Equatorial Guinea (Republic of Equatorial Guinea)

Equatorial Guinea Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Status	Independent State
Capital	Malabo
Land Area	28 050km21
Location	Africa
Population	0.7m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	57.91yrs (2017)3
GNI	$21 517 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	GQ, GNQ, 2265
Internet Domain	.gq6
Currency	Franc (XAF)7
Telephone	+2408

1. Overview
2. Equatorial Guinea National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

#spain

“Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, and 2008 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“A country of two distinct halves, Equatorial Guinea is a nation divided not only by the sea but also by oil wealth and its attendant issues. Equatorial Guinea´s large reserves of black gold were discovered beneath the ocean´s floor off the coast of Bioko Island in the mid-1990s, and the subsequent industrial development forever changed the island´s landscape, economy and culture. The country´s mainland (Rio Muni), however, is much the same as it has been for centuries.With oil wealth came problems: failed coups, danger money, bushmeat and buckets of oil – you could say Equatorial Guinea has something of a reputation. However, this is also the land of primates with painted faces, soft clouds of butterflies and insects so colourful they belong in the realm of fiction. On the mainland, white beaches, forest paths and junglescapes await. And if the excited beats of Equatorial-Guinea hip hop don´t get you dancing, the architecture will – Gothic cathedrals, ancient wooden churches and butter-coloured homes.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Equatorial Guinea National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133
134	Vanuatu	134
135	Congo, (Brazzaville)	135
136	Equatorial Guinea	135
137	Kiribati	137
138	Laos	138
139	Zambia	139
140	Bangladesh	139
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	84.2
2	Sweden	83.7
3	Finland	83.5
	...
187	Syria	35.7
188	Burundi	35.6
189	Marshall Islands	35.4
190	Equatorial Guinea	34.3
191	Afghanistan	34.2
192	Central African Rep.	34.2
193	Somalia	32.9
194	Congo, DR	32.5
	World Avg	54.1
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#demographics #Equatorial_Guinea #health #immigration #life_expectancy #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
60	Syria	09.0
61	Djibouti	09.1
62	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64	Kiribati	09.5
65	Guatemala	09.5
66	Saudi Arabia	09.5
67	Haiti	09.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
40	Azerbaijan	16.0
41	Bulgaria	16.0
42	Lebanon	15.6
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9
44	Seychelles	14.6
45	New Zealand	14.5
46	Ukraine	14.4
47	Israel	14.0
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
159	Sierra Leone	4.78
160	Guinea-Bissau	4.92
161	Yemen	4.98
162	Equatorial Guinea	5.02
163	Guinea	5.08
164	Liberia	5.08
165	Benin	5.12
166	Angola	5.19
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
147	Guinea-Bissau	1.2
148	Korea, S.	1.1
149	Jamaica	1.1
150	Equatorial Guinea	1.1
151	Maldives	1.0
152	Cameroon	1.0
153	Tonga	0.8
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.7
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
172	Congo, DR	59.06
173	Burkina Faso	59.01
174	Mali	58.47
175	Equatorial Guinea	57.91
176	S. Africa	57.66
177	Burundi	57.12
178	S. Sudan	56.13
179	Cameroon	55.96
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
159	Comoros	0.8m
160	Guyana	0.8m
161	Bhutan	0.8m
162	Equatorial Guinea	0.7m
163	Montenegro	0.6m
164	Solomon Islands	0.6m
165	Suriname	0.5m
166	Luxembourg	0.5m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Equatorial Guinea's population is predicted to rise to 1.102 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 5.02. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#burundi #Equatorial_Guinea #eritrea #france #human_development #human_rights #indonesia #mass_media #peace #politics #slavery

Global Peace Index (2012)18
Pos.		Lower is better18
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
84	Bolivia	2.02
85	Ecuador	2.03
86	Swaziland	2.03
87	Equatorial Guinea	2.04
88	USA	2.06
89	China	2.06
90	Dominican Rep.	2.07
91	Bangladesh	2.07
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)19
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties19
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
130	Ivory Coast	13
131	Afghanistan	13
132	Gambia	13
133	Equatorial Guinea	13
134	Antigua & Barbuda	13
135	Nepal	13
136	Djibouti	13
137	Ethiopia	12
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Press Freedom (2013)20
Pos.		Lower is better20
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
162	Saudi Arabia	5688
163	Uzbekistan	6039
164	Bahrain	6275
165	Equatorial Guinea	6720
166	Djibouti	6740
167	Laos	6799
168	Yemen	6922
169	Sudan	7006
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)21
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
115	Ethiopia	0.61
116	India	0.61
117	Tanzania	0.62
118	Equatorial Guinea	0.64
119	Ukraine	0.64
120	Turkey	0.65
121	Niger	0.67
122	Zimbabwe	0.67
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₂₂. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₂₃. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₄. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₅.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₂₆. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₂₇. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₂₈. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₁, Eritrea₂₁, Indonesia₂₉) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₃₀.

5. Gender Equality

#Equatorial_Guinea #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote31
Pos.		Lower is better Year31
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
141	Kenya	1963
142	Fiji	1963
143	Afghanistan	1963
144	Equatorial Guinea	1963
145	Bahamas	1963
146	Sudan	1964
147	Libya	1964
148	Papua New Guinea	1964
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

6. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₂:

Christian	88.7%
Muslim	4%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.7%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	5%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices₃₃.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₃₄, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Equatorial Guinea states:

“While the constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief, a 1992 presidential decree regulates the exercise of freedom of religion or belief. This decree provides official preference for the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformed Church of Equatorial Guinea. While the decree does not hinder the practice of other religions or beliefs, its preferential effects can be observed in some circumstances; for example, Catholic masses are a normal part of any major ceremonial function₃₅, such as the October 12 National Day and June 5 President's Birthday. In addition, Catholic and Reform church officials are exempt from airport entry and exit taxes.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₃₆

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

7. The Internet

#Equatorial_Guinea #internet #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)37
Pos.		Higher is better37
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
146	Botswana	21%
147	Libya	21%
148	Zimbabwe	21%
149	Equatorial Guinea	21%
150	Lesotho	21%
151	Indonesia	20%
152	Marshall Islands	20%
153	Algeria	20%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)38
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio38
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
158	Aruba	0.0
159	Bahrain	0.0
160	Palau	0.0
161	Equatorial Guinea	0.0
162	Belize	0.0
163	Suriname	0.0
164	Grenada	0.0
165	Gabon	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #Equatorial_Guinea #health #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)39
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100039
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
164	Somalia	103.9
165	Cameroon	104.6
166	Burkina Faso	108.5
167	Equatorial Guinea	108.7
168	Liberia	108.8
169	Zimbabwe	109.7
170	Nigeria	110.6
171	Uganda	111.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)40
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita40
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
96	Cook Islands	6.4
97	Lesotho	6.5
98	Vietnam	6.6
99	Equatorial Guinea	6.6
100	St Vincent & Grenadines	6.6
101	Suriname	6.6
102	China	6.7
103	Italy	6.7
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)41
Pos.		Lower is better Rank41
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
99	Vietnam	99
100	Lesotho	100
101	Tanzania	101
102	Equatorial Guinea	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Venezuela	104
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105
106	Serbia	106
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)42
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %42
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
193	S. Sudan	45.7
194	Equatorial Guinea	36.8
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)43
Pos.		Lower is better43
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
97	Korea, N.	610
98	Fiji	618
99	Cambodia	645
100	Equatorial Guinea	649
101	Singapore	652
102	Bangladesh	665
103	Morocco	671
104	New Zealand	680
	World Avg	819
q=182.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries