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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 Savorgnan de Brazza chose it to resettle former slaves and renamed it in 1880.
Overview
Features of the town include St Hilaire's Church (built in 1899), a large statue of Omar Bongo and a primate medical research institute. The town also has a golf course, while its airport lies 20km 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 of much better quality than other African countries, and the roads are well maintained, and the city is beautiful and clean.
There are a couple of hotels of which the best known is the Hotel Poubara, overlooking the president's holiday (vacation) home.
Franceville also has numerous beautiful waterfalls, of which the best known is the Poubara Falls, which is co-located with a hydroelectric plant, which provides the area with constant and good quality electricity.
Industry
Franceville has a cement works.
See also
References
Coordinates: 1°38'S 13°35'E? / ?-1.633, 13.583
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