Geography

Equatorial Guinea covers a total land area of 10,831 square miles (28,051 square kilometers). The mainland region, called Río Muni, is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea separates Río Muni from the islands of Bioko, Corisco, Great Elobey, Little Elobey, and Annobon.

Río Muni has coastal hills and inland plateaus. It is crossed by the Benito River, which runs generally from east to west. The coast consists of a long stretch of beach with low cliffs. Bioko Island is made up of three extinct volcanic cones. It has several crater lakes and rich lava soil. One of the extinct volcanoes, Santa Isabel Peak, rises to an elevation of 9,869 feet (3,008 meters). Both Río Muni and Bioko have a humid tropical climate and a modest dry season.

Plants and animals

The mainland region has dense tropical rain forest vegetation, including the okume tree, African walnut tree, and various types of mahogany trees. Bioko has mangrove swamps along the coast. Animal life, including gorillas, chimpanzees, leopards, elephants, and crocodiles, has been hurt by overhunting.

People and culture

The Bantu-speaking Fang people form the majority of the population of Equatorial Guinea. The largest group on Bioko is the Bubi, descendants of Bantu migrants from the mainland. In addition to these two main groups, there are a number of smaller Bantu-speaking tribes along the coast of the mainland. Spanish and French are the official languages. Some 90 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, but the Bubi people on Bioko practice traditional forms of worship. About half the population lives in cities, the largest of which is the capital, Malabo.

Equatorial Guinea's culture mixes influences from Africa and Europe. The culture of mainland Equatorial Guinea retains many traditional practices of the Fang people, famed for their oral literature and their simple wood carvings and masks.

Economy

Since the 1990s Equatorial Guinea's economy has been based primarily on oil production. Before oil was discovered off its coast in the early 1980s, however, the country relied mostly on farming and forestry, and both continue to play important roles in the economy. The chief crops are cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, coconuts, cocoa, and coffee. Oil, wood, and cocoa are exported to other countries.

History

The area that is now Equatorial Guinea has been inhabited for hundreds of years. The first Europeans to explore the region were the Portuguese. They formally claimed the island of Bioko, which they called Fernando Po, in 1494.

In the 18th century, Spain took control of Equatorial Guinea. It was a stopping point for slave traders and British, German, Dutch, and French merchants. Spain did not occupy the mainland until 1926, and they allowed the British to use Fernando Po from 1827 to 1858.

Equatorial Guinea declared its independence from Spain in 1968. The first president was Francisco Macías Nguema. He led a reign of terror during which hundreds of citizens were killed and thousands fled the country. Nguema was overthrown in 1979 and later executed, but the leader who replaced him was also criticized. He treated his opponents harshly, though he did allow elections to be held. The discovery of oil at the end of the 20th century provided a much-needed boost to the country's economy. Population (2001 estimate), 486,000.