equatorial guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Middle Africa. [1]
Children play a skipping game in front of cathedral built during colonial times in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, August 25, 2002. [2]
The colony became known as Spanish Guinea, and it gained independence from Spain in 1968. [3]
In the 18th century, the Portuguese ceded land to the Spanish that included Equatorial Guinea. [4]
Country, on the western coast of equatorial Africa and including Bioko Island. [3]
Elobey Grande is an island of Equatorial Guinea, lying at the mouth of the Mit?m?l? River. [1]
The Bubi group comprises about 50,000 people living mainly in Bioko Island. [2]
Equatorial Guinea has one of the worst human rights records in the world, consistently ranking among the “worst of the worst” in Freedom House ’s annual survey of political and civil rights and Reporters Without Borders ranks President Obiang among its “predators” of press freedom. [5]
It is also the most prosperous, however the wealth is concentrated in government and elite hands, with 70% of the population living under the United Nations Poverty Threshold of $2/day. [1]
The name of the country was changed to Equatorial Guinea. [2]
In July 2007, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema announced his government’s decision for Portuguese to become Equatorial Guinea’s third official language, in order to meet one of the requirements to apply for full membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the other one being political reforms allowing for effective democracy and the respect for human rights. [5]
The 195-kilometer (120-mi.) coastline is steep and rugged in the south but lower and more accessible in the north, with excellent harbors at Malabo and Luba, and several scenic beaches between those towns. [2]
Malabo is the capital and the largest city. [3]
Many guest workers from other African countries are drawn to service industry jobs boosted by the country’s oil boom. [2]
The President reappointed Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang and installed a new government in Equatorial Guinea on January 12, 2010. [5]
Sources:
[1] Equatorial Guinea: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article
[2] Equatorial Guinea
[3] Equatorial Guinea: Definition from Answers.com
[4] Equatorial Guinea: History, Geography, Government, and Culture …
[5] Equatorial Guinea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia