in the 15th century, the portuguese were first europeans to visit the area. at that time, the coast of gabon was ruled by the kingdom of loango. that was a state that included parts of what is today angola and republic of congo. the portuguese first settled on the islands of são tomé, príncipe, and fernando pó. but they visited the coast of gabon regularly. the portuguese named gabon region after their word "gabão" which means a coat with sleeve and hood. starting from the 16th century, the coast was used for slave trade.