The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Middle Africa. The country is made up of two parts: a continental Region and an insular region. The total area covered by the country is 10,830 square miles and the estimated population is 676,000.
Before the arrival of the Bantu migration in the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, Equatorial Guinea was initially inhabited by pygmies. The Portuguese also came to the country and introduced the native Annobon. In 1778, Spain took over the territory and ruled until the United Kingdom came to the island in the early nineteenth century(1827-1843). In 1900, the region was made a colony and on October 12, 1968, the region was declared independent. Francisco Macias Nguema was made the first president of the nation.
For administrative purposes, Equatorial Guinea is divided into seven provinces that are further divided into districts. The provinces are:
- Annobon Province
- Bioko Norte Province
- Bioko Sur Province
- Centro Sur Province
- Kie-Ntem Province
- Litoral Province
- Wele-Nzas Province
Spanish, French, and Portuguese are the major languages spoken in the country. Many indigenous languages like Fang, Bube, Igbo, Benga, Ndowe, Pichinglis, Bujeba, Balengue, Bissio, and Gumu are also spoken.
Christianity is the dominant religion of the country with Roman Catholicism being the largest denomination followed by Protestants. There are also a number of Muslims and members of the Bahai faith in Equatorial Guinea.
Owing to the large oil reserves, the economy of Equatorial Guinea depends on oil production. As of 2004 estimate, the country is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fishing and forestry are the other major industries.
Last Updated : July 25 ,2015
The official flag of Equatorial Guinea was adopted on August 21, 1979. Flag of Equatorial Guinea is a horizontal tricolor, with green, white and red stripes and a blue triangle at the hoist.
Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Lat Long1.5000° N, 10.0000° E
Area10,830 Sq mi (28,050 Sq Km)
Population676,000 (2009 Est.)
Major ReligionChristianity and Islam
National DayOctober 12, 1968 (From Spain)
Form of GovernmentDictatorship, Unitary state, Presidential system, Republic
PresidentTeodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Vice PresidentIgnacio Milam Tang (1st) Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue (2nd)
Prime MinisterVicente Ehate Tomi
CurrencyCentral African CFA franc (XAF)
GDP17.7 billion USD (2012)
Time ZoneWAT (UTC+1)