Cape Lopez (French: Cap Lopez) is a headland on the coast of Gabon, west central Africa. The westernmost point of Gabon, it separates the Gulf of Guinea from the South Atlantic Ocean.[1] Cape Lopez is the northernmost point of a low, wooded island between two mouths of the Ogooué River.[2] There is an oil terminal at the southeast side of the cape, and the seaport of Port-Gentil lies about 10 km southeast of the cape.[2] A lighthouse has existed on the Cape since 1897; the current tower was built in 1911, but has been inactive for many years and is in danger of collapsing from erosion.[3]
It is named after the Portuguese explorer Lopes Gonçalves, who reached it circa 1474. In 1602, the Dutch explorer and writer Pieter de Marees published some images of its people.
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Inhabitants of Kaap de Lopo Gonsalves, 1602
- ^ "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ a b Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 123: Southwest Coast of Africa (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 69.
- ^ Phare du Cap Lopez