Equatorial+Guinea

__Table of Contents __
 * Flag
 * Background
 * Location
 * Economic Overview
 * People
 * Government
 * Internet Access
 * Health & Illicit Drugs
 * Natural Hazards
 * Environmental Issues
 * Time-line
 * Current Event
 * Tourism

__Flag__ Equatorial Guinea most recently adopted their flag on August 21, 1979. The flag has four main colors: blue (for the surrounding seas), green (for plant life), white (for peace), and red (for sacrifice). In the middle of the flag is Equatorial Guinea’s coat of arms. The six stars represent the islands and mainland of Equatorial Guinea. The tree is a ceiba tree which represents their independence, and underneath the tree is the country’s slogan, “Unidad paz Justica” (“United in Peace and Justice”).

__<span style="color: #0600ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Background __ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The histories of Bioko and Rio Muni are very different. Rio Muni was isolated from the West until the 20th century. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">However, the people of the Bubi ethnic group on Bioko retreated upland as the natural harbor of Malabo changed from Portuguese to Spanish to British and then back to Spanish hands between the late 1400s and early 1900s. During this time, Malabo was mainly a slave-trading center, except when it was under British rule between 1827 and 1843. During the first half of the 1900s, Spain developed an infrastructure to support cocoa plantations on the island. This lead Bioko to have a higher income and literacy rate. Bioko also obtained better health care than the mainland.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled in the Treaty of Paris (1900) which set borders for Rio Muni and gave it to Spain. The lives of the native people (mostly Fang) of Rio Muni were not really affected until the 1920s. During that time, Europeans started a coffee production there. Rio Muni and Bioko were combined artificially by the Spanish as Spanish Guinea.

In 1959, Spanish Guinea became a part of Spain, and all of the native people gained full citizenship to Spain. Nine years later on October 12, 1968, Equatorial Guinea was granted full indepence peacefully, and Francisco Macías Nguema became the first president in a multiparty election.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Location __ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Equatorial Guinea is located in Western Africa. It is surrounded by the Bight of Biafra, Cameroon, and Gabon. ( 2N, 10E) It covers an area of 10,830 sq. mi. (slightly smaller than Maryland). Because of its location the climate of Equatorial Guinea is tropical. It is always hot and humid. The terrain in this location is coastal plains that rise to interior hills. The islands of Equatorial Guinea are volcanic.

Because of the location and climate in Equatorial Guinea, only 4.63% of the land is arable, 3.57% of the land is permantly used for crops, and 91.8% of the land is used for other reasons. On the land that can be used for agriculture, some of the products produced are coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, and palm oil nuts. Some other products include raising livestock and timber.

The capital of Equatorial Guinea is Malabo. Malabo is located on Isla de Bioko.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; text-align: left;">__Economic Overview__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Some of Equatorial Guinea's natural resouces include petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand/gravel, and clay. Their main industries are petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, and natural gas. Foreign firms began offshore oil drilling in the 1990s, and Equatorial Guinea is now one of the largest oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Oil accounts for 90 percent of the nation's export revenue. Timber harvesting is also relied upon to attract foreign capital. However, most timber is shipped out as raw logs; very little manufacturing takes place in Equatorial Guinea. Other major crops include cassava, taro, pineapples, and coconuts. Because of these resources, Equatorial Guinea has successful trading transactions with other countries. Their most successful exports are petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa, and coffee which they send to the U.S., Spain, China, France, and Italy. Equatorial Guinea mainly imports petroleum sector equipment and other equipment. They import these items and other things from Spain, U.S., France, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Italy, and the UK.

Equatorial Guinea's conversion in 1985 to West Africa's regional currency, the //CFA franc// (XAF), provided a much needed stepping-stone out of economic isolation. Gross national product per capita figures are artificially high, reflecting the country's oil revenue. The wealthy hold most assets, and corruption keeps new oil wealth from benefiting local people. About 90 percent of Equatoguineans are engaged in subsistence agriculture. Most farmers do not earn a wage.


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">GDP per capita: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">$7,874
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Military expendentures: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">.1% of GDP
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Currency exchange rate: $449.12 per US dollar

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">__People__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">There is great diversity in Equatorial Guinea when it comes to ethnic groups. Their population of 616,459 is made up of 85.7% Fang, 6.5% Bubi, 3.6% Mdowe, 1.6% Annobon, 1.1% Bujeba, and 1.4% other (based on the 1994 census). Religion in Equatorial Guinea is nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic. There are also some pagan practices. The official language spoken by the people is Spanish (67.6%). The other 32.4% in divided between French (also considered to be official), Fang, and Bubi.

The majority of all children attend primary school, only about 10 percent are enrolled in secondary school. Malabo offers an academically oriented agricultural vocational school. Bata has a post-secondary vocational program that offers courses in agriculture, metalworking, and carpentry, but placement is limited. The Catholic Church has made important contributions to primary and secondary education. While education isn't the greatest, the literacy rate is relatively high with males having a 93% rate and females having a 81% rate (ages 15 and over).


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Population growth rate: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2.703%
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Net migration rate: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">NA
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Infant mortality rate: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">123 per 1,000 births
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Life expectancy: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">males- 49 females- 52
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Unemployment: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">30% (1998)

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Government __ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Equatorial Guinea is a unitary republic. The constitution provides the president (currently Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo) with extensive powers; he is commander-in-chief of the military and minister of defense. The president is elected to a seven-year term and appoints all cabinet members and the prime minister (currently Ignacio Milam Tang), who has only limited powers. The unicameral House of Representatives of the People has one hundred members elected to five-year terms. Parties in opposition to the ruling PDGE include the Convergence for Social Democracy Party and the Popular Union. Each of the nation's seven provinces has a governor appointed by the president. When not in conflict with constitutional law, tribal laws and customs are usually honored by the judicial system. You are able to vote when you become 18 years old, the age you become accepted as an adult.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">__Internet Access__
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hosts: 9
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Users: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">8,000 <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">__Health & Illicit Drugs__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The population's primary health problems are malaria, diarrhea (among young children), and intestinal parasites. Availability of Western health resources is generally poor, with very few doctors and clinics. In most parts of the country, people still rely on traditional tribal medicine to provide effective care for many health problems.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Illicit drugs: NA

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">__Natural Hazards__ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Environmental Issues<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> __ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Equatorial Guinea's most significant environmental problems were deforestation, water pollution, desertification, and the preservation of wildlife. The forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and grazing. The nation has 30 cubic kilometers of renewable water resource with 6% used for farming purposes. The nation's wildlife is threatened by the expansion of population centers and none of the nation's natural areas are protected. Of 184 mammal species, 12 are endangered. Four species of birds in a total of 273, two types of reptiles, and one amphibian are also endangered. Six species of plants are threatened with extinction. Endangered species include the drill Preuss's monkey, and the green sea, hawksbill, and olive ridley turtles.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Violent wind storms
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Flash floods

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> Time-Line __ //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1471 //—<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Portuguese navigator Fernao do Po sights the island of Fernando Poo, which is now called Bioko. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1477 // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Portugal cedes Fernando Poo to Spain. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1844 // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Spanish settle in what became the province of Rio Muni—mainland Equatorial Guinea. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1968 // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Spanish Guinea granted independence and becomes the Republic of Equatorial Guinea with Francisco Macias Nguema as president. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1993 // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">First multiparty elections take place but are generally condemned as fraudulent and are boycotted by the opposition. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1996 February // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">President Obiang Nguema wins 99% of votes in election amid reports of widespread irregularities. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1996 March //—<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mobil oil corporation announces it has discovered sizeable new oil and gas reserves. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1999 March // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea wins majority of seats in parliamentary elections condemned as fraudulent. Dozens of members of main opposition Popular Union are arrested. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2001 //—<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Economy emerges as one of world's fastest-growing because of oil exploitation. Opposition says trickle-down effect of growth is too slow, too small. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2002 June // —<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Court jails 68 people for up to 20 years for alleged coup plot against President Obiang Nguema. They include main opposition leader Placido Mico Abogo. EU is concerned that confessions were obtained under duress. Amnesty International says many defendants showed signs of torture.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Current Event __ afrol News**,** **<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">16 October ** - <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has issued a warning to the United States and Europe not to turn a blind eye to the growing security threat in the Gulf of Guinea. Mr Obiang made this warning following yesterday's pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Cameroon. He called for the attention to the increase in piracy activity that resembles the unsafe waters on the East Coast of Africa in the Gulf of Aiden.
 * //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Obiang warns US and Europe of growing piracy in Gulf of Guinea //**

"Today's pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea should serve as a warning to the United States and Europe that this situation is becoming a great threat to maritime security off the West coast of Africa. The United States and Europe must recognise that the growing number of attacks by rebel groups and smugglers in the region is strikingly similar to the dangerous environment that exists in the Gulf of Aiden and can no longer be ignored," he said further commiting that Equatorial Guinea is a willing partner to work with the United States and Europe to immediately address this increasing security risk to ensure the safety of the people of West and Central Africa and those travelling through the open waters of the Gulf of Guinea.

Reports said yesterday four pirates attacked a fishing vessel of the coast of Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It was also reported that Cameroonian military killed the four pirates, destroyed their vessel and seized their stash of weapons. Three other gunmen were taken prisoner and two others are currently missing.

Over the last two years, 11 attacks have occurred off the coast of West and Central Africa resulting in abductions, loss of life, and a surmounting threat to the peace and stability of the Gulf of Guinea nations.
 * //By staff writer//**

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Tourism __ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">With the difficulties of getting a visa and the shakedown you receive as you walk in the door of this tiny tropical former Spanish colony, you might think that Equatorial Guinea would rather just not have you. The government collects plenty of American oil money, and the leaders fear foreign mercenaries plotting coups, so what, really, do they need with travellers? But for those who live on the edge, Equatorial Guinea offers true adventure. On Bioko Island, beyond the startling build up of the oil-soaked capital, Malabo, are volcanic views, rainforests full of endangered primates and shores of nesting sea turtles. On the mainland, Bata is a pleasant colonial town undergoing an oil-fuelled face-lift, the wildlife-filled rainforest of Monte Alen National Park is a hidden treasure, and the remote island of Corisco offers truly deserted white-sand beaches and small communities of traditional cultures. But be prepared to hack and bribe and hold tight to bush taxis – and don’t forget to pack all the patience you can fit in your bag – you’ll be stopped often by the military and government officials wanting something.

Note that all travellers need both a travel and photography permit, available in Malabo and Bata. Your papers will be scrutinized often, so make sure you have them in order.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Resources __ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Equatorial-Guinea-ENVIRONMENT.html http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/09/14/timesselect/0912_parks_eg.jpg http://online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country.php?contid=1&wmn=Africa&cid=49&cn=Equatorial_Guinea https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ek.html http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/35/232.html http://www.afrol.com/articles/34434 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/equatorial-guinea