Okandja (Okondja), Gabon

Capital City

Living in Okandja (Okondja) requires a certain hardiness. The town of 10,136 people is remote, with the nearest major city 97 miles away. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the local manganese deposits have attracted the attention of Chinese and Brazilian consortiums eager to exploit the mineral wealth. However, the area does offer agricultural diversity, with a range of unusual cultivars as well as coffee and banana production. For those willing to embrace the challenges, Okandja could provide opportunities, but it's certainly not for the faint of heart.