| leader_name4 =
| established_title =
| established_date =
| established_title2 =
| established_date2 =
| established_title3 =
| established_date3 =
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 =
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_total_sq_mi =
| area_land_sq_mi =
| area_water_sq_mi =
| area_water_percent =
| area_urban_km2 =
| area_urban_sq_mi =
| area_metro_km2 =
| area_metro_sq_mi =
| area_blank1_title =
| area_blank1_km2 =
| area_blank1_sq_mi =
| population_as_of = 2013 census
| population_footnotes =
| population_note =
| population_total = 110568
| population_density_km2 =
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_metro =
| population_density_metro_km2 =
| population_density_metro_sq_mi =
| population_urban =
| population_density_urban_km2 =
| population_density_urban_sq_mi =
| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
| population_blank1 =
| population_blank2_title = Religions
| population_blank2 =
| population_density_blank1_km2 =
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
| timezone =
| utc_offset =
| timezone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST =
| coordinates = {{coord|1|38|00|S|13|35|30|E|region:GA|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 303
| elevation_ft =
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code =
| blank_name =
| blank_info =
| blank1_name =
| blank1_info =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Franceville is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of 110,568 at the 2013 census. It lies on the Mpassa River and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku.
Overview
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza chose the village of Masuku to resettle former slaves and renamed it Francheville (meaning "city of the freed") in 1880. This name later was modified to Franceville, after the country’s former ruler (meaning "city of France").[http://www.french.xinhuanet.com/french/2005-05/21/content_117489.htm "Gabon : Franceville s'apprête à célébrer son 125ème anniversaire"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718102847/http://www.french.xinhuanet.com/french/2005-05/21/content_117489.htm |date=2011-07-18 }}, Xinhua, May 21, 2005 {{in lang|fr}}.
Features of the town include St Hilaire's Church (built in 1899), a large statue of President Omar Bongo (who was born in Franceville), a primate medical research institute, and a golf course. Its airport is {{Convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on|sp=us}} west, in Mvengué. Bongo was buried in Franceville on June 18, 2009.
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 Central African rock python, monkey and local species of animals.
There are a few hotels, of which the best known is the Hôtel Poubara, overlooking the president's holiday home.
Franceville also has many waterfalls. One of the best known is the Poubara Falls, which is co-located with a hydroelectric plant that provides the area with constant electricity.
Population
The population was 31,183 in 1993.[http://citypopulation.de/Gabon.html Gabon: Provinces, Major Cities & Localities.] Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2012-01-24. The 2010 population was approximated at 56,000. Another population number is 42,967,[http://www.geonames.org/search.html?q=franceville&country= Franceville.] GeoNames. Retrieved 2012-01-24. possibly retrieved following the disputed census of 2003 (alternately a 2004 estimate[https://archive.today/20120525210558/http://www.wolframalpha.com/entities/cities/masuku,_gabon/wp/tv/9t/ City Data for Masuku.] Wolfram|Alpha. Retrieved 2012-01-24.). Another recent estimate gives the population as 75,000.Leclerc, Jacques: [http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/gabon.htm "Gabon".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529221022/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/gabon.htm |date=2010-05-29 }} L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
Climate
Franceville has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). There are a lot of thunderstorms in the city.
{{Weather box
|location = Franceville
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan high F = 85
|Feb high F = 86
|Mar high F = 87
|Apr high F = 87
|May high F = 85
|Jun high F = 83
|Jul high F = 81
|Aug high F =83
|Sep high F = 85
|Oct high F = 85
|Nov high F =85
|Dec high F = 85
|year high F = 85
|Jan low F = 68
|Feb low F = 68
|Mar low F = 68
|Apr low F = 68
|May low F = 68
|Jun low F = 66
|Jul low F = 64
|Aug low F = 65
|Sep low F = 67
|Oct low F = 67
|Nov low F = 67
|Dec low F = 68
|year low F = 67
|Jan precipitation inch = 6.3
|Feb precipitation inch =7.5
|Mar precipitation inch = 8.5
|Apr precipitation inch = 8.3
|May precipitation inch = 8.1
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.3
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.3
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.8
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.2
|Oct precipitation inch = 10.4
|Nov precipitation inch = 10
|Dec precipitation inch = 7.6
|year precipitation inch = 73.3
{{cite web
|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=35546&refer=wikipedia |title =Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Franceville, Gabon
|publisher=Weatherbase
|year=2011
}}
Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
|date=November 2011
}}
Education
Franceville is home to the University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Gabon's hard sciences university, with the other subjects being taught in Libreville. It welcomes students from all African countries. It is home to the Canadian-sponsored Polytechnic and Faculty of Science and the National Higher Institute of Agronomy and Biotechnology, which trains agricultural engineers.
The city is also home to a doctoral school in the 2nd arrondissement.
Schools include École publique conventionnée de Franceville."[http://www.aefe.fr/reseau-scolaire-mondial/rechercher-un-etablissement/gabon-franceville-ecole-publique-conventionnee École publique conventionnée de Franceville]." AEFE. Retrieved on May 3, 2015.
International relations
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Africa#Gabon|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Gabon}}
=Twin towns – sister cities=
Franceville is twinned with:
- {{flagicon|FRA}} Vire, France (since 1983){{cite web|url=http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4#tabs3 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131127063207/http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4 |archive-date=2013-11-27 |title=National Commission for Decentralised cooperation |access-date=2013-12-26 |work=Délégation pour l’Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) |language=fr |url-status=dead }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- Maria Petringa, Brazza, A Life for Africa. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1-4259-1198-0}}
External links
- [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/GB/02/Franceville.html Franceville map and weather]
- [http://www.mindat.org/loc-1750.html Mounana mine info] at Mindat.org
- [http://www.mindat.org/loc-1749.html Oklo mine info], site of over a dozen Precambrian natural nuclear reactors
{{Authority control}}
Category:1880 establishments in Africa
Category:Geological type localities
Category:Populated places established in 1880
Category:Populated places in Haut-Ogooué Province