Port-Gentil

Gabon's economic capital and second-largest city, Port-Gentil sits on Mandji Island in the Ogooué-Maritime province, a short distance southwest of the national capital Libreville. The city's walkable centre holds a real café and restaurant scene, and water is close at hand throughout. Its Latin motto — "Olim arena, hodie urbs," meaning "Once sand, today a city" — reflects its rise from a coastal settlement to a major urban centre named after the French explorer Émile Gentil.

• Population164,018
• Nearest water from center 2.6 km1.6 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 49 km30 mi