Equatorial Guinea
Updated: Oct 1, 2022
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Country Name
Equatorial Guinea, or officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Location
Equatorial Guinea is a country located on the west coast of Central Africa. It is bordering the Atlantic Ocean between Cameroon and Gabon, it shares maritime borders with Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe. Equatorial Guinea is composed of five inhabited islands plus its part on the African mainland: Río Muni.
Capital
Malabo.
The reason for naming the country
Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea.
Flag
The current flag of Equatorial Guinea was adopted on August 21, 1979. Equatorial Guinea achieved independence from Spain on October 12, 1968, and adopted a national flag on the same day. The flag of Equatorial Guinea consists of three equal horizontal stripes, the top stripe is green, the middle one is white, and the bottom stripe is red. On the left side of the flag, there is a light blue triangle. In the center of the white stripe is Equatorial Guinea's coat of arms. The green color represents the country's agricultural wealth, the white represents peace, and the red stands for Equatorial Guinea's struggle for independence, The blue triangle represents the sea. The stars represent the mainland and the islands of Equatorial Guinea.
Language
For years, the official languages were Spanish and French. Portuguese was also adopted as an official language in 2010. Spanish has been an official language since 1844. It is still the language of education and administration. Aboriginal languages are recognized as essential parts of the "national culture". Indigenous languages include Fang, Bube, Benga, Ndowe, Balengue, Bujeba, Bissio, Gumu, Igbo, Pichinglis, Fa d'Ambô, and the nearly extinct Baseke. Most African ethnic groups speak Bantu languages.
Religion
Christianity is the religion of the majority in Equatorial Guinea. The majority of Christians are Roman Catholic, while a minority are Protestants 2% of the population follows Islam mainly Sunni. The remaining 5% practice Animism, Bahá'í Faith, and other beliefs.
Currency
Central African CFA franc (XAF).
Time Zone
+01:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary dominant-party presidential constitutional republic.
Climate
In Equatorial Guinea, the climate is tropical, hot, and humid all year round, with a slightly cooler period from June to September, when the southwest currents prevail. The temperatures are higher from January to May and lower from July to September when they drop to around 27/28 °C in the continental part and remain slightly higher on the islands. The rains are plentiful, but the rainfall pattern on the mainland is the opposite of that of the island of Bioko.
International Phone Code
+240
Internet Code
.gq