Introduction To Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest and least populated countries in Africa. It is located in the western coast between Cameroon and Gabon. This country contains a mainland and five islands off the coast; one of which is Bioko, where their capital, Malabo, is located. Originally colonized by the Spanish for 200 years, Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968, but still continues to face authoritarianism, corruption, and a large wealth disparity. The country is rich in natural resources such as oil, so it has experienced the integration of foreign companies into their economy and population in the past decade. Equatorial Guinea is Africa’s third largest oil exporter even as one of Africa’s smallest countries. Most employment stems from oil companies; however, due to the intense training this job demands, many natives lose the small amount of job opportunities in this field to skilled foreign workers. The supporting employment of this economy focuses on agricultural labor which is shrinking due to unsustainable land usage.
GeographyEquatorial Guinea’s land mass is slightly smaller than that of Maryland. The region consists of coastal plains rising into interior hills along with a series of volcanic islands around the coast. The only historically active volcano is Santa Isabel which last erupted in 1923. Santa Isabel and two other dormant volcanoes make up Bioko, the island containing the country’s capital Malabo. The land is rich in resources such as oil, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand, gravel, and clay. The main environmental issues affecting Equatorial Guinea include deforestation, desertification, water pollution, wildlife preservation, violent windstorms, and flash floods.
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the flagEquatorial Guinea’s flag (shown above) features three horizontal bands: green, white, and red along. A blue triangle is also stemming from the side connected to the flagpole. Additionally, the Equatorial Guinea coat of arms in the center of the white band. The green symbolizes the abundance of natural resources in the country; the white represents peace; the red shows the fight this country had to endure for their independence; and finally the blue represents the connection from the mainland to the islands through the sea. The coat of arms features six yellow stars with six points on each of them, symbolizing the mainland and five surrounding islands. Directly above the stars is a grey shield containing a cotton-silk tree and the country’s motto: Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Unity, Peace, Justice).
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politics
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Equatorial Guinea has had the same president since 1979. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo seized power August 3rd 1979 from his uncle Francisco Macia Nguema who was the first president of Equatorial Guinea after gaining independence. Power remains in the family as President Ngeuma’s son, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, holds the Vice Presidency. The government controls most of the media; there is one radio and television station owned by the state, and one radio and television station privately owned by the president’s eldest son. Additionally, there is satellite television available; however, many people are unable to afford this option due to the low income of a majority of the population. This wealth disparity may be explained by the government’s lack of spending on healthcare or education, making it difficult for one to advance locals’ careers or income statuses.
PopulationEquatorial Guinea has roughly 797,457 inhabitants in the country, less than half of the population of Los Angeles. There are only two large cities containing over 30,000 individuals: Bata on the mainland, and the capital Malabo on the island Bioko. The remainder of the population is distributed throughout the region in small communities. The majority of the population are children and young adults with very few individuals above the age of 55 as shown by the population distribution graph below. The country's official religion is Christian, and the most popular religion is Roman Catholic. Equatorial Guinea faces a large wealth disparity among their population with roughly 44 percent of citizens below the poverty line.
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languageEquatorial Guinea’s official languages are Spanish and French. Spanish is spoken mainly in government, administration, the media, and education; nonetheless, French along with multiple pidgin languages still appear in urban and semi-casual environments. There are still native languages present that are Bantu in origin including the most popular Fang and Bube, but also spoken are Batanga, Benga, Ngumbi, Seki, Yasa, and Gyele. Education is provided in Spanish at the primary and secondary levels. Additionally, most media such as radio and television shows are broadcast in Spanish.
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Zoe Drewery, Winter 2019