Makokou - City of Gabon

Makokou is the regional capital of the Ogooué-Ivindo province in Gabon. IIts population in 2004 is around 16,600.

The city lies on the Ivindo River and the N4 road. It grew around iron ore mining and lies near the Ivindo National Park.

A branch of the Trans-Gabon Railway was originally planned to terminate in the town, but the route was abandoned for what are often described as political reasons. At the time, the price of iron ore from the nearby iron ore mines was depressed. In 2006, proposals to build this branch with a possible extension to other iron ore mines at Mbala, Cameroon are being considered. At new deep water port at Santa Clara would be part of the project.

The Ogooué-Ivindo province is the northeastern-most of the nine provinces of Gabon. The regional capital is Makokou, which is home to one-third of the provincial population. It gets its name from two rivers, the Ogooué and the Ivindo. This province is the largest, least populated, and least developed of the nine.