EQUATORIAL GUINEA

officially Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Spanish Repblica de Guinea Ecuatorial republic on the west coast of equatorial Africa, covering a total land area of 10,830 square miles (28,051 square km), including the island of Bioko (Fernando Po). Bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south, Equatorial Guinea's continental region, called Ro Muni, is separated by the Bight of Biafra (the innermost bay of the Gulf of Guinea) from the country's main island area of Bioko to the northwest. The capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel), is on Bioko. The population in 1990 was estimated to be 351,000. officially Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Spanish Repblica de Guinea Ecuatorial, country located on the west coast of Africa. It consists of Ro Muni (also called Mbini), on the continent, and five islands: Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), Corisco, Great Elobey (Elobey Grande), Little Elobey (Elobey Chico), and Annobn. A fragmented country, it has a total area of 10,830 square miles (28,051 square kilometres). The capital of the republic is Malabo on Bioko. Bata is the administrative capital of the mainland. Continental Equatorial Guinea, with an area of 10,045 square miles, is a roughly rectangular territory bounded by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south. Of the small islands near the continental coast, Corisco measures six square miles, and Great and Little Elobey together are less than a square mile. Bioko, off the coast of Cameroon, has an area of 779 square miles. Annobn, a volcanic island, has an area less than seven square miles and lies south of the equator almost 400 miles (640 kilometres) to the southwest of Bioko. Equatorial Guinea is beset by regional differences, geographic isolation, a fragile economy, and a lack of trained personnel, in part a legacy from the colonial era. Formerly a colony of Spain with the name Spanish Guinea, the country achieved its independence on Oct. 12, 1968. Additional reading Max Liniger-Goumaz, Small Is Not Always Beautiful (1988; originally published in French, 1986), and La Guine quatoriale (1979), and Historical Dictionary of Equatorial Guinea, 2nd ed. (1988), are authoritative. Ren Plissier, tudes hispano-guinennes (1969), is the only detailed study of the preindependence era. See also Suzanne Cronj, Equatorial Guinea, the Forgotten Dictatorship (1976); Akinjide Osuntokun, Equatorial GuineaNigerian Relations (1978); and Alejandro Artucio, The Trial of Macas in Equatorial Guinea (1979). Further bibliographic information is found in Max Liniger-Goumaz, Guinea Ecuatorial (1974), and periodic supplements. Ronald James Harrison-Church Administration and social conditions Government According to the constitution of 1982, the system of government is presidential, and all governing bodies are elected by universal adult suffrage. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president and is responsible to him. The president is selected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term. The State Council includes the chairman of the House of Representatives, the president of the Supreme Tribunal, and the minister of defense. The Supreme Tribunal in Malabo is the highest judicial authority. There are also territorial high courts and courts of the first instance in Malabo and Bata. In March 1970 all the political parties that existed before independence were merged into a Single National Party, which later changed its name to the Single National Party of Workers. The party was abolished after the coup of 1979, but exiled Equatorial Guineans formed several opposition parties. In 1983, elections were held for membership in the 41-member House of Representatives. The president chose all candidates and each position was uncontested. In 1987 a new government party, the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), was formed. Some exiles were allowed to return in 1988, and a presidential election was envisaged. Education Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of six and 14, but only about half of the children attend school. The primary and secondary levels each consist of six years of schooling. Facilities for higher education are provided through Spanish assistance at Bata and Malabo. Efforts have been made to improve educational opportunities, but illiteracy remains a problem; only about one-third of the population is literate. Cultural life Despite a veneer of Spanish culture and of Roman Catholic religion that is thicker in Bioko than on the mainland, Equatorial Guineans live largely according to ancient customs, which have undergone a revival since independence. Among the Fang of the mainland, witchcraft, traditional music (in which the Fang harp, the xylophone, the great drums, and the wooden trumpet are used), and storytelling survive. Spanish aid is much oriented to educational and health services. Among the Bubi farmers of Bioko, some ancient customs are still followed. Ren Plissier Ronald James Harrison-Church