Equatorial Guinea Demographics

What is the population of Equatorial Guinea?

Population 836,178
Population Growth Rate 2.58%
Urban Population 39.5%
Population in Major Urban Areas MALABO (capital) 137,000
Nationality Noun Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
Nationality Adjective Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic Groups Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Languages Spoken Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Equatorial Guinea Learning

What is school like in Equatorial Guinea?

Classroom

Education in general has not been given a great priority here and there is no real development for schools and materials that are involved in learning. Schools in Equatorial Guinea face some of the greatest challenges anywhere in Africa. The teachers themselves are not usually many and very few of them are properly trained to be teachers. This leads to a high student teacher ratio which makes it very hard for the teachers to have time to concentrate on assisting any child who may have special needs in the class.

Many classes, which are made of earth bricks, are crumbling. Materials such as blackboards and chalk, books and any other teaching materials are usually very hard to come by so the teacher must do with the little that the government provides. There are some areas where teachers face politically instigated violence because they are perceived to be friendly to the government. This makes it difficult for children to have access to qualified teachers because the teachers fear being victimized.

Learning

Classes are conducted in Spanish and everyone tries to learn the language because it is the language in which business is conducted, although English and French are sometimes used.

To School

The journey to school is on foot. Because schools are sparse, children from neighboring villages will all congregate in one school, which leads to overcrowding. The journey to school may be long with some children having to walk for over 5 kilometers. Classes begin at about 7:30 am and the lessons usually take close to 40 minutes, with a short break at around 10:30 am when children will play and catch up with their friends from neighboring villages. There is usually a lunch break which is followed thereafter by afternoon classes. Although primary education is free and compulsory, there are several obstacles preventing universal access to the benefits offered by the education system. No legal provision has yet been adopted to determine the scope of the principle of free primary education. The poor rate of school attendance by girls remains a cultural problem. Despite legislation establishing gender equality, the persistence of cultural and/or traditional factors is impeding universal attendance by girls.

Equatorial Guinea Health Information

What are the health conditions in Equatorial Guinea?

Animal Contact Disease (s) rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 10.1%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 8.59
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 41.6%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 49.1%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 65.5%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s) bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 4%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 5%
HIV/Aids Deaths 1,400
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 2.1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 72.03
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 74.18
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 73.12
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 240
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 10.6%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 20,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population .3
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 11.1%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 92.2%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 86.8%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 4.74
Underweight - percent of children under five years 10.6%
Vectorborne Disease (s) malaria and dengue fever

Equatorial Guinea Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Equatorial Guinea?

Life Expectancy at Birth 63 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 64 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 62 Years
Median Age 19 Years
Median Age - female 19 Years
Median Age - male 18 Years

Equatorial Guinea Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Equatorial Guinea median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 34
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 8.59
Median Age 19 Years
Median Age - female 19 Years
Median Age - male 18 Years
Population Growth Rate 2.58%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.04
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female .98
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female .99
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female .99
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .75

Equatorial Guinea Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Equatorial Guinea?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities are very limited. Pharmacies in Malabo and Bata stock basic medicines including antibiotics, but cannot becounted on to supply advanced medications. Outside of these cities, many medicines are unavailable. You are advised to carry a supply of properly-labeled prescription drugs and other medications that you require for your entire stay; an adequate supply of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in local stores or pharmacies is generally not available. The sanitation levels in hospitals are very low, except for the new La Paz Hospitals in Bata and Malabo, which meet the medical standards of a modern hospital in a developed country. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate payment for health services, and patients are sometimes expected to supply their own bandages, linen, and toiletries.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. The national government, along with international oil companies in the country, has taken aggressive steps to control the mosquito population and limit the impact of malaria on the population centers in Malabo and Bata. Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in Equatorial Guinea, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Travelers to the country are at high risk for contracting malaria; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that you take one of the following anti-malarial drugs: mefloquine,doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone™). If you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area, and up to one year after returning home, you should seek prompt medical attention and tell your physician your travel history and what anti-malarials you have been taking. Visit the CDC's Travelers' Health page for additional information on malaria, including protective measures.

There are periodic outbreaks of cholera in Equatorial Guinea. Yellow fever can cause serious medical problems, but the vaccine, required for entry, is very effective in preventing the disease. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in Equatorial Guinea. For further information, please consult the CDC's information on TB.

Many insect-borne illnesses are present. Insect precautions are encouraged at all times. Avoid non-chlorinated freshwater contact on the mainland to lessen the risk of Schistosomiasis.

Equatorial Guinea Education

What is school like in Equatorial Guinea?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 0.6%
Literacy - female 78.4%
Literacy - male 93.3%
Literacy - total population 87%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 7 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 10 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 9 Years

Equatorial Guinea Literacy

Can people in Equatorial Guinea read?

Literacy - female 78.4%
Literacy - male 93.3%
Literacy - total population 87%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Equatorial Guinea Crime

Is Equatorial Guinea a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Violent crime is rare and the overall level of criminal activity is low in comparison to other countries in the region. However, there has been a rise in non-violent street crime and residential burglaries. You should exercise prudence and normal caution, including avoiding dark alleys, remote locations, and traveling alone. Sexual assault is either rare or not reported (there are no crime statistics or studies) and there is no specific group of people specifically targeted. There is little evidence of racially motivated hate crimes and U.S. citizens are not specifically targeted. There is also limited evidence of scams or confidence schemes.

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. You will find such products widely available on the streets, local shops, and in market places. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, carrying them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

Equatorial Guinea Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Equatorial Guinea, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. Persons violating Equatoguinean laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Equatorial Guinea are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.

If you break local laws in Equatorial Guinea, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.

Equatorial Guinea Population Comparison

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