Global - Technology - Review

The West African nation of Gabon has a relatively small population, so with significant reserves of oil, manganese, gold and uranium, as well as high levels of foreign investment, it is one of the wealthiest. Most of the population are city dwellers and rainforests cover more than three quarters of the country. There are some limestone areas which have extensive cave systems, many of them unexplored. As a result, the government has designated 11% of the country as National Park, one of the highest proportions in Africa. Thus Gabon has great potential for ecotourism when the infrastructure is improved, which must be a better policy than destroying the forests with logging. The Gabonese people maintain a tradition of storytelling, as well as folk music and dance. In common with many West African countries, the craft of mask making is widespread. One of Gabon’s most famous residents was Albert Schweitzer, the theologian, musician and doctor, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work at the hospital he set up at Lambarene which is still a tourist attraction half a century after his death.