Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea

AREA	28,051 sq km (10,830 sq miles).
POPULATION	410,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	14.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Malabo
CAPITAL POPULATION	40,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY	Equatorial Guinea is bordered to the south and east by Gabon, to the north by Cameroon and to the west by the Gulf of Guinea. The country also comprises the island of Bioko, formerly Fernando Poo, 34km (21 miles) off the coast of Cameroon, and the small offshore islands of Corisco, Great Elobey, Small Elobey and Annobón (formerly Pagalu). The mainland province, Rió Muni, is mainly forest, with plantations on the coastal plain and some mountains. Bioko rises steeply to two main peaks in the north and south. The southern area is rugged and inaccessible. Cultivation and settlements exist on the other slopes; above the farming land, the forest is thick. The beaches around the islands are extremely beautiful.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Declared independence from Spain in 1968. Head of State: President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasugo since 1979. Head of Government: Prime Minister Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan since 1996.
LANGUAGE	Spanish is the official language. Some French is also spoken. The main African dialects spoken are Fang and Bubi (which is common on Bioko).
RELIGION	No official religion, but the vast majority are Roman Catholic, with an Animist minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1.
ELECTRICITY	220/240 volts AC.

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