Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bay of Biafra. Bordering
nations--Cameroon, Gabon.
Area: 28,050 sq. km; slightly smaller than Maryland.
Cities: Capital--Malabo. Other cities--Bata (also
capital of Littoral province on the mainland).
Terrain: Varies. Bioko Island is volcanic, with three major peaks of
9,876 feet, 7,416 feet and 6,885 feet. Behind the coastal plain, the
mainland provinces are hilly at a level of approximately 2,000 feet,
with some 4,000-foot peaks. Annobon Island is volcanic.
Climate: Tropical; always hot, humid. Bata on the mainland is somewhat
drier and cooler.
People
Nationality: Noun--Equatorial Guinean(s), Equatoguinean(s) Adjective--Equatorial
Guinean, Equatoguinean.
Population (July 2004 est.): 523,051
Annual growth rate (2003 est.): 24.1%; 2.8% (1975-2002)
Ethnic groups: The Fang ethnic group of the mainland constitutes the
great majority of the population and dominates political life and
business. The Bubi group comprises about 50,000 people living mainly
in Bioko Island. The Annobonese on the island of Annobon are estimated
at about 3,000 in number. The other three ethnic groups are found on
the coast of Rio Muni and include the Ndowe and Kombe (about 3,000
each) and the Bujebas (about 2,000). The pygmy populations have long
been integrated into the dominant Bantu-speaking cultures. Europeans
are less than 1,000, mostly Spanish.
Languages: Official--Spanish, French; other--pidgin English, Fang,
Bubi, Ibo.
Christian singles note-Religion: Nominally Christian and predominantly
Roman Catholic; pagan practices.
Education: Primary school compulsory for ages 6-14. Attendance-
(2002 est.) 85%. Adult Literacy (2002 est.)—84.2% (UN
Development Programme's Human Development Report, 2003).
Health (2002 est.): Life expectancy--49 years. Infant
mortality rate--101/1,000.
Government
Type: Nominally multi-party Republic with strong domination by the
executive branch.
Independence: October 12, 1968 (from Spain).
Constitution: Approved by national referendum November 17, 1991;
amended January 1995.
Branches: Executive--President (Chief of State) and a Council
of Ministers appointed by the president. Legislative--100
member Chamber of People's Representatives (members directly elected
by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms). Judicial--Supreme
Tribunal.
Administrative subdivisions: Seven provinces--Annobon, Bioko
Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Littoral, Wele-Nzas.
Political parties: The ruling party is the Partido Democratico de
Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE), formed July 30, 1987. Numerous other parties
were allowed to form in the early 1990s.
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal adult.
Economy
GDP (2003 est.): $2.6 billion.
GDP growth rate: 24.1%- BEAC 2004 est. 20.9% (2002 est. - EIU) GDP per
capita (2003 est.): $5,300.
Inflation rate (2003 est.): 6% average, 10.8% year-end (EIU).
Unemployment rate: (1998 est.) 30%.
Natural resources: Petroleum, timber, small, unexploited deposits of
gold, manganese, and uranium.
Agriculture (1999 est.): 16% of GDP. Products--coffee, cocoa,
rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts, manioc,
livestock, and timber.
Industry (1999 est.): 75.3% of GDP. Types--petroleum, fishing,
saw milling, natural gas.
Services (2001): 4.1% of GDP.
Trade (2003 est.): Exports--$2.6 billion: hydrocarbons (97%),
timber (2%), others (1%). Imports--$1.2 billion.
Major trading partners--United States, Spain, China, Canada,
France, Great Britain, Cameroon and Norway.
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) Franc
GEOGRAPHY
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is located in west central
Africa. Bioko Island lies about 40 kilometers (25 mi.) from Cameroon.
Annobon Island lies about 595 kilometers (370 mi.) southwest of Bioko
Island. The larger continental region of Rio Muni lies between
Cameroon and Gabon on the mainland; it includes the islands of Corisco,
Elobey Grande, Elobey Chico, and adjacent islets.
Bioko Island, called Fernando Po until the 1970s, is the largest
island in the Gulf of Guinea--2,017 square kilometers (780 sq. mi.).
It is shaped like a boot, with two large volcanic formations separated
by a valley that bisects the island at its narrowest point. The
195-kilometer (120-mi.) coastline is steep and rugged in the south but
lower and more accessible in the north, with excellent harbors at
Malabo and Luba, and several scenic beaches between those towns.
On the continent, Rio Muni covers 26,003 square kilometers (10,040
sq. mi.). The coastal plain gives way to a succession of valleys
separated by low hills and spurs of the Crystal Mountains. The Rio
Benito (Mbini), which divides Rio Muni in half, is unnavigable except
for a 20-kilometer stretch at its estuary. Temperatures and humidity
in Rio Muni are generally lower than on Bioko Island.
Annobon Island, named for its discovery on New Year's Day 1472, is
a small volcanic island covering 18 square kilometers (7 sq. mi.). The
coastline is abrupt except in the north; the principal volcanic cone
contains a small lake. Most of the estimated 1,900 inhabitants are
fisherman specializing in traditional, small-scale tuna fishing and
whaling. The climate is tropical--heavy rainfall, high humidity, and
frequent seasonal changes with violent windstorms.
PEOPLE
The majority of the Equatoguinean people are of Bantu origin. The
largest tribe, the Fang, is indigenous to the mainland, but
substantial migration to Bioko Island has resulted in Fang dominance
over the earlier Bantu inhabitants. The Fang constitute 80% of the
population and are themselves divided into 67 clans. Those in the
northern part of Rio Muni speak Fang-Ntumu, while those in the south
speak Fang-Okah; the two dialects are mutually unintelligible. The
Bubi, who constitute 15% of the population, are indigenous to Bioko
Island. In addition, there are coastal tribes, sometimes referred to
as "Playeros," consisting of Ndowes, Bujebas, Balengues, and
Bengas on the mainland and small islands, and "Fernandinos,"
a Creole community, on Bioko. Together, these groups comprise 5% of
the population. There are also foreigners from neighboring Cameroon,
Nigeria, and Gabon.
Christian singles note-Spanish and French are both official languages,
though use of Spanish predominates. The Roman Catholic Church has
greatly influenced both religion and education.
Equatoguineans tend to have both a Spanish first name and an
African first and last name. When written, the Spanish and African
first names are followed by the father's first name (which becomes the
principal surname) and the mother's first name. Thus people may have
up to four names, with a different surname for each generation.
