Difference between revisions of "Equatorial Guinea" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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|image_coat              = Equatorial Guinea coa.png
 
|image_coat              = Equatorial Guinea coa.png
 
|image_map                = LocationEquatorialGuinea.svg
 
|image_map                = LocationEquatorialGuinea.svg
|national_motto          = ''"Unidad, Paz, Justicia"''{{spaces|2}}<small>([[Spanish language|Spanish]])<br/>"Unity, Peace, Justice"</small>
+
|national_motto          = ''"Unidad, Paz, Justicia"''{{spaces|2}}<small>(Spanish)<br/>"Unity, Peace, Justice"</small>
|national_anthem          = ''[[Caminemos pisando la senda]]''
+
|national_anthem          = ''Caminemos pisando la senda''
|official_languages      = [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[French language|French]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]<sup>1</sup>
+
|official_languages      = Spanish, French, Portuguese<sup>1</sup>
|capital                  = [[Malabo]]
+
|capital                  = Malabo
 
|latd=3 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=8 |longm=40 |longEW=E
 
|latd=3 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=8 |longm=40 |longEW=E
 
|largest_city            = capital
 
|largest_city            = capital
|government_type          = [[Republic]]
+
|government_type          = Republic
|leader_title1            = [[List of Presidents of Equatorial Guinea|President]]
+
|leader_title1            = President
|leader_title2            = [[List of Prime Ministers of Equatorial Guinea|Prime Minister]]
+
|leader_title2            = Prime Minister
|leader_name1            = [[Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo]]
+
|leader_name1            = Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
|leader_name2            = [[Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea]]
+
|leader_name2            = Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea
 
|area_rank                = 144th
 
|area_rank                = 144th
 
|area_magnitude          = 1 E10
 
|area_magnitude          = 1 E10
 
|area                    = 28,051
 
|area                    = 28,051
|areami²                  = 10,828 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
+
|areami²                  = 10,828 <!--Do not remove per WP:MOSNUM—>
 
|percent_water            = negligible
 
|percent_water            = negligible
 
|population_estimate      = 504,000
 
|population_estimate      = 504,000
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|population_census_year  =  
 
|population_census_year  =  
 
|population_density      = 18
 
|population_density      = 18
|population_densitymi²    = 47 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
+
|population_densitymi²    = 47 <!--Do not remove per WP:MOSNUM—>
 
|population_density_rank  = 187th
 
|population_density_rank  = 187th
 
|GDP_PPP_year            = 2005
 
|GDP_PPP_year            = 2005
|GDP_PPP                  = $25.69 billion <!--[[List of countries by GDP (PPP)]]—>
+
|GDP_PPP                  = $25.69 billion <!--List of countries by GDP (PPP)—>
 
|GDP_PPP_rank            = 112th
 
|GDP_PPP_rank            = 112th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita      = $50,200 <!--[[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita]]—>
+
|GDP_PPP_per_capita      = $50,200 <!--List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita—>
 
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank  = 2nd
 
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank  = 2nd
|sovereignty_type        = [[Independence]]
+
|sovereignty_type        = Independence
|established_event1      = from [[Spain]]
+
|established_event1      = from Spain
|established_date1        = [[October 12]] [[1968]]
+
|established_date1        = October 12 1968
 
|HDI                      = {{decrease}}0.653
 
|HDI                      = {{decrease}}0.653
 
|HDI_rank                = 120th
 
|HDI_rank                = 120th
 
|HDI_year                = 2004
 
|HDI_year                = 2004
 
|HDI_category            = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
 
|HDI_category            = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|currency                = [[CFA franc]]
+
|currency                = CFA franc
 
|currency_code            = XAF
 
|currency_code            = XAF
 
|country_code            =  
 
|country_code            =  
|time_zone                = [[West Africa Time|WAT]]
+
|time_zone                = WAT
 
|utc_offset              = +1
 
|utc_offset              = +1
 
|time_zone_DST            = not observed
 
|time_zone_DST            = not observed
 
|utc_offset_DST          = +1
 
|utc_offset_DST          = +1
|cctld                    = [[.gq]]
+
|cctld                    = .gq
 
|calling_code            = 240
 
|calling_code            = 240
 
|footnote1                = http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf <!--las lenguas oficiales de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial son el español y el francés(modified 4 article of the Constitution in 1998), in English :Constitutional Law which amends article 4 of the Fundamental Law of the State, establishing that "the official languages of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are Spanish and French. The aboriginal languages are recognized as integral parts of the national culture" (Constitutional Law No. 1/1998 of 21 January)—>
 
|footnote1                = http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf <!--las lenguas oficiales de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial son el español y el francés(modified 4 article of the Constitution in 1998), in English :Constitutional Law which amends article 4 of the Fundamental Law of the State, establishing that "the official languages of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are Spanish and French. The aboriginal languages are recognized as integral parts of the national culture" (Constitutional Law No. 1/1998 of 21 January)—>
 
}}
 
}}
 
   
 
   
'''Equatorial Guinea''', officially the '''Republic of Equatorial Guinea''', is a country in [[Central Africa]]. One of the smallest countries in continental [[Africa]], Equatorial Guinea is comprised of a mainland territory known as Río Muni (including several offshore islands); the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Pó), where the capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel) is located; and the island of Annobón in the South [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It is bordered by [[Cameroon]] on the north, [[Gabon]] on the south and east, and the [[Gulf of Guinea]] on the west, where the island nation of [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] is located. Formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name is suggestive of its location near both the [[equator]] and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the only country in mainland Africa where Spanish is an official language, excluding the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the UN-recognized but Moroccan=occupied Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara).
+
'''Equatorial Guinea''', officially the '''Republic of Equatorial Guinea''', is the smallest country, in terms of population, in continental [[Africa]], though [[Seychelles]] and [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] are smaller in terms of area. Formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name is suggestive of its location near both the [[equator]] and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the only country in mainland Africa where Spanish is an official language, excluding the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the UN-recognized but Moroccan-occupied Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara).  
 
Equatorial Guinea is the smallest country, in terms of population, in continental Africa, though [[Seychelles]] and São Tomé and Príncipe are smaller in terms of area. It is also the smallest [[United Nations]] member from continental Africa. The discovery of sizable [[petroleum|oil]] reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country.  
 
 
 
 
 
 +
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup from an even more bloodthirsty dictator. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition.
 +
 +
Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.
 +
 +
The discovery of sizable [[petroleum|oil]] reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country.
 +
==Geography==
 +
Equatorial Guinea is comprised of a mainland territory known as Río Muni (including several offshore islands); the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Pó), where the capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel) is located; and the island of Annobón in the South [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It is bordered by [[Cameroon]] on the north, [[Gabon]] on the south and east, and the [[Gulf of Guinea]] on the west, where the island nation of [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] is located.
 
==History==  
 
==History==  
 
The first inhabitants of the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea are believed to have been [[Pygmies]], of whom only isolated pockets remain in northern Río Muni. Bantu migrations between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang. Elements of the latter may have generated the Bubi, who emigrated to Bioko from Cameroon and Rio Muni in several waves and succeeded former [[Neolithic]] populations. The Bubi were the first human inhabitants of Bioko Island. The Annobon population, native to [[Angola]], was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé Island ([[São Tomé and Príncipe]]).  
 
The first inhabitants of the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea are believed to have been [[Pygmies]], of whom only isolated pockets remain in northern Río Muni. Bantu migrations between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang. Elements of the latter may have generated the Bubi, who emigrated to Bioko from Cameroon and Rio Muni in several waves and succeeded former [[Neolithic]] populations. The Bubi were the first human inhabitants of Bioko Island. The Annobon population, native to [[Angola]], was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé Island ([[São Tomé and Príncipe]]).  
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==Politics==  
 
==Politics==  
 
[[Image:Equatorialguineamap.png|thumb|left|300px|Map of Equatorial Guinea]]  
 
[[Image:Equatorialguineamap.png|thumb|left|300px|Map of Equatorial Guinea]]  
The current president of Equatorial Guinea is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The 1982 constitution of Equatorial Guinea gives Obiang extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of the cabinet, making laws by decree, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties, and calling legislative elections. Obiang retains his role as commander in chief of the armed forces and minister of defense, and he maintains close supervision of the military activity. The prime minister is appointed by the president and operates under powers designated by the president. The prime minister coordinates government activities in areas other than foreign affairs, national defense, and security.  
+
The current president is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The 1982 constitution gives Obiang extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of the cabinet, making laws by decree, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties, and calling legislative elections. Obiang retains his role as commander in chief of the armed forces and minister of defense, and he maintains close supervision of military activity.
 +
 
 +
The prime minister is appointed by the president and operates under powers designated by the president. The prime minister coordinates government activities in areas other than foreign affairs, national defense, and security.  
 
 
 
 
 
On December 15, 2002, Equatorial Guinea's four main opposition parties withdrew from the country's presidential election. Obiang won an election widely considered fraudulent by members of the Western press.  
 
On December 15, 2002, Equatorial Guinea's four main opposition parties withdrew from the country's presidential election. Obiang won an election widely considered fraudulent by members of the Western press.  
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==Economy==
 
==Economy==
Pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on [[cocoa]] production for hard currency earnings. It had the highest per capita income of Africa in 1959.
+
Though pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on [[cocoa]] production for hard currency earnings,
 
+
the discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. Equatorial Guinea has become the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa with oil production at 360,000 barrels/day.
The discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. [[As of 2004]],<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1101-2004Sep6.html</ref> Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its oil production has risen to 360,000 barrels/day, up from 220,000 only two years earlier.
 
  
 
Forestry, farming, and [[fishing]] are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. The deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished any potential for agriculture-led growth.  
 
Forestry, farming, and [[fishing]] are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. The deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished any potential for agriculture-led growth.  
  
Despite a per capita GDP (PPP) of more than US$30,000<ref>[http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2005/02/data/dbcoutm.cfm?SD=2004&ED=2004&R1=1&R2=1&CS=3&SS=2&OS=C&DD=0&OUT=1&C=512-941-914-446-612-666-614-672-311-946-213-137-911-962-193-674-122-676-912-548-313-556-419-678-513-181-316-682-913-684-124-273-339-921-638-948-514-686-218-688-963-518-616-728-223-558-516-138-918-353-748-196-618-278-522-692-622-694-156-142-624-449-626-564-628-283-228-853-924-288-233-293-632-566-636-964-634-182-238-453-662-968-960-922-423-714-935-862-128-716-611-456-321-722-243-965-248-718-469-724-253-576-642-936-643-961-939-813-644-199-819-184-172-524-132-361-646-362-648-364-915-732-134-366-652-734-174-144-328-146-258-463-656-528-654-923-336-738-263-578-268-537-532-742-944-866-176-369-534-744-536-186-429-925-178-746-436-926-136-466-343-112-158-111-439-298-916-927-664-846-826-299-542-582-443-474-917-754-544-698&S=PPPPC&CMP=0&x=18&y=9IMF World Economic Outlook IMF Database, September 2005]) which is as of 2006 the second highest in the world (after [[Luxembourg]]), Equatorial Guinea ranks 121st out of 177 countries on the [[United Nations]] [[Human Development Index]].
+
Despite a per capita GDP (PPP) of more than $50,200 (2005 est.), Equatorial Guinea ranks 121st out of 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index.
  
In July 2004, the U.S. Senate published an investigation into [[Riggs Bank]], a Washington-based bank into which most of Equatorial Guinea's oil revenues were paid until recently, and which also banked for [[Chile]]'s [[Augusto Pinochet]]. The Senate report, as to Equatorial Guinea, showed that at least $35 million were siphoned off by Obiang, his family and senior officials of his regime. The president has denied any wrongdoing. While Riggs Bank in February 2005 paid $9 million as restitution for its banking for Chile's Augusto Pinochet, no restitution was made with regard to Equatorial Guinea, as reported in detail in an Anti-Money Laundering Report from [[Inner City Press]].<ref>http://www.innercitypress.org/finwatch.html</ref>
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In July 2004, the U.S. Senate published an investigation into Riggs Bank, a Washington-based bank into which most of Equatorial Guinea's oil revenues were paid until recently, and which also banked for [[Chile]]'s [[Augusto Pinochet]]. The Senate report showed that at least $35 million was siphoned off by Obiang, his family and senior officials of his regime. The president denied any wrongdoing. <ref>http://www.innercitypress.org/finwatch.html</ref>
  
 
On August 9, 2006, ''Harper's Magazine'' published an article by Ken Silverstein highlighting Obiang's recent connections with the [[U.S. State Department]] and Independence Federal Savings Bank.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.harpers.org/sb-obiangs-banking-again-1155053056.html |title=Obiang's Banking Again: State Department and Washington insiders help a dictator get what he wants |date=2006-08-09 |publisher=Harper's Magazine}}</ref>
 
On August 9, 2006, ''Harper's Magazine'' published an article by Ken Silverstein highlighting Obiang's recent connections with the [[U.S. State Department]] and Independence Federal Savings Bank.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.harpers.org/sb-obiangs-banking-again-1155053056.html |title=Obiang's Banking Again: State Department and Washington insiders help a dictator get what he wants |date=2006-08-09 |publisher=Harper's Magazine}}</ref>
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{{main|Demographics of Equatorial Guinea}}
 
{{main|Demographics of Equatorial Guinea}}
The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea 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 percent 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 have differences but are mutually intelligible. Dialects of Fang are also spoken in parts of neigboring [[Cameroon]] (Bulu) and [[Gabon]]. These dialects, while still intelligible, are more distinct. The Bulu Fang of Cameroon were traditional rivals of Fang in Rio Muni. (The Bubi, who constitute 15 percent of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island. The traditional demarcation line between Fang and beach tribes was the village of Niefang (limit of the fang) inland from Bata.   
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The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea 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 percent 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 have differences but are mutually intelligible. Dialects of Fang are also spoken in parts of neigboring [[Cameroon]] (Bulu) and [[Gabon]]. These dialects, while still intelligible, are more distinct. The Bulu Fang of Cameroon were traditional rivals of Fang in Rio Muni. (The Bubi, who constitute 15 percent of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island. The traditional demarcation line between Fang and beach tribes was the village of Niefang (limit of the fang) inland from Bata.  
 +
 
 +
The Bubis had migrated to Bioko from the West African mainland some 3,000 to 5,000 years before Portuguese explorer Fernando Po discovered the island in 1471. On Bioko, they formed their own society, distinct and unique among Bantu tribes.
 +
 
 +
The Bubis still live on Bioko today, oppressed as a minority tribe under the dictator-president of the larger Fang tribe. Their numbers were seriously depleted under previous dictator Francisco Macias Nguema's systematic slaughter, which began shortly after the country's independence from Spain in 1968. Tens of thousands of Bubi, an estimated two-thirds of their population, were tortured, executed, beaten to death in labor camps, or managed to escape the island. Macias Nguema was executed during a 1979 coup by his nephew, current President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
 +
 
 +
Many Bubi today who fled Macias Nguema's murderous regime live in exile in Spain. Returning home to Bioko to the abject poverty and unstable politics still wrought by President Obiang's corrupt regime is an unattractive option. Those Bubis still living on Bioko walk cautiously through the political landmines.
  
 
[[Image:Fang in Equatorial Guinea.jpg|thumb|right|Equatorial Guinean children of Fang descent.]]
 
[[Image:Fang in Equatorial Guinea.jpg|thumb|right|Equatorial Guinean children of Fang descent.]]
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=== Languages ===
 
=== Languages ===
The official languages are Spanish and French. The aboriginal languages are recognized as "integral parts of the national culture." The great majority of Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish<ref name=obi>[http://actualidad.terra.es/internacional/articulo/obiang_comunidad_naciones_1710388.htm "Obiang convierte al portugués en tercer idioma oficial para entrar en la Comunidad lusófona de Naciones"], ''Terra''. 13-07-2007</ref>, especially those living in the capital, Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844.
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The official languages are Spanish and French. The aboriginal languages are recognized as "integral parts of the national culture." The great majority of Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish, especially those living in the capital, Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844.
  
 
In July 2007, President Teodoro Obiang Ngumema announced his government's decision that Portuguese become Equatorial Guinea's third official language, in order to  apply for full membership of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). An upgrade from its current associate observer condition would result in Equatorial Guinea being able to access several professional and academic exchange programs and the facilitation of cross-border circulation of citizens. Its application is currently being assessed by other CPLP members.
 
In July 2007, President Teodoro Obiang Ngumema announced his government's decision that Portuguese become Equatorial Guinea's third official language, in order to  apply for full membership of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). An upgrade from its current associate observer condition would result in Equatorial Guinea being able to access several professional and academic exchange programs and the facilitation of cross-border circulation of citizens. Its application is currently being assessed by other CPLP members.
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===Media===
 
===Media===
The most dominant form of mass media in the country is the three state-operated [[FM radio]] stations. There are also five shortwave radio stations.  
+
The most dominant form of mass media in the country is the three state-operated FM radio stations. There are also five shortwave radio stations.  
 
 
A July 2003 article from the BBC<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3098007.stm |title=Equatorial Guinea's "God" |publisher=BBC News |date=2003-07-26}}</ref> points out there are no daily newspapers in the country and described how a Fang program called "Bidze-Nduan" ("Bury the Fire") on a widely listened-to state radio station declared that Obiang was "in permanent contact with the Almighty"; a presidential aide on the show also said:
 
: "He [Obiang] can decide to kill without anyone calling him to account and without going to hell because it is God himself, with whom he is in permanent contact, and who gives him this strength."
 
  
Most of the media companies practice heavy self-censorship and are banned by law from criticizing public figures. The state-owned media and the main private radio station are under the directorship of Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the president's son.
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There are no daily newspapers. Most of the media companies practice heavy self-censorship and are banned by law from criticizing public figures. The state-owned media and the main private radio station are run by Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the president's son.
  
 
===Sports===
 
===Sports===
  
 
The county has been chosen to co-host the 2012 African Nations Cup in partnership with neighboring [[Gabon]].
 
The county has been chosen to co-host the 2012 African Nations Cup in partnership with neighboring [[Gabon]].
 
<div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
 
 
*[[Equatorial Guinea national football team]]
 
 
</div>
 
  
 
==Equatorial Guinea in fiction==
 
==Equatorial Guinea in fiction==
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==Notes and references==
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==Notes==
{{factbook}}
 
 
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>
 
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
*[[Max Liniger-Goumaz]], ''Small is not Always Beautiful: The Story of Equatorial Guinea'' (French 1986, translated 1989) ISBN 0-389-20861-2
+
*Liniger-Goumaz, Max. ''Small is not Always Beautiful: The Story of Equatorial Guinea'' (French 1986, translated 1989) ISBN 0389208612
*[[Ibrahim K. Sundiata]], ''Equatorial Guinea: Colonialism, State Terror, and the Search for Stability'' (1990, Boulder: Westview Press) ISBN 0-8133-0429-6
+
*Ibrahim K. Sundiata, ''Equatorial Guinea: Colonialism, State Terror, and the Search for Stability'' (1990, Boulder: Westview Press) ISBN 0-8133-0429-6
* [[Robert Klitgaard]]. 1990. ''Tropical Gangsters''. New York: Basic Books. (World Bank economist tries to assist pre-oil Equatorial Guinea -clever book, factual account)
+
* Robert Klitgaard. 1990. ''Tropical Gangsters''. New York: Basic Books. (World Bank economist tries to assist pre-oil Equatorial Guinea -clever book, factual account)
* [[D.L. Claret ]]. ''Cien años de evangelización en Guinea Ecuatorial (1883-1983)/ One Hundred Years of Evangelism in Equatorial Guinea'' (1983, Barcelona: Claretian Missionaries)
+
* D.L. Claret . ''Cien años de evangelización en Guinea Ecuatorial (1883-1983)/ One Hundred Years of Evangelism in Equatorial Guinea'' (1983, Barcelona: Claretian Missionaries)
* [[Adam Roberts]], ''The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa'' (2006, PublicAffairs) ISBN 1-58648-371-4
+
* Adam Roberts, ''The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa'' (2006, PublicAffairs) ISBN 1-58648-371-4
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://guinea-equatorial.com/ Official Government of Equatorial Guinea website] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[English language|English]])
 
* [http://guinea-equatorial.com/ Official Government of Equatorial Guinea website] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[English language|English]])
 
* [http://www.ceiba-guinea-ecuatorial.org/ Institutional web site of Equatorial Guinea] (Spanish, [[French language|French]], English)  
 
* [http://www.ceiba-guinea-ecuatorial.org/ Institutional web site of Equatorial Guinea] (Spanish, [[French language|French]], English)  
* [http://www.guinea-ecuatorial.org/index.php Opposition Website] ("Government in Exile" - Evolved party from ruling government prior to the coup d'état that lead to the Independence of 1968) (Spanish)
+
* [http://www.guinea-ecuatorial.org/index.php Opposition Website] ("Government in Exile" - Evolved party from ruling government prior to the coup d'état that led to the Independence of 1968) (Spanish)
 
* [http://www.ecaligiuri.com/index2.php Honorary Consulate of Equatorial Guinea in Romania] (Spanish) (Romanian) (English)
 
* [http://www.ecaligiuri.com/index2.php Honorary Consulate of Equatorial Guinea in Romania] (Spanish) (Romanian) (English)
  

Revision as of 00:37, 3 August 2007


República de Guinea Ecuatorial
République de Guinea Équatoriale
República da Guiné Equatorial
Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Flag of Equatorial Guinea Coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Unidad, Paz, Justicia" (Spanish)
"Unity, Peace, Justice"
Anthem: Caminemos pisando la senda
Location of Equatorial Guinea
Capital Malabo
3°21′N 8°40′E
Largest city capital
Official languages Spanish, French, Portuguese1
Government Republic
 - President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
 - Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea
Independence  
 - from Spain October 12 1968 
Area
 - Total 28,051 km² (144th)
10,828 sq mi 
 - Water (%) negligible
Population
 - July 2005 estimate 504,000
 - Density 18/km²
47/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
 - Total $25.69 billion
 - Per capita $50,200
HDI  (2004) Red Arrow Down.svg0.653 (medium)
Currency CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone WAT (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+1)
Internet TLD .gq
Calling code +240

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is the smallest country, in terms of population, in continental Africa, though Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe are smaller in terms of area. Formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name is suggestive of its location near both the equator and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the only country in mainland Africa where Spanish is an official language, excluding the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the UN-recognized but Moroccan-occupied Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara).

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup from an even more bloodthirsty dictator. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition.

Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.

The discovery of sizable oil reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country.

Geography

Equatorial Guinea is comprised of a mainland territory known as Río Muni (including several offshore islands); the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Pó), where the capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel) is located; and the island of Annobón in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Cameroon on the north, Gabon on the south and east, and the Gulf of Guinea on the west, where the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located.

History

The first inhabitants of the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea are believed to have been Pygmies, of whom only isolated pockets remain in northern Río Muni. Bantu migrations between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang. Elements of the latter may have generated the Bubi, who emigrated to Bioko from Cameroon and Rio Muni in several waves and succeeded former Neolithic populations. The Bubi were the first human inhabitants of Bioko Island. The Annobon population, native to Angola, was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé Island (São Tomé and Príncipe).

The Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó, seeking a route to India, is credited with having discovered the island of Bioko in 1472. He called it Formosa ("Beautiful"), but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer. The islands of Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474. The Portuguese retained control until 1778, when the island, adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger and Ogoue Rivers were ceded to Spain in exchange for territory in the American continent (Treaty of El Pardo, between Queen Maria I of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain). From 1827 to 1843, Britain established a base on the island to combat the [slave trade]]. The mainland portion, Rio Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled in 1900 by the Treaty of Paris, and periodically, the mainland territories were united administratively under Spanish rule. Between 1926 and 1959 they were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea.

Politics

Map of Equatorial Guinea

The current president is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The 1982 constitution gives Obiang extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of the cabinet, making laws by decree, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties, and calling legislative elections. Obiang retains his role as commander in chief of the armed forces and minister of defense, and he maintains close supervision of military activity.

The prime minister is appointed by the president and operates under powers designated by the president. The prime minister coordinates government activities in areas other than foreign affairs, national defense, and security.

On December 15, 2002, Equatorial Guinea's four main opposition parties withdrew from the country's presidential election. Obiang won an election widely considered fraudulent by members of the Western press.

Diplomats and even ministers have been caught smuggling drugs, sometimes using diplomatic bags and even the president's baggage on state trips. The incumbent president has never equaled the bloodthirsty reputation of his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, whom he overthrew.

A huge proportion of the £370 million revenue is confiscated by the president, while most of the 500,000 subjects subsist on less than a dollar a day, sewage runs through the streets of the capital Malabo, and there is no public transport and little running water or electricity.[1]

According to a March 2004 BBC profile,[2] politics within the country are currently dominated by tensions between Obiang's son, Teodorin, and other close relatives with powerful positions in the security forces. The tension may be rooted in power shifts arising from the dramatic increase in oil production that has occurred since 1997.

A November 2004 report[3] named Mark Thatcher as a financial backer of a March 2004 attempt to topple Obiang organized by Simon Mann. Various accounts also name Britain's MI6, the CIA, and Spain as having been tacit supporters of the coup attempt.[4] Nevertheless, the Amnesty International report released in June 2005[5] on the ensuing trial of those allegedly involved highlights the prosecution's failure to produce conclusive evidence that a coup attempt had actually taken place.

Administrative divisions

File:Equatorial Guinea provinces numbered.png
Provinces of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is divided into seven provinces (capitals appear in parentheses):

  1. Annobón Province (San Antonio de Palé)
  2. Bioko Norte Province (Malabo)
  3. Bioko Sur Province (Luba)
  4. Centro Sur Province (Evinayong)
  5. Kié-Ntem Province (Ebebiyín)
  6. Litoral Province (Bata)
  7. Wele-Nzas Province (Mongomo)

Economy

Though pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. Equatorial Guinea has become the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa with oil production at 360,000 barrels/day.

Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. The deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished any potential for agriculture-led growth.

Despite a per capita GDP (PPP) of more than $50,200 (2005 est.), Equatorial Guinea ranks 121st out of 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index.

In July 2004, the U.S. Senate published an investigation into Riggs Bank, a Washington-based bank into which most of Equatorial Guinea's oil revenues were paid until recently, and which also banked for Chile's Augusto Pinochet. The Senate report showed that at least $35 million was siphoned off by Obiang, his family and senior officials of his regime. The president denied any wrongdoing. [6]

On August 9, 2006, Harper's Magazine published an article by Ken Silverstein highlighting Obiang's recent connections with the U.S. State Department and Independence Federal Savings Bank.[7]

While Equatorial Guinea is currently one of the largest producers of oil in Africa, few improvements have been made to the living conditions of the people and most people live in poverty.

Demographics

Equatorial Guinean children of Bubi descent.


The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea 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 percent 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 have differences but are mutually intelligible. Dialects of Fang are also spoken in parts of neigboring Cameroon (Bulu) and Gabon. These dialects, while still intelligible, are more distinct. The Bulu Fang of Cameroon were traditional rivals of Fang in Rio Muni. (The Bubi, who constitute 15 percent of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island. The traditional demarcation line between Fang and beach tribes was the village of Niefang (limit of the fang) inland from Bata.

The Bubis had migrated to Bioko from the West African mainland some 3,000 to 5,000 years before Portuguese explorer Fernando Po discovered the island in 1471. On Bioko, they formed their own society, distinct and unique among Bantu tribes.

The Bubis still live on Bioko today, oppressed as a minority tribe under the dictator-president of the larger Fang tribe. Their numbers were seriously depleted under previous dictator Francisco Macias Nguema's systematic slaughter, which began shortly after the country's independence from Spain in 1968. Tens of thousands of Bubi, an estimated two-thirds of their population, were tortured, executed, beaten to death in labor camps, or managed to escape the island. Macias Nguema was executed during a 1979 coup by his nephew, current President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Many Bubi today who fled Macias Nguema's murderous regime live in exile in Spain. Returning home to Bioko to the abject poverty and unstable politics still wrought by President Obiang's corrupt regime is an unattractive option. Those Bubis still living on Bioko walk cautiously through the political landmines.

File:Fang in Equatorial Guinea.jpg
Equatorial Guinean children of Fang descent.

In addition, there are coastal tribes, sometimes referred to as "Playeros" (Beach People in Spanish): Ndowes, Bujebas, Balengues, (Kombi)s, and Bengas on the mainland and small islands, and "Fernandinos," a Creole community, on Bioko. Together, these groups compose 5 percent of the population. Some Europeans (largely of Spanish or Portuguese descent) – among them those mixed with African ethnicity – also live in the nation. Most Spaniards left after independence.

There is a growing number of foreigners from neighboring Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea received Asians and black Africans from other countries as workers on cocoa and coffee plantations. Other black Africans came from Liberia, Angola, and Mozambique, and Asians are mostly Chinese. Equatorial Guinea also allowed many fortune-seeking European settlers of other nationalities, including British, French and Germans. After independence, thousands of Equatorial Guineans went to Spain. Another 100,000 Equatorial Guineans went to Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria because of the dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema. Some of its communities also live in Brazil, some Spanish-speaking Latin American nations, the United States, Portugal, and France.

Oil extraction has contributed to a doubling of the population in Malabo.

Languages

The official languages are Spanish and French. The aboriginal languages are recognized as "integral parts of the national culture." The great majority of Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish, especially those living in the capital, Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844.

In July 2007, President Teodoro Obiang Ngumema announced his government's decision that Portuguese become Equatorial Guinea's third official language, in order to apply for full membership of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). An upgrade from its current associate observer condition would result in Equatorial Guinea being able to access several professional and academic exchange programs and the facilitation of cross-border circulation of citizens. Its application is currently being assessed by other CPLP members.

Culture

Several cultural dispersion and literacy organizations are located in the country, founded chiefly with the financial support of the Spanish government. The country has one university, the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (UNGE) with a campus in Malabo and a Faculty of Medicine located in Bata on the mainland. The Bata Medical School is supported principally by the government of Cuba and staffed by Cuban medical educators and physicians.

Media

The most dominant form of mass media in the country is the three state-operated FM radio stations. There are also five shortwave radio stations.

There are no daily newspapers. Most of the media companies practice heavy self-censorship and are banned by law from criticizing public figures. The state-owned media and the main private radio station are run by Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the president's son.

Sports

The county has been chosen to co-host the 2012 African Nations Cup in partnership with neighboring Gabon.

Equatorial Guinea in fiction

See Frederick Forsyth's The Dogs of War article "Trivia."

Fernando Póo (now Bioko) is featured prominently in the 1975 science fiction work The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. The island (and, in turn, the country) experience a series of coups in the story which lead the world to the verge of nuclear war. The trilogy also establishes that Fernando Póo is the last remaining piece of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

Most of the action in Robin Cook's book, Chromosome 6, takes place in Equatorial Guinea, where an international biochemical corporation, "GenSys," established a primate research facility due to the permissive laws of the country. The book indicates something of the geography, history and people of Equatorial Guinea.


Notes

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Liniger-Goumaz, Max. Small is not Always Beautiful: The Story of Equatorial Guinea (French 1986, translated 1989) ISBN 0389208612
  • Ibrahim K. Sundiata, Equatorial Guinea: Colonialism, State Terror, and the Search for Stability (1990, Boulder: Westview Press) ISBN 0-8133-0429-6
  • Robert Klitgaard. 1990. Tropical Gangsters. New York: Basic Books. (World Bank economist tries to assist pre-oil Equatorial Guinea -clever book, factual account)
  • D.L. Claret . Cien años de evangelización en Guinea Ecuatorial (1883-1983)/ One Hundred Years of Evangelism in Equatorial Guinea (1983, Barcelona: Claretian Missionaries)
  • Adam Roberts, The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa (2006, PublicAffairs) ISBN 1-58648-371-4

External links

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