Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,
is a state in Central Africa. It borders Cameroon and Gabon. Washed
by the Gulf of Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea consists of two
parts: mainland (Rio Muni - 26 thousand km²) and island (Bioko
Islands - 2 thousand km², Korisko, Annobon, Greater Elobei, Lesser
Elobei, etc.). The capital is currently the city of Malabo on the
island of Bioko, a new capital is being built on the continent,
Ciudad de la Paz. The population of the country according to the
2015 census (according to preliminary data) was 1,222,442 people. It
is the only sovereign state in Africa whose official language is
Spanish (along with French).
Oil fields and foreign
investment have helped make Equatorial Guinea one of Africa's
richest and most stable countries with the 6th highest HDI, and the
highest GDP per capita (nominal) (excluding the island state of
Seychelles) and the highest GDP per capita (PPP) in Africa
(excluding the island nations of Seychelles and Mauritius). Since
the 1990s, the state has become a major oil exporter, due to which
its GDP per capita has risen to the first position in continental
Africa. However, oil revenues are distributed extremely unevenly: a
significant part of the population does not even have constant
access to clean water, and child mortality in the country remains at
a high level: up to 20% of children die before they reach the age of
five. According to the Human Development Index, it is in 138th place
in the world (2015).
During the colonial period, the territory of the country was occupied by Spanish Guinea. In 1959, Spanish possessions in the Gulf of Guinea received the status of overseas territories of Spain under the name "Equatorial region of Spain" and were divided into the provinces of Fernando Po and Rio Muni. In December 1963, they were merged into "Equatorial Guinea", which was granted limited autonomy. In 1968, Spain granted independence to Equatorial Guinea. The name was adopted due to the country's location in the geographic region of Lower Guinea and its proximity to the equator.
The early history of the country is poorly studied. By the time European colonization began, the main inhabitants of this territory were the Pygmy, Fang and Bubi tribes (the Bantu language family).
In 1472, a
Portuguese expedition under the command of Captain Fernando Po
discovered an island in the Gulf of Guinea called Fernando Po (now Bioko
Island). The colonization of the island by the Portuguese began in 1592.
In 1642-1648, Holland tried to take possession of the island.
In
1778, under the Treaty of El Pardo, Portugal ceded the island and
territory of Río Muni on the continent to Spain. However, the Spanish
expedition sent to Rio Muni was destroyed by the local Bubi tribe.
At the beginning of the 19th century (1827), the British captured
the island of Fernando Po, founding the city of Clarence Town there (now
the capital of Equatorial Guinea, the city of Malabo). In 1843, the
Spaniards conquered the island of Fernando Po, and in 1856 they
conquered the territory of Rio Muni. The Bubi tribe was pushed back into
the mountains.
The Bubi tribe tried to destroy the Spanish
colonialists in 1898, in Rio Muni, and then, in 1906, on the island of
Fernando Po. Both uprisings were put down by the Spanish.
In
1926, Spanish Guinea was created by uniting the colonies of Rio Muni,
Bioko and Elobei, Annobón and Corisco into a single structure. Spain was
not interested in developing the infrastructure of the colony, but laid
out large cocoa plantations on the island of Bioko, where thousands of
workers were brought from Nigeria.
In 1959, Fernando Po and Río
Muni were declared overseas provinces of Spain under the name
"Equatorial Region of Spain". In December 1963, Spanish Guinea was
granted limited internal autonomy.
Under pressure from the liberation movement and the United Nations, in
March 1968 Spain agreed to begin the process of decolonization; an
independent republic was proclaimed on 12 October. On August 1, 1968, a
referendum was held in the country, as a result of which 63% of voters
voted for a new constitution. Francisco Macías Nguema Biyogo became the
first president.
In July 1970, all parties and organizations were
dissolved by presidential decree and the United National Party of
Workers was created, which included the entire adult population of the
country. In foreign policy, Nguema tried to maneuver between the West
and the USSR, but eventually broke off relations with Spain and the
United States (in 1970) and partially reoriented towards the socialist
countries. In 1972, he was proclaimed president for life of the country.
As part of the "authenticity" campaign (replacing Spanish colonial names
of geographical features with African ones), the capital of Santa Isabel
was renamed Malabo, and the island of Fernando Po in 1973 was renamed
the island of Macias Nguema Biyogo. Under the leadership of the
president, whose behavior began to show signs of dementia by the end of
the 70s, the country came to a political and economic collapse.
On August 3, 1979, a military coup took place in the country led by the
dictator's nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the country's former
deputy defense minister. Macías Nguema was charged with 80,000 murders;
he was found guilty of 500 murders and sentenced to death. Since the
population of Equatorial Guinea believed that Macias was a sorcerer and
had supernatural powers, none of the soldiers agreed to take part in the
execution - a platoon of Moroccan mercenaries had to be specially called
in to carry out the execution.
The island of Macias Nguema Biyogo
was once again renamed to the island of Bioko.
In October 1979, a
significant part of the nationalized property (plantations, enterprises,
shops, etc.) was returned to the former owners. In November 1979,
freedom of private enterprise was proclaimed. Relations with Spain and
the United States were soon restored. In 1982, a new constitution was
adopted, declaring political freedoms; offshore oil production began in
1991.
However, in the 1990s, there were mass arrests of
opposition figures, many were killed, and a virtual one-party
dictatorship was established, in which the president is invariably
re-elected in unfree elections with rates close to 100% of the vote (the
lowest result was in 2016: 93%). Nepotism and corruption flourishes;
Forbes estimates the head of state's fortune at $600 million. The
President, as in his time and his predecessor, who was overthrown, is
given divine honors.
In the 2000s, there were at least two coup
attempts in Equatorial Guinea.
In the 2010s, the government of
the country began the construction of a new capital on the site of the
city of Oyala. The new capital was named Ciudad de la Paz.
The mainland of Equatorial Guinea - Rio
Muni - highlands 600-900 m high, along the coast of the Atlantic
Ocean - a low plain. The volcanic island of Bioko belongs to the
Cameroon line, the highest point is Mount Pico Basile (3011 m).
The climate is equatorial, constantly humid. Average monthly
temperatures are +24…+28 °C. Precipitation - more than 2000 mm per
year.
The river network is dense and deep. The rivers are
rapids, navigable only in the lower reaches.
Vegetation -
moist equatorial forests. More than 150 valuable species of trees
grow - oil and coconut palms, breadfruit, ironwood, okume, etc.
The animal world is rich and varied - various types of monkeys,
elephants, leopards, antelopes, gazelles, etc. There are many
snakes, birds, insects, and arachnids.
Republic. The head of state is the president; elected by the
population for a 7-year term, the number of terms is not limited.
The next elections were held on April 24, 2016, Teodoro Obiang
Nguema Mbasogo, who has been ruling the country continuously since
1979, was again declared the winner (with 93.7% of the vote).
Parliament - a unicameral House of People's Representatives of
100 deputies elected for 5 years.
Political parties
(according to the results of the elections in May 2008 and May
2013):
Democratic Party (headed by Teodoro Obiang Nguema
Mbasogo) - 99 seats in parliament;
United Party for Social
Democracy - 1 seat in Parliament.
A number of parties operate
underground.
The National Guard is the basis
of the armed forces of the army of Equatorial Guinea. In its ranks
there are about 1.3 thousand people (1100 people - ground forces,
100 people - air force).
In service: BRDM-2 - 6 pieces,
BTR-152 - 10 pieces. There are 4 Su-25s and an An-72 transport
aircraft.
Transport aircraft and helicopters: Yak-40 - 1
piece, CASA C-212 - 3 pieces, Cessna-337 - 1 piece, SA-316 Alouette
III - 2 pieces.
The military budget of Equatorial Guinea is
0.1% of GDP.