Oyem is the capital of Woleu-Ntem province in northern

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

, lying on the

N2 road This is a list of roads designated N2. Roads entries are sorted in alphabetical order by country. * N2 (Bangladesh), connects Dhaka and Tamabil via Sylhet * N2 road (Belgium), connects Brussels and Maastricht * National Road 2 (Democratic Repub ...

and the

River Ntem The Campo (in Spanish: ''Río Campo'') or Ntem River is a border river in Cameroon, mainland Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It rises in Gabon, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean in Cameroon in the Bight of Biafra. Towns * Campo * Minvoul, Gab ...

Geography

The town lies on a plateau at an elevation of about . It is the administrative and transport center for the surrounding agricultural area. Oyem is located 411 kilometers away from the national capital,

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been in ...

History

Oyem is named after a large tree that grows around the town. In the 1990s, there were several female

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John ...

officers raped and murdered in Gabon, stirring controversy over the safety of its locations. The town was sieged by rabid dogs in March 2004, who killed three of five residents infected. The town council was forced to shoot 50 strays. In October 2004, Oyem was affected by water and power cuts. In December of that year, it was severely affected by a rare

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

outbreak which spread across northern Gabon. About 50 cases were reported in Oyem.

Economy

Cocoa and coffee are the most important cash crops in Oyem and are trucked to the Cameroon ports of

Kribi Kribi is a beach resort and sea port in Cameroon. Location The coastal town of Kribi lies on the Gulf of Guinea, in Océan Department, South Province, at the mouth of the Kienké River. This location, lies approximately , by road, south o ...

and

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the com ...

for export. Rubber and potatoes are also farmed. The town has an airport, Oyem Airport.

Facilities

Within the town is a hospital, two churches, an agricultural school, a government secondary school, and a customs station.

Demographics

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Oyem is twinned with: *

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attrac ...

, France

Notable people

Daniel Ona Ondo Daniel Ona Ondo (born 10 July 1945) is a Gabonese politician who was Prime Minister of Gabon from January 2014 to September 2016. He previously served as Minister of Education and First Vice-President of the National Assembly. He is a member of th ...

- Gabonese prime minister * Guélor Kanga - Gabonese football player

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Woleu-Ntem Province