Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea (formerly Spanish Guinea)

area:	28,050sq km (10,830 sq mi)
population:	465,800
capital (population):	Malabo (112,800)
government:	Multiparty republic (transitional)
ethnic groups:	Fang 83%, Bubi 10%, Ndowe 4%
languages:	Spanish (official)
religions:	Christianity (mainly Roman Catholic) 89%, traditional beliefs 5%
currency:	CFA franc = 100 centimes

Republic in w central Africa, consisting of a mainland territory between Cameroon and Gabon, Mbini (Río Muni), and five islands in the Gulf of Guinea, the largest of which is Bioko (Fernando Póo). The capital is Malabo (Bioko).

Land and climate

Bioko is a volcanic island with fertile soils, and Malabo's harbour is part of a submerged volcano. Bioko is mountainous, rising to 3008m (9869ft), and has heavy rainfall. It has varied vegetation, with grasslands at higher levels. There is a marked dry season from December to February. Mainland Mbini (90% of Equatorial Guinea's land area) consists mainly of hills and plateaux behind the coastal plains. Its main river, the Lolo, rises in Gabon. Mbini has a similar climate to Bioko, though rainfall diminishes inland. Dense rainforest covers most of Mbini.

Economy

Agriculture employs 66% of the workforce. The main food crops are bananas, cassava, and sweet potatoes. The most valuable export crop is cocoa, grown on Bioko. Forestry is important in Mbini. Timber and coffee are also exported. (2000 GDP per capita US$2000).

History and Politics

Portuguese navigators reached the area in early 1471. In 1778, Portugal ceded the islands and commercial mainland rights to Spain. Yellow fever hit Spanish settlers on Bioko, and they withdrew in 1781. In 1827, Spain leased bases on Bioko to Britain, and the British settled some freed slaves. Descendants of these former slaves (Fernandinos) remain on the island. Spain returned to the area in the mid-19th century and began to develop plantations on Bioko. In 1959, Bioko and Mbini became overseas provinces of Spain. They attained a degree of self-government in 1963, and full independence in 1968. In 1979, Colonel Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo deposed the nation's first president, Francisco Macias Nguema, in a military coup. A 1991 referendum voted to set up a multiparty democracy, consisting of the ruling Equatorial Guinea Democratic Party (PDGE) and ten opposition parties. The main parties and most of the electorate boycotted elections in 1993, and the PDGE formed a government. In 1996 elections, again boycotted by most opposition parties, President Obiang claimed 99% of the vote. Human rights organisations accuse his regime of routine arrests and torture of opponents.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.afrika.no/index/Countries/Equatorial_Guinea/index.html; http://www.africaguide.com/country/eguinea