The
Republic of Equatorial Guinea, formerly known as Spanish
Guinea, takes its name from its location, near
both the equator and the Gulf of Guinea. This central West
African country of approximately 10,828 square
miles (28,051
square kilometers), slightly smaller than the state of
Maryland, consists of a mainland portion and five islands.
It shares borders with Cameroon and Gabon.
The capital of Malabo is located on the island of Bioko,
formerly known as Fernando Pó.
The first inhabitants were believed to have been Pygmies. The majority of Equatoguineans today are of Bantu origin. The largest tribe is the Fang who are indigenous to the mainland. The population of 551,200 is primarily Fang. They constitute 80 percent of the population and divide into 67 clans. Spanish and French are the official languages.
Equatorial Guinea is nominally a constitutional democracy. They gained their independence from Spain in 1968. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo seized power in a coup in 1979 and has controlled the country since. The country is divided into 7 provinces. There has been rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves in the last decade. While this has made them a large oil exporter there have been few improvements in the standard of living for most of the population.
Web Sites
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Equatorial Guinea.
Databases
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