Gabon's first confirmed European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabão"--a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary.
Gabon's first confirmed European visitors were Portuguese explorers and traders who arrived in the late 15th century. They named the Gabon region after the Portuguese word "gabão"--a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary.