Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief as the ferry

Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief as the ferry she was riding pulled to a stop on the
shores of Rio Muni — the mainland part of Equatorial Guinea. The sun was hot and the
ferry was crowded. She was ready for something cool to drink!
As she walked along the streets of Bata, Rio Muni’s largest city, Gabriella was surprised. The style of the buildings reminded her of Spain, even though she was on the west
coast of Central Africa. Later she discovered that Spain controlled the area for many
years before granting Equatorial Guinea’s independence, and its influence is still quite
evident.
While there were no shopping malls in sight, the streets were busy with people trying to sell everything from African dresses to food items to fish. Gabriella had a fun time
just browsing and listening to the women speaking Fang, the most common spoken language.
During the next few days Gabriella planned to see more of Equatorial Guinea. She
was looking forward to going farther into the interior to Monte Alen National Park. She’d
heard it was possible to see gorillas, forest elephants, crocodiles, and chimpanzees there.
She could hardly wait!
The first known inhabitants of Rio Muni were
probably Pygmies.
The Fang people often greet each other by asking
a person’s name, home village, and clan. If they are
from the same clan, they consider themselves brothers.
Equatorial Guinea is the only African nation with
Spanish as an official language.
Equatorial Guinea is the only African country with territory on the mainland while its capital is on an island.
The rain forests of Equatorial Guinea are home to the
Goliath frog. The main part of the frog’s body can
grow up to a foot long, and it can weight more than
seven pounds!
Bolivia’s population is about 616,000, which is similar
to Vermont’s. About 75 percent of the people live
on the African mainland.
The Fang people make up more than 80 percent
of the population. The next largest tribe is the Bubi,
who live mostly on Bioko Island.
In 1986, Carrol and Gayle Deal became
the first Assemblies of God missionaries appointed
to Equatorial Guinea. They established a work on
Bioko Island and started a Bible school to train pastors and church workers. Today a growing number
of believers worship in Assemblies of God churches,
and another Bible school has been started on the
mainland in the city of Bata.
The official languages are Spanish and French, but
most people speak their tribal language in everyday life. Some of these languages have no written
form.
The majority of the people are Roman Catholic,
but most combine its teachings with traditional
tribal practices.
Most people are farmers who try to raise enough
food for their families. Often they fish or hunt in
order to have meat to eat. Cassava (similar to potatoes in texture), bananas, rice, and yams are the
main foods. Chicken is saved for special occasions.
Equatorial Guinea is about the same size as Vermont.
The country consists of a rectangular block of land on
the African continent and five inhabited islands in the
Gulf of Guinea.
The mainland portion of the country is called Rio
Muni; the main island is called Bioko.
Malabo, the nation’s capital, is on Bioko.
Soccer is the favorite sport. Almost every village has
a special area where children play soccer.
The climate is humid and tropical, with temperatures
rarely dipping below 80 degrees year round.
Few people have access to telephones or televisions. In fact, in the villages most people have no
electricity or water in their homes.
Tropical rain forests cover most of the nation, but the
coastal areas offer several beaches.
Many children must work to help their families
rather than attend school.
People in the main cities wear clothes similar to
those in the United States. In villages, however,
women wear loose cotton dresses and traditional
African dresses in bright colors for special occasions.
Women generally take care of the home and
children, cook and serve the food, haul water
and firewood, and tend the garden. Men hunt for
food, build and repair the house, and clear land
for planting.
When a woman marries, her husband must give
her family a gift of money or possessions, called a
dowry. After she marries, the woman must submit
to her husband’s family.
For many years cocoa beans, timber, and coffee
were the main exports. However, oil has recently
been discovered off the nation’s coast and has
taken the top spot of all exports.
Equatorial Guinea’s currency is the CFA franc.
The Fang people make up the majority of Equatorial
Guinea’s population. Although many Fang speak
Spanish or French, they use their tribal language—
also called Fang—in everyday life. Here are a few
Fang phrases:
Hello= M’bolo; How are you?= Y’o num vah?; Where are
you going?= Wa ke ve?; I’m going to school= Ma ke seekolo; I don’t speak Fang= Maa kobo Fang.