Equatorial Guinea Overview
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a small country in Central Africa that has a mainland region and an insular region, which consists of the Bioko islands in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobon, a volcanic island.
There are only two cities in the country with a population of more than 30,000: Bata (estimated at 180,000) and the capital, Malabo (estimated at 165,000).
Equatorial Guinea Demographics
Most people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin. The Fang are the largest ethnic group and indigenous to the mainland, but migration to Bioko Island in recent years has allowed the Fang population to surpass that of the earlier Bubi inhabitants. 86% of the population is Fang, with 67 separate clans. The Bubi, who account for 7% of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island.
There are also coastal ethnic groups in Equatorial Guinea, including the Combes, Bujebas, Balengues and Bengas on the mainland and smaller islands and the Fernandinos on Bioko Island. These groups make up 5% of the total population.
There is a fairly large population of Europeans, primarily of Portuguese and Spanish descent, many of whom are mixed with local African ethnicities. Many Spaniards in the country left after it gained independence. There is a population of Asians, mostly from China, as well as some Indians and a group of Israelis.
Interestingly, Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa with Spanish as the official language.