Equatorial Guinea - Guinea Equatoriale

Equatorial Guinea
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	Malabo
Government	presidential republic
Currency	Central African CFA Franc (XAF)
Surface	28,051 km²
Inhabitants	676.000 (2009 estimate)
Tongue	Spanish, French is Portuguese
Religion	Christianity (93%), Islam (1%) and the rest atheists or minor religions (2007)
Electricity	220V / 50Hz (European socket)
Prefix	240
TLD	.gq
Time zone	UTC 1
Website	Equatorial Guinea site[link previously not working]

Equatorial Guinea is a state ofCentral Africa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the west and bordering the Cameroon to the north and with the Gabon to the east and south.

To know

Equatorial Guinea is a beautiful state that has a dense forest in the hinterland where you can find numerous villages and cities, and has 2 islands, theBioko Island where is the capital e Annobón a wonderful wild island that has wonderful beaches and a very welcoming population, the whole coast of the country is wonderful. This country has several oil fields which lead it to be the country with the highest per capita African GDP distributed in a totally unfair way due to a ferocious dictatorship. Virtually the entire oil proceeds end up in the absolute dictator's American bank accounts. In Equatorial Guinea there is no civil liberty, there are no rights and as some Italians have also experienced, one can be arrested for any reason and tortured by the police even to death.

Geographical notes

The continental zone, with the exception of a narrow coastal plain, is mountainous. It is crossed by various waterways, the most important of which is the Rio Benito which, coming down from the east, divides it into two parts. The most important continental region is undoubtedly that of Mbini, known as Rio Muni, which extends over 26,000 square kilometers. Its estimated population is 500,000 inhabitants and has very important centers, such as Evinayong and Ebebiyìn. The continental part is very rich in forests, which occupy about 60% of the national territory (2,200,000 hectares of which 400,000 are exploited for forestry). The forest mantle, an important environmental heritage because it protects the region's biodiversity, is in danger. Deforestation is increasing, also due to the increase in agricultural production.The island area includes the islands off the coast of Rio Muni (Corsico, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico), the great Bioko (where the capital is located), located 40 km from the Cameroonian coast and 160 km northeast of the coast of Rio Muni, is Annobón, located in the southwest, 500 km from the continental area and 600 km from theBioko Island. These are volcanic islands, which belong to the submerged ridge which also includes the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe.

When to go

To choose when to visit the country it should be borne in mind that the continental region is characterized by a typically equatorial climate with two dry seasons (the seca from July to mid-September and the sequilla from December to mid-February), while the island region has a more marked and prolonged rainy season (July-late October and March-late April).

Background

Equatorial Guinea, a Spanish colony since 1778, gained independence on 12 October 1968.

Spoken languages

In addition to the three official languages, other minor languages ​​are spoken such as: pidgin English, Fang, Bubi and Ibo.

Territories and tourist destinations

Equatorial Guinea is divided into 7 provinces, which in turn are divided into a total of 18 districts and 30 municipalities.

      Rio Muni - He understands Bata and the entire continental area of ​​26,017 km², equal to 92.75% of the territory.

      Bioko Island - Island in the Gulf of Guinea, includes the capital Malabo. With an area of ​​2017 km² it represents 7.19% of the territory. Located 40 km from the coast of Cameroon.

      Annobón - Small island in the Atlantic betweenSao Tome Island and thePrincipe Island. It is a wild island that has wonderful beaches. With an area of ​​17.5 km² it constitutes only 0.06% of the territory. It is located almost 600 km southwest of Bioko.

National coat of arms

Urban centers

How to get

The island of Annobón

Entry requirements

Passport and VISA. The procedures for obtaining the VISA are quite laborious, first of all move in time as it could take up to 30 days at the Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Rome. In addition to the return ticket, a letter of invitation, the completed form, you will have to produce a certificate of pending charges and documentation that guarantees the return to Italy (such as: the bank statement, the tax return or the last 3 payslips). The VISA costs 100 euros (data updated to 2013).

By plane

The capital Malabo inBioko island has an international airport (IATA: SSG) which, among many others, is also served by the Iberia company with direct flights from Madrid.

How to get around

Transport is generally underdeveloped, and the communication routes are in poor condition.

Better conditions for air transport: in Equatorial Guinea there are 4 airports, including the international one of Malabo.

By car

the road network, of 2,703 kilometers, is extensive but in poor condition.

Taxis are not reliable, so taxi travel is not recommended.

On the train

Railways and subways are absent.

By bus

Even worse is the situation of public transport, which is virtually absent in almost the whole country, and only in Malabo there are companies that manage transport by bus, however there are private means of transport: the so-called "forest taxis" present above all in the continental zone. Given the general lack of electricity in the country, it is normal that trolleybuses and trams are also absent.

What see

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What to do

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Beach of Bioko

Currency and purchases

CEMAC - Map of participating countries CFA Franc - Map of participating countries

The national currency is the CFA franc (XAF). This same currency is used by all states belonging to theEconomic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale - CEMAC). The following states belong to the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon is Chad. Although the Central African CFA Franc (XAF) and the West African CFA Franc (XOF) have always had the same monetary value against other currencies, they are in principle two separate currencies because the competent monetary authorities could change their rate at any time. exchange. Therefore these currencies are "theoretically" accepted only in the countries where they officially circulate. The following states belong to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine - UEMOA): Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal is Togo

UEMOA - Acceding countries map 1 CFA Franc coin

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

At the table

Local cuisine is difficult to try first of all due to the scarcity of restaurants throughout the region (the ones that do serve European cuisine). Obviously on the islands fish is served as a main course and the accompanying sauces have a strong character that accompanies the taste of the meat. Many times, however, you will be offered grilled local fish.

Drinks

Try malamba, the local drink made from cane sugar, good and cheap, or palm wine, which is usually distilled directly in the places where you will have the opportunity to drink it.

Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

National holidays

Safety

In the cities of Malabo is Bata there is an increase in common crime, in this regard carry only small amounts of cash and avoid exhibiting valuables.

Health situation

The availability of drugs is scarce and health facilities are inadequate.

The country is at high risk of malaria, so prophylaxis and vaccinations against typhoid and hepatitis A and B are recommended.

It is advisable to wash the vegetables carefully and to drink water without adding ice.

Respect the customs

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How to keep in touch

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Equatorial Guinea
• Commons contains images or other files on Equatorial Guinea
• Wikinews contains current news on Equatorial Guinea