Located in western Africa, Equatorial Guinea gained its independence from Spain in 1968. The country now has a per capita income of $36,100, but the standard of living has improved only minimally since the discovery of oil reserves propelled Equatorial Guinea into position as the third largest oil exporter in sub-Saharan Africa. Some 39 percent of the population is now urbanized, but many families are still engaged in subsistence farming. More than 85 percent of agricultural workers are women. The overall unemployment rate is 30 percent.

Although the majority ethnic group is Fang (85.7 percent), there are also small groups of Bubi (6.5 percent), Mdowe (3.6 percent), Annobon (1.6 percent), and Bujeba (1.1 percent). Spanish and French are the official languages, but each ethnic group also ...