f the lowest population densities of any country in Africa, and labor shortages form a major obstacle to development and a draw for foreign workers. Most inhabitants are Christians (with estimates of the Christian population ranging from 55 to 77%), mostly members of the Roman Catholic Church. Other religious groups include animists, Muslims, and practitioners of indigenous African religions. Gabon's literacy rate is 63.2%[2] See also: Ethnic groups of Gabon, Languages of Gabon, and Bwiti [edit] Culture Chancery building, Libreville. [edit] Music Gabonese music is little-known in comparison with regional giants like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon. The country boasts an array of folk styles, as well as pop stars like Patience Dabany and Annie Flore Batchiellilys, a Gabonese singer and renowned live performer. Dabany's albums, though recorded in Los Angeles, have a distinctively Gabonese element and are popular throughout Francophone Africa. Other major musicians include Pierre-Claver Akendengue (considered a master-poet), "the veteran" Mack Joss, Vickos Ekondo, known as "the king of Tandima". Annie Flore has participated in musical events, both improvised and planned, with a wide variety of musicians from around the world, including: Youssou N'dour (Senegal), Ray Léma (DRC), Lokua Kanza (DRC), La Baronne (France), Carlo Rizzo (Italy), Cynthia Scott (USA), Mario Chenart (Canada), Solange Campagne (Canada), Philip Peris (Australia) and Qiu-Xia-He (China). Also known are guitarists like Georges Oyendze, La Rose Mbadou and Sylvain Avara, and the singer Oliver N'Goma. Imported rock and hip hop from the US and UK are popular in Gabon, as are rumba, makossa and soukous. Gabonese folk instruments include the obala, the ngombi, balafon and traditional drums. See also: Music of Gabon [edit] Oral tradition A country with a primarily oral tradition up until the spread of literacy in the 21st century, Gabon is rich in folklore and mythology. "Raconteurs" are currently working to keep traditions alive such as the mvett among the Fangs and the ingwala among the Nzebis. See also: List of African writers (by country)#Gabon [edit] Masks Gabon also features internationally celebrated masks, such as the n'goltang (Fang) and the relicary figures of the Kota. Each group has its own set of masks used for various reasons. They are mostly used in traditional ceremonies such as marriage, birth and funerals. Traditionalists mainly work with rare local woods and other precious materials. [edit] Television Gabon will be the host for the seventeenth season of Survivor. [edit] See also Communications in Gabon Foreign relations of Gabon List of Gabon-related topics Military of Gabon Postage stamps and postal history of Gabon Scouting in Gabon Transport in Gabon [edit] References Maria Petringa, Brazza, A Life for Africa (2006) [edit] External links Find more about Gabon on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources Government Le Gabon : official site of the Gabonese Republic Assemblée Nationale du Gabon official site Gabonese Embassy in London government information and links (French) Le Sénat de la République Gabonaise official site (French) UNPR Louis Gaston Mayila : Official Site political opposition party UNPR News Gaboneco.com - Gabon news headline links AllAfrica.com - Gabon news headline links Bloomberg Africa - Gabon news headline links Overviews BBC News Country Profile - Gabon CIA World Factbook - Gabon Culture The official site of the Arts, Traditions and Culture of Gabon - Discover the first Virtual Museum of the arts and traditions Gabonese literature at a glance Ethnic groups Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and Gabon Culture and music of the first inhabitants of Gabon Bakota/Kota ethnic group in Gabon Bakota/Kota ethnic group in northeastern Gabon Fang ethnic group in Gabon Info about the Fang ethnic group Directories Open Directory Project - Gabon directory category Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Gabon directory category University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Gabon directory category Yahoo! - Gabon directory category Tourism The Travel Book – Destination Gabon Gabon travel guide from Wikitravel [edit] References ^ "Bongo set to rise to senior world leader", Chicago Sun-Times, February 19, 2008. 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 Togo Adamawa-Ubangi  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria Kru  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Nigeria  Togo   Benue-Congo     Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC Yoruba and Igbo  Nigeria  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Lesotho  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic • DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabon" Categories: Gabon | African Union member states | Member states of La Francophonie | French-speaking countries Views Article Discussion Edit this page History Personal tools Log in / create account if (window.isMSIE55) fixalpha(); Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search   Interaction About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia Donate to Wikipedia Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file 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