Country Guide • Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea was formerly known as Spanish Guinea. It consists of Río Muni on the western coast of Africa, and several islands in the Gulf of Guinea, the largest of which is Bioko.
Official Name | Republic of Equatorial Guinea |
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Area | 28,051km² (10,830mile²) |
Population | 510,350 |
Continent | Africa |
Population per mile² | 47 |
Capital City | Malabo |
Religions | 89% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestants and Muslims. The remainder follow local native tribal beliefs |
Language | Both Spanish and French are the official languages |
Government | Republic |
Currency | Cfa Franc |
GDP | $1.04 billion |
GDP per Head | $2,100 |
Natural Resources | Oil and petroleum, timber, gold, manganese and uranium |
Land Use | Arable Land 5% |
Agriculture | Coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts, livestock and timber |
Industry | Petroleum, fishing, timber, natural gas and cocoa |
Tourism | This is a poor country, but with its newly found oil reserves may have a change of fortune in the future. Much of the country is covered by forest but there are beautiful beaches along the coastline |
Natural Hazards | Tornadoes and Windstorms |
Health Risks | You will be asked to produce a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival. Failure to do so will result in a further vaccination being administered for which a charge is made. You will require also require immunisations (and, often, proof of this) against cholera, tetanus, typhoid, meningitis, polio and hepatitis A. You'll also need to guard against giardia, dysentry, fungal infections, rabies, tuberculosis, bilharzia, diphtheria, malaria, typhus and a whole textbook of other water-, insect- and air-borne diseases. HIV/AIDS is also prevalent |
Climate | As the name suggests Equatorial Guinea has an equatorial climate which is hot and humid. On Rio Muni the wet and dry season alternate, with the wet season from June to August and the dry season from December to February. Average annual rainfall varies from 76 inches at Malabo to a staggering 36 feet) at Ureka on Bioko. Average temperature ranges in Malabo are from 21°C (70°F) to 32°C (90°F) all year |
Time | GMT/UTC+1 hour |
National Days | October 12 |
Visas | All visitors to Equatorial Guinea require a visa, which is usually valid for 30 days |
British Embassy | Embassy Details |
Information Only
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