Fast Facts
- Population:
- 504,000
- Capital:
- Malabo; 95,000
- Area:
- 28,051 square kilometers (10,831 square miles)
- Language:
- Spanish, French, pidgin English
- Religion:
- Roman Catholic, pagan practices
- Currency:
- CFA franc
- Life Expectancy:
- 54
- GDP per Capita:
- U.S. $2,700
- Literacy Percent:
- 86
Equatorial Guinea Facts Flag
Map
A small country on the west coast of central Africa, Equatorial Guinea comprises the mainland territory of Río Muni (where most people live) and five volcanic islands. The largest island is Bioko on which the country's capital, Malabo, is located. After independence from Spain in 1968, Equatorial Guinea fell under the rule of Francisco Macías Nguema, who plunged the nation into ruin. He was overthrown and executed in 1979. President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo continues the dictatorship, and there is widespread civil unrest over flawed elections. New oil wealth masks stagnation in the rest of the economy and widespread poverty.
ECONOMY
- Industry: Petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
- Agriculture: Coffee, cocoa, rice, yams; livestock; timber
- Exports: Petroleum, methanol, timber, cacao
—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition
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