SOCIETY
Gabon has a population that is estimated at 1,802,728.
Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu origin. Gabon has at least forty ethnic groups with differing languages and cultures which include Fang, Myene, Téké, Kota, Eshira, Punu, ore Nzebi. There are also various Pygmy peoples: the Bongo, Kota, and Baka.
Major religions practiced in Gabon include Christianity (Catholicism, and Protestantism), Islam, as well as traditional indigenous religions such as Bwiti.
Music​
Gabonese music is lesser-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 Oliver N'Goma and Annie Flore Batchiellilys (a Gabonese singer and renowned live performer). Also known are guitarists like Georges Oyendze, La Rose Mbadou, and Sylvain Avara. In Gabon, the hip hop and RnB industry is spreading with artists like Movaiz Haleine, BGMFK, or J-rio.
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Imported rock and hip hop from the US and UK are popular in Gabon, as well as the rumba, makossa, and soukous. Gabonese folk instruments include the obala, the ngombi (fr), the balafon and traditional drums.
Culture​​
Gabon is a country with a primarily oral tradition up until the spread of literacy in the 21st century. The country 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.
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Gabon also features internationally celebrated masks, such as the n'goltang (Fang) and the reliquary 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.