198 TILG Equatorial Guinea

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Equatorial Guinea is a small country on the west coast of Africa which struck oil in 1995 and which is now being cited as a textbook case of the resource curse - or the paradox of plenty.

It is made up of a mainland territory called Rio Muni, and five islands including Bioko, where the capital Malabo is located.

Since the mid 1990s the former Spanish colony has become one of sub-Sahara's biggest oil producers but a large proportion of the population still lives in poverty.

Rights organisations have described the two post-independence leaders as among the worst abusers of human rights in Africa.

The first president Francisco Macias Nguema's reign of terror - from independence in 1968 until his overthrow in 1979 - prompted a third of the population to flee.

The Beautiful Equatorial Guinea You Have to Visit to appreciate

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Capital: The Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Population 740,000
Area 28,051 sq km (10,830 sq miles)
Major languages Spanish, French
Religion Christianity
Life expectancy 54 years (men), 57 years (women)
Currency CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc

TRAVEL & ECONOMY

Equatorial Guinea is facing economic recession due to a decline in oil revenues. The country had hoped to receive about 100 million U.S dollars from each million barrel of petrol exported. Today, they expect almost less than half.