Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial Guinea República de Guinea Ecuatorial  (Spanish) République de Guinée équatoriale (French) República da Guiné Equatorial  (Portuguese)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Unidad, Paz, Justicia  (Spanish) Unité, Paix, Justice  (French) Unidade, Paz, Justiça  (Portuguese) Unity, Peace, Justice
Anthem: Caminemos pisando las sendas de nuestra inmensa felicidad Let us walk the path of our Immense Happiness
Location of  Equatorial Guinea  (dark blue) – in Africa  (light blue & dark grey) – in the African Union  (light blue)
Capital		Malabo 3°45′N 8°47′E / 3.75°N 8.783°E / 3.75; 8.783
Largest city		Bata
Official language(s)		Spanish French Portuguese
Recognised regional languages		Fang, Bube, Annobonese
Ethnic groups (1994)		85.7% Fang 6.5% Bubi 3.6% Mdowe 1.6% Annobon 1.1% Bujeba 1.4% other (Spanish)[1]
Demonym		Equatoguinean, Equatorial Guinean
Government		Unitary presidential republic
-	President	Teodoro Obiang
-	Prime Minister	Vicente Ehate Tomi
Legislature		Chamber of People's Representatives
Independence
-	from Spain	12 October 1968
Area
-	Total	28,050 km2 (144th) 10,830 sq mi
-	Water (%)	fresh water negligible, but a significant slice of the Atlantic Ocean is within its boundaries
Population
-	2009 estimate	676,000[2] (166th)
-	Density	24.1/km2 (187th) 62.4/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$24.146 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$34,824[3] (22nd)
GDP (nominal)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$14.006 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$20,200[3]
HDI (2010)		0.538[4] (medium) (117th)
Currency		Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone		West Africa Time (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Drives on the		right side
ISO 3166 code		GQ
Internet TLD		.gq
Calling code		240

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,^[5] is a country located in Central Africa. Equatorial Guinea has two parts: a Continental Region (Río Muni) which has several small offshore islets such as Corisco, Elobey Grande, and Elobey Chico attached to it politically. There are also two populated Islands of Equatorial Guinea, Bioko island (formerly Fernando Po), in the extreme north—where the capital city of Malabo is located—and Annobón Island in the extreme south, off the coast of Gabon, and south of the Equator.

Annobon Island is the southmost island of Equatorial Guinea, and this island is located just south of the Equator. Bioko Island contains the northmost part of Equatorial Guinea. Between these two islands and located east of them is the area of Rio Muni on the mainland. Equatorial Guinea has actual international borders with Cameroon on its north, and Gabon on its south, southeast, and east. To the country's west is found the Gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic Ocean). Also, the country of São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the ocean between Bioko and Annobón. There are boundaries between the Exclusive economic zones of that islamd country and Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea was formerly part of the Spanish Empire, namely the colony of Spanish Guinea. Its name after independence comes from the facts of its location near the Equator and also the Gulf of Guinea. Other than in the Spanish inclaves of the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Morocco and the Canary Islands located off the northern African coast, Equatorial Guinea is the only part of Africa with Spanish as one of its official languages.

With a land area of about 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi), Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries of Africa. This is also the richest country per capita in Africa ^[6] but the money is distributed quite unevenly. 70 percent of its population lives under the United Nations Poverty Threshold of $2.00 per day.

With a population of about 650,700, Equatorial Guinea is the third-smallest country in Africa.^[7]

Equatorial Guinea is also the second-smallest member of the United Nations in Africa by area, even if island countries like the Cape Verde Islands are included.

The discovery of significamt deposits of oil and natural gas in Equatorial Guinea, especially offshore, during the past two or three decades is changing the economic status of the country. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of Equatorial Guinea is about number 28 in the world.^[8] However, most of the present and past income from petroleum is held in by a relatively-few of its citizens.

Equatorial Guinea reportedly has one of the worst human rights records in the world, consistently ranking among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House's annual survey of political and civil rights^[9] and Reporters Without Borders ranks President Obiang among its "predators" of press freedom.^[10] Out of 44 sub-Saharan countries, Equatorial Guinea ranks 9th highest in the Human Development Index (HDI) and 115th overall, which is among the medium HDI countries.

Geography

Equatorial Guinea is located in west central Africa. The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni, which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south and five small islands, Bioko, Corisco, Annobón, Small Elobey, and Great Elobey. Bioko, the site of the capital city of Malabo, is found about 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of Cameroon. Annobón island is about 350 kilometers (220 mi) west-southwest of Cape Lopez in Gabon. Corisco and the two Elobey islands are in Corisco Bay on the border of Río Muni and Gabon.

Equatorial Guinea lies between four degrees north latitude and two degrees south latitude. This county rests between five degrees west longitude and 12 degrees east longitude. No part of Equatorial Guinea is actually crossed by the Equator. Most of Equatorial Guinea is the Northern Hemisphere, excepting only the island of Annabon, which lies about 155 kilometers south of the Equator.

Equatorial Guinea spans several ecoregions. The region of Río Muni lies within the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion except for groves of Central African mangroves trees along its the coast, especially in the Muni River estuary. The Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion covers most of Bioko. and also the adjacent parts of Cameroon and Nigeria. Also, there are the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests that cover the highlands of Bioko and nearby Mount Cameroon.

The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests ecoregion covers all of Annobón, as well as São Tomé and Príncipe.

Climate

Equatorial Guinea has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. From June to August, Río Muni is dry, and Bioko is rainy. From December through February, the opposite situation is found. In the months between these, there is gradual transition. Rain or mist occurs daily on Annobón, where a cloudless day has never been registered. The temperature at Malabo, Bioko, ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F), though on the southern Moka Plateau normal high temperatures are only 21 °C (70 °F). In Río Muni, the average temperature is about 27 °C (81 °F). Annual rainfall varies from 1,930 mm (76 in) at Malabo to 10,920 mm (430 in) at Ureka, Bioko, but Río Muni is somewhat drier.^[11]

History

In the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea there are believed to have been pygmies, of whom only isolated pockets remain in southern Río Muni. Bantu migrations between the 18th and 20th 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 Annobón 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 path to India, is credited as being the first European to discover 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.

In 1778, the island, adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger and Ogoue Rivers were ceded to Spain in exchange for South America´s territory Sacramento (Treaty of El Pardo, between Queen Maria I of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain). Between 1778 and 1810, the territory of Equatorial Guinea depended administratively on the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, with seat in Buenos Aires.

From 1827 to 1843, the United Kingdom established a base on the island to combat the slave trade,^[12] which was then moved to Sierra Leone upon agreement with Spain in 1843. In 1844, on restoration of Spanish sovereignty, it became known as the Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea Ecuatorial. The mainland portion, Rio Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled by the Treaty of Paris in 1900, and periodically, the mainland territories were united administratively under Spanish rule. Between 1926 and 1959 they were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea.

In September 1968, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected first president of Equatorial Guinea, and independence was recognised on 12 October 1968. In July 1970, Nguema created a single-party state. Nguema’s reign of terror led to the death or exile of up to 1/3 of the country's population. Out of a population of 300,000, an estimated 80,000 had been killed.^[13][14] The economy collapsed, and skilled citizens and foreigners left.^[15] Teodoro Obiang deposed Francisco Macías Nguema on 3 August 1979, in a bloody coup d'état.

In 2011 the government announced it was planning a new capital in the country, named Djibloho.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Politics

Map of Equatorial Guinea

The current president of Equatorial Guinea is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The 1982 constitution of Equatorial Guinea, written following the 1979 deposition of dictator Francisco Macías Nguema and with help from the UN, gives the presidency extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of the cabinet, making laws by decree, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties and serving as commander in chief of the armed forces. The Prime Minister, Ignacio Milam Tang, is appointed by the President, and he operates under powers designated by the President.

On Christmas 1975, Macías had 150 alleged coup plotters executed to the sound of a band playing Mary Hopkin's tune Those Were the Days in a national stadium.^[20] It is estimated that 100,000 people (approximately one-third of the population) were killed or fled into exile during Macías' reign.^[21]

President Obiang overthrew previous dictator Francisco Macías Nguema on 3 August 1979 in a bloody coup d'état. Since August 1979 some 12 real and perceived unsuccessful coup attempts have occurred. The 'real' coup attempts were often perpetrated in an attempt by rival elites to seize the state's economic resources.^[21]

Under President Obiang, the U.S. Agency for International Development entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, in April 2006, to establish a Social Development Fund in the country, implementing projects in the areas of health, education, women's affairs and the environment.^[22]

Since 2005, Military Professional Resources Inc., a U.S. based international private military company, has worked in Equatorial Guinea to train police forces in appropriate human rights practices. In February 2010, Equatorial Guinea signed a contract with the MPRI subsidiary of the US defense corporation, L3 Communications for coastal surveillance and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.^[23][24]

Although President Obiang signed a national anti-torture decree in 2006 to ban all forms of abuse and improper treatment in Equatorial Guinea and commissioned the renovation and modernization of Black Beach prison in 2007 to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners,^[25] human rights abuses continue. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International among other non-governmental organizations have documented severe human rights abuses in prisons, including torture, beatings, unexplained deaths and illegal detention.^[26][27]

Under President Obiang, the basic infrastructure of Equatorial Guinea has also improved. Asphalt now covers more than 80% of the national roads and ports and airports are being built across the entire country.^[28] Progress of this increase in infrastructure was confirmed in October 2011 when a British parliamentary delegation and press entourage toured the country as guests of the president. However, despite all the new infrastructure there were very few of its citizens who seemed to have access to it, with reports of empty three lane highways and many empty buildings during the course of the tour according to a journalist who represented The Guardian newspaper who formed part of the press entourage.^[29]

According to a March 2004 BBC profile,^[30] 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 shift arising from the dramatic increase in oil production which has occurred since 1997.

A November 2004 report^[31] named Mark Thatcher as a financial backer of a 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt to topple Obiang, organized by Simon Mann. Various accounts also name the United Kingdom's MI6, the United States' CIA, and Spain as having been tacit supporters of the coup attempt.^[32] Nevertheless, the Amnesty International report released in June 2005^[33] on the ensuing trial of those allegedly involved highlighted the prosecution's failure to produce conclusive evidence that a coup attempt had actually taken place.

Simon Mann was released from prison on 3 November 2009 for humanitarian reasons. The presidential decree pardoning Mann from prison cites concerns about his physical health and the need for him to receive ongoing care in his home country.^[34]

President Obiang was re-elected to serve an additional term in 2009 in an election deemed by the African Union as “in line with electoral law”.^[35] The President reappointed Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang and installed a new government in Equatorial Guinea on 12 January 2010.^[36]

The new government is dedicated to strengthening the “cooperation and friendship” with the Barack Obama administration. During a meeting on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly, President Obiang urged President Obama to institute a U.S–Africa summit, to strengthen the cooperation between the United States and Africa.^[28]

Administrative divisions

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)

The provinces are further divided into districts.

Economy

Graphical depiction of Equatorial Guinea's product exports in 28 color coded categories.

Pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings. On 1 January 1985, the country became the first non-Francophone African member of the franc zone, adopting the CFA as its currency. The national currency, the ekwele, was previously linked to the Spanish peseta.^[37]

The discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. As of 2004,^[38] Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its oil production has risen to 360,000 barrels per day (57,000 m³/d), 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.

In July 2004, the United States 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.^[39]

Equatorial Guinea is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).^[40]

Equatorial Guinea tried to become validated as an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)–compliant country, working toward transparency in reporting of oil revenues and the prudent use of natural resource wealth. The country was one of 30 candidate countries and obtained candidate status 22 February 2008. It was then required to meet a number of obligations to do so, including committing to working with civil society and companies on EITI implementation, appointing a senior individual to lead on EITI implementation, and publishing a fully costed Work Plan with measurable targets, a timetable for implementation and an assessment of capacity constraints. However, when Equatorial Guinea applied to extend the deadline for completing EITI validation, the EITI Board did not agree to grant Equatorial Guinea an extension.^[41]

According to the World Bank, Equatorial Guinea has the highest GNI (Gross National Income) per capita of any other Sub-Saharan country. It is 83 times larger than the GNI per capita of Burundi which is the poorest country.^[42]

Demographics

Equatorial Guinean children of Bubi descent.

The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin.^{[citation needed]} The largest tribe, the Fang, is indigenous to the mainland, but substantial migration to Bioko Island has resulted in the Fang population exceeding that of the earlier Bantu inhabitants. The Fang constitute 80% of the population^[43] and comprise 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 neighboring 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% 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.

In addition, there are coastal tribes, sometimes referred to as Ndowe or "Playeros" (Beach People in Spanish): Combes, Bujebas, Balengues, and Bengas on the mainland and small islands, and Fernandinos, a Krio community on Bioko Island. Together, these groups compose 5% of the population. Some Europeans (largely of Spanish or Portuguese descent) – among them 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. Most of the Asian population is Chinese, with small numbers of Indians.

Equatorial Guinea also allowed many fortune-seeking European settlers of other nationalities, including British, French and Germans. There is also a group of Israelis, and Moroccans. 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 Equatorial Guinean communities are also to be found in Latin America, the United States, Portugal, and France. Oil extraction has contributed to a doubling of the population in Malabo.

Religion

The principal religion in Equatorial Guinea is Christianity which is the faith of 93% of the population. These are predominately Roman Catholic (87%) while a minority are Protestants (5%). Another 5% of the population follow indigenous beliefs and the final 2% comprises Muslims, Bahá'í Faith, and other beliefs.^[44]

Languages

The official languages are Spanish (for the local variety see Equatoguinean Spanish), French, and Portuguese. However, the government's official homepage states that: "Spanish is the official administrative language and that of education. French is the second official language and nearly all the ethnic groups speak the languages referred to as Bantu."^[45]

Indigenous languages include Fang, Bube, Benga, Pichinglis, Ndowe, Balengue, Bujeba, Bissio, Gumu, nearly extinct Baseke, and others, as well as Annobonese language (Fá d'Ambô) a Portuguese creole, and Fernando Poo Creole English.^{[citation needed]} English and German are also studied as foreign languages.^{[citation needed]}

Aboriginal languages are recognized as integral parts of the "national culture" (Constitutional Law No. 1/1998 January 21). The great majority of Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish,^[46] especially those living in the capital, Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844.

Some media reported that in October 2011, the Constitutional Law that amends article four of the Constitution of Equatorial Guinea was enacted by Chamber of People's Representatives. This Constitutional Law established the third official language of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Portuguese (by that time only the Spanish and French had official status). This was in an effort by the government to improve its communications, trade, and bilateral relations with Portuguese-speaking countries.^[47] The adoption of Portuguese followed the announcement in 13 July 2007, by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of his government's decision for Portuguese to become Equatorial Guinea's third official language, in order to meet one of the requirements to apply for full membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the other one being political reforms allowing for effective democracy and the respect for human rights. This upgrading 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 for membership of the CPLP is currently being assessed by the organisations' members.^[46] According to draft of the Constitutional Law: “This Constitutional Law will go into effect twenty days from its publication in the Official State Gazette”.^[48] In October 2011, the national parliament was discussing this law.^[49] So far no official confirmation of approving the decree by the Parliament nor published it in the Official State Gazette. Moreover official Equatorial Guinean sources, do not treat Portuguese as an official language yet.^[50]

In February 2012, Equatorial Guinea's foreign minister signed an agreement with the IILP (Instituto Internacional de Língua Portuguesa) on the promotion of Portuguese in Equatorial Guinea.^{[51] [52]}

Culture

In June 1984, the First Hispanic-African Cultural Congress was convened to explore the cultural identity of Equatorial Guinea. The congress constituted the center of integration and the marriage of the Hispanic culture with African cultures.^[37]

Education

Under the regime of Francisco Macias, education had been significantly neglected with few children receiving any type of education. Under President Obiang, the illiteracy rate dropped from 73 percent to 13 percent ^[53] and the number of primary school students has risen from 65,000 in 1986 to more than 100,000 in 1994. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 14.^[37]

The Equatorial Guinea government has also partnered with Hess Corporation and The Academy for Educational Development (AED) to establish a $20 million education program through which primary school teachers participate in a training program to teach modern child development techniques.^[54] There are now 51 Model Schools, one for every state. It is hoped the active pedagogy in the Model Schools will be a national reform.

In recent years, with change in economic/political climate and government social agendas, several cultural dispersion and literacy organizations are now 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. In 2009 the university produced the first 110 national doctors.^[28] The Bata Medical School is supported principally by the government of Cuba and staffed by Cuban medical educators and physicians, however, it is predicted that Equatorial Guinea will have enough national doctors in the country to be self-sufficient within the next five years.^[28]

Health

Equatorial Guinea’s innovative malaria control programs have had a remarkable impact on malaria infection, disease, and mortality in the population.^[55] Their program consists of twice-yearly indoor residual spraying (IRS), the introduction of artemisinin combination treatment (ACTs), the use of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnant women (IPTp) and the introduction of very high coverage with long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs). The result of their efforts resulted in a reduction in all-cause under-five mortality from 152 to 55 deaths per 1,000 live births (down 64%); and the drop occurred rapidly and timed directly with the beginning of the program.^[56]

Transportation

Air transport

Every airline registered in the country appears on the list of air carriers prohibited in the European Union (EU) which means that they are banned for safety reasons from operating services of any kind within the EU.^[57]

Due to the large oil presence in the country, internationally recognised carriers fly to Malabo (Bioko). The carriers include:

• Iberia – from Madrid
• Air Europa – from Madrid
• Air France – from Paris
• Ethiopian Airlines – from Addis Ababa
• Lufthansa – from Frankfurt
• Kenya Airways – from Nairobi
• Danish Air Transport – internal and charters

Communications

The principal means of communication within the country are three state-operated FM radio stations; there are also five shortwave radio stations. There are two newspapers and two magazines. Television Nacional, the television network, is state operated.^[58][59] The international TV programme RTVGE is available via satellites in Africa, Europa, and the Americas and worldwide via Internet.^[60]

Most of the media companies practice heavy self-censorship, and are banned by law from criticising public figures. The state-owned media and the main private radio station are under the directorship of Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the president's son.

Landline telephone penetration is low, with only two lines available for every 100 persons.^[59] There is one GSM mobile telephone operator, with coverage of Malabo, Bata, and several mainland cities.^[61][62] As of 2009, approximately forty percent of the population subscribed to mobile telephone services.^[63] The only telephone provider in Equatorial Guinea is Orange.

Equatorial Guinea has nine (as of 2009) Internet service providers, which serve more than 8,000 users.^[59]

Sports

Football

Equatorial Guinea has been chosen to co-host the 2012 African Cup of Nations in partnership with Gabon. The Equatorial Guinea won their first game against Libya 1-0 in group A. The country was also chosen to host the 2008 Women's African Football Championship, which they won. The Women's National Team qualified for the 2011 World Cup in Germany.

Swimming

Equatorial Guinea is famous for the national swimming champion Eric Moussambani, nicknamed "Eric the Eel".^{[citation needed]}

In fiction

Frederick Forsyth's 1974 novel The Dogs of War is set in the fictional platinum-rich 'Republic of Zangaro', which is based on Equatorial Guinea. There is also a 1981 film adaptation of the book, also called The Dogs of War.

Fernando Po (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 story also hypothesizes that Fernando Po is the last remaining piece of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

Most of the action in the American novelist Robin Cook's book, Chromosome 6, takes place at a primate research facility based in Equatorial Guinea due to the country's permissive laws. The book also discusses some of the geography, history, and peoples of the country.

Episode 2 of the British sitcom Yes Minister, "The Official Visit", situates the fictional lesser developed country of Buranda in what is actually Equatorial Guinea.

In the 2009 novel Limit by Frank Schätzing, which takes place in 2025, the country's history (and future history) plays a significant role in the plot.

See also

	Geography portal
	Africa portal

Notes and references

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

Books

• Max Liniger-Goumaz, Small is not Always Beautiful: The Story of Equatorial Guinea (French 1986, translated 1989) ISBN 0-389-20861-2
• 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) ISBN 0-465-08760-4
• 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

Find more about Equatorial Guinea on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

Government

• Official Government of Equatorial Guinea website (under construction)
• Official website of the press office of the Government of Equatorial Guinea (Spanish, French, English)
• Honorary Consulate of Equatorial Guinea in Romania (Spanish, Romanian, English)
• CPLP web page on Guinea Equatorial (in portuguese)
• CIA on Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General information

• Guinea in Figures - Official Web Page of the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
• Country Profile from BBC News
• Equatorial Guinea entry at The World Factbook
• Equatorial Guinea from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Equatorial Guinea at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Equatorial Guinea
• Topographical map (Spanish)
• Equatorial Guinea travel guide from Wikitravel
• Photo: Equatorial Guinea
• Key Development Forecasts for Equatorial Guinea from International Futures

News media

• 'Canal Internacional' of RTVGE (Radio TV Guinea Equatorial)
• Equatorial Guinea news headline links from AllAfrica.com
• Guinea-Ecuatorial.net (Spanish, some French)

Languages

• Las lenguas de Guinea Ecuatorial: Materiales bibliográficos para su estudio (in Spanish)

Other

• Spanish Ministry's Plan for Africa 2006–2008 – (Spanish), Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación de España.
• Spanish Ministry's Plan for Africa 2009–2012 – (Spanish), Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación de España.
• "Guia Pais: Guinea Ecuatorial" – (Spanish), by The Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Embassy of Spain in Lagos, Nigeria, March 2004
• History of Equatorial Guinea PBS WIDE ANGLE interactive timeline
• Once Upon a Coup PBS WIDE ANGLE documentary about the 2004 coup attempt

Geographic locale v t e Countries and territories of Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia France Mayotte Réunion Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Italy Pantelleria Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Portugal Madeira Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Canary Islands Ceuta Melilla Plazas de soberanía Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Yemen Socotra Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies Îles Éparses (France) Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Unclear sovereignty Western Sahara

International membership v t e Member states of the African Union (AU) Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe v t e South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Members Angola Argentina Benin Brazil Cameroon Cape Verde Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Namibia Nigeria São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Togo Uruguay Ministerial Meetings 2nd (1993) 3rd (1994) 4th (1996) 5th (1998) 6th (2007) v t e Member states and observers of the Francophonie Members Albania Andorra Armenia Belgium French Community Benin Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada New Brunswick Quebec Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Cyprus1 Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Dominica Egypt Equatorial Guinea France (French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique St. Pierre and Miquelon Gabon Ghana1 Greece Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Laos Luxembourg Lebanon Macedonia2 Madagascar Mali Mauritania Mauritius Moldova Monaco Morocco Niger Romania Rwanda St. Lucia São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Switzerland Togo Tunisia Vanuatu Vietnam Observers Austria Croatia Czech Republic Dominican Republic Georgia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Mozambique Poland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Thailand Ukraine 1 Associate member. 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. v t e Niger–Congo-speaking nations   Mande      Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Mali  Mauritania  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Liberia  Côte d'Ivoire  Nigeria  Burkina Faso  Benin  Togo   Atlantic      Benin  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Côte d'Ivoire  Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Sudan  Togo   Savanna     Gur  Benin  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Mali  Nigeria  Togo Adamawa  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria   (other branches)     Dogon  Mali Senufo  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Mali Kru  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Togo Volta–Niger  Ghana  Togo  Benin  Nigeria Ijoid  Nigeria Kordofanian  Sudan   Benue–Congo     Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC (other)  Cameroon  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Lesotho  Nigeria  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo v t e Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Members Angola Brazil Cape Verde East Timor Guinea-Bissau Mozambique Portugal São Tomé and Príncipe Observers Equatorial Guinea Mauritius Senegal Interested Andorra Croatia Galicia Goa Macau Morocco Malacca Philippines Romania Ukraine

Coordinates: 1°30′N 10°00′E / 1.5°N 10°E / 1.5; 10