About
History
The territories that constitute the current Republic of Equatorial Guinea did not have any close relations before the colonisation. In the 15th century, the Pygmy and the Bubis population established themselves at the Island of Boko. The Benga clans inhabited the Island of Corisco. The continental area was occupied by different sociocultural.
In the 15th century, European powers began the colonisation of countries in America and Africa. The Portuguese explorer, Fernando Pó, discover the island of Bioko in 1471. The Portuguese colonized the islands of Bioko, Annobón and Corisco in 1494 and this region became a center for traffic of slaves. From the 15th to the 17th century, the region was mainly exploited by Portugal. After the treaties of San Ildefonso (1777) and el Pardo (1778) were signed between Portugal and Spain, the islands became Spanish possession. At the beginning of the 19th century, the United Kingdom settled in Bioko to fight against slavery trafficking. The region was divided among areas that were autonomous from one another, however, they were still governed by Spain.
In 1926, Spain decided to merge all of its colonies, creating the so-called Colony of Spanish Guinea. During this period, Spain developed cacao plantations on the Island of Bioko using Nigerian workers as labor force. Only in 1959, the island and the continental areas of the Colony were granted the status of Spanish provinces and were denominated as Spanish Equatorial Region. In this same year, the first local elections to the courts occurred and the first Equatoguinean officials were elected. In the following years, in 1963, Spain submitted an autonomy referendum to the population which was approved by the majority of Equatoguinean provinces. Hence, these territories were granted autonomy and the name changed officially to Equatorial Guinea. After suffering pressure from the United Nations and the Equatoguinean nationalists, Spain agreed to concede independence to Equatorial Guinea. In August of 1968, the Constitution of Equatorial Guinea was approved by a popular referendum. In the following month, Francisco Macías Nguema Ndong Biyogo was elected as the first president.
On 12 October 1968, the independence of the new Republic of Equatorial Guinea was proclaimed. From 1970, the new republic started to experience the gradual establishment of a dictatorship under Macías’ rule. In 1972, several laws passed enabling Macías to become president for life. In the subsequent year, a new constitution was adopted which guaranteed that the United National Workers Party (PUNT) as the unique party and Macías as the absolute leader. The Macías’ regime conducted several human rights violations, such as the disappearance of leaders of the political opposition. However, in 1979, a coup d’état led by Lieutenant Colonel Teodoro Obiang ended the Macías’ regime. Between 1979 and 1982, Teodoro Obiang and allied members led the country. In 1982, a new constitution was approved by referendum establishing a presidential government. In 1989, Obiang was reelected. There were some attempts of coup d’état, however, they never succeed. The last elections were in 2016 and Teodoro Obiang remained as the president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Geography
The territory includes three distinct regions:
- The Rio Muni, the continental zone, vast 26 017 km², equal to 92.75% of the territory. It is located between Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south.
- The Island of Bioko, with an area of 2 017 km², accounts for 7.19% of the territory. Located 40 km from the coast of Cameroon.
- The Island of Annobón, with an area of 17.5 km², makes up only 0.06% of the territory. It is located almost 600 km southwest of Bioko.
Morphology
The continental zone, except for a narrow coastal plain, is mountainous. It is crossed by several rivers, the most important of which is the Rio Benito which, descending from the east, divides it into two parts. The most important continental region is undoubtedly that of Mbini, known as Rio Muni, which extends over 26,000 square kilometers. Its estimated population is 500 000 inhabitants and has very important centers, such as Evinayong and Ebebiyìn. The continental part is very rich in forests, which occupy about 60% of the national territory (2 200 000 ha of which 400 000 are exploited for silviculture). The forest cover, an important environmental heritage because it protects the biodiversity of the region, is in danger. Deforestation is increasing, also due to the increase in agricultural production.
The island area includes the islands facing the coast of Rio Muni (Corsico, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico), the great Bioko (where the capital is located), located 40 km from the Cameroonian coast and 160 km northeast of the coast of Rio Muni, and Annobón, located southwest, 500 km from the mainland and 600 km from Bioko. These are volcanic islands, which belong to the submerged ridge which also includes the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The climate is tropical with an average annual temperature of about 25 ° C and precipitation that does not exceed 2 005 mm.
Hydrography
The main water catchment area of continental Equatorial Guinea is the the Rio Mbini; the river, which borns in the near Gabon, crosses the country from east to west until it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, the final stretch of the river Ntem marks the border with Cameroon, some northern rivers of Equatorial Guinea are affluent. In the south there is the basin of the Rio Muni that is a wide estuary that flows on the border with Gabon and collects rivers of both countries. Other minor rivers flow directly into the Atlantic.
Climate
The climate is strongly influenced by the proximity to the equator: the temperatures are high and constant, heavy rains (1 500 mm / year in the center rising in coastal areas) and high relative humidity (80-85%). The continental region is characterized by a typically equatorial climate with two dry seasons (the seca from July to mid-September and the sequilla from December to mid-February). The island region has a more marked and prolonged rainy season (July-late October and March-late April).
Demographics
The estimated 2018 population of Equatorial Guinea is 1.31 million, which ranks 163rd in the world. The country has a low population density of just 24 people per square kilometer (63/square mile).
Most people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin. The Fang are the largest ethnic group and indigenous to the mainland, but migration to Bioko Island in recent years has allowed the Fang population to surpass that of the earlier Bubi inhabitants. 86% of the population is Fang, with 67 separate clans. The Bubi, who account for 7% of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island.
Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest and least populated countries in continental Africa and is the only independent African country where Spanish is an official language. Despite a boom in oil production in the 1990s, authoritarianism, corruption, and resource mismanagement have concentrated the benefits among a small elite. These practices have perpetuated income inequality and unbalanced development, such as low public spending on education and health care. Unemployment remains problematic because the oil-dominated economy employs a small labor force dependent on skilled foreign workers. The agricultural sector, Equatorial Guinea’s main employer, continues to deteriorate because of a lack of investment and the migration of rural workers to urban areas. About three-quarters of the population lives below the poverty line.
Equatorial Guinea’s large and growing youth population – about 60% are under the age of 25 – is particularly affected because job creation in the non-oil sectors is limited, and young people often do not have the skills needed in the labor market.
The regime that rules Equatorial Guinea is considered one of the very worst in the world in terms of human rights, with human trafficking a growing problem. Despite this, the country's population continues to grow rapidly. Equatorial Guinea is currently growing at a rate of 2.8% per year, which is expected to continue in the years to come.
Demographic Data – 2017
| Population | 778,358 (July 2017 est.) |
Age structure |
0-14 years: 39.81% (male 157,388/female 152,469) |
Dependency ratios |
total dependency ratio: 67.5 |
Median age |
total: 19.8 years |
Population growth rate |
2.44% (2017 est.) |
Birth rate |
32.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
Death rate |
7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
Net migration rate |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
Urbanization |
urban population: 40.3% of total population (2017) |
Major cities - population |
MALABO (capital) 145,000 (2014) |
Languages
During many years, the main languages were Spanish (adopted in 1844) and French. Spanish is the language of education and administration. More than two third of the population can speak it, especially in the capital, Malabo. Portuguese was adopted as an official language in 2010. This effort of the government was made to improve communication, trade and bilateral relations with Portuguese-speaking countries. French has only become an official language to allow Equatorial Guinea to join the Francophonie but it's not widely spoken.
Aboriginal languages are recognised as integral parts of "national culture". Indigenous languages include Fang, Bube, Benga, Ndowe, Belengue, bujeba, Bissio, Gumu, Igbo, Pichinglis, Fa d'Ambo and Baseke. Most African ethnic groups speak Bantu languages.
Spanish is spoken by about 90% of its inhabitants, Portuguese spoken by about 7.5% of the population and French spoken by some 2.5% of the population.
Spanish is taught in schools and used by the media as a means of communication common to Bioko island and the mainland, and is widely used for inter-ethnic communication.
French became a compulsory subject in schools in 1988 as a result of the country’s close economic association with Francophone countries which began in 1983. In the ethnic communication in the mainland, French occasionally surfaces among some inhabitants when there are numerous natives of the countries of Cameroon and Gabon where tens of thousands of Guineans took refuge during the dark days of the dictatorial rule of Macias. It was during that time when they learned the fundamentals of French.
Portuguese was made as the country’s third official language in 2007 to help the country to qualify for full membership in the Community of Portuguese Language countries and apparently to strengthen its relations with the Portuguese government.
Religion
Religion plays a large part in national life, with 93% of the population describing themselves as Christian, mostly practicing Roman Catholics. Under the regime of Francisco Macías Nguema, most churches were closed by presidential order in 1975, and the Roman Catholic Church was banned in 1978. These orders were rescinded following the coup that brought Obiang to power in 1979, but many denominations, notably Jehovah’s Witnesses, were proscribed once again in 1986. There is a small but significant population of Sunni Muslims. Indigenous languages and beliefs still have a role in modern life, particularly for ethnic groups.
Aboriginal languages such as Fang, Bube, Enga, Ndowe and others are seen as an integral part of the national culture that must be preserved. For example, the Mbwiti cult on the mainland, banned by the Spanish authorities, still has adherents. The elaborate funeral rites of Bubis show their belief in the hereafter (life after death) and in reincarnation (return to life in another form). Villagers announce a death by drumming on a hollow log at dawn and at dusk when the community observes a moment of silence. Someone reads the most important accomplishments of the person who has died. No work except the most basic tasks (such as digging yams for the daily meal) may be performed until the funeral is over.
An elder of the village chooses women who will wash the corpse and embalm it with a red cream. All adults except pregnant women participate in ceremonies of singing and dancing, and accompany the corpse to the gravesite. The mourners sacrifice a male goat and pour its blood over the corpse during the trip to the cemetery. The corpse is then placed in the fetal position in the grave so that it may be born again. Family members leave personal objects for the dead person to use for daily labor in the hereafter. Even if valuable objects are left in the grave, they are not often stolen. Grave robbers are punished by amputation (cutting off) of their hands. After burial, mourners plant a branch of a sacred tree on the grave.
