Franceville

Franceville 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.

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 20 km west in Muengué.