Equatorial Guinea Research Paper

Equatorial Guinea is a fairly small country. It is a little smaller than the state of Maryland. Equatorial Guinea lies on the west coast of Equatorial Africa. It is also bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. The total area of the country is 10,830 square miles. This includes the mainland, Río Muni, as well as three coastal islets: Corisco, Elobey Grande, and Elobey Chico. There are also two islands, Bioko and Annobóon. The larger island of these two is Bioko, formerly known as Fernando Po. The island lies 25 miles off the coast of Cameroon, across a bay of the Gulf of Guinea known as the Bight of Biafra. In Río Muni, coastal plains rise to hills, and then to plateaus farther inland. Bioko has three volcanic cones,

In the fifteenth century, the Portuguese arrived and renamed the island, Fernando Po. In the end of the 1700s, Spain gain a large area of Africa in a trade with Portugal. This area included both Rio Muni and Bioko. Bioko was an important slave trade center, thanks to cocoa plants there, and was one of Spain 's most profitable territories in Africa. However, the island was taken over by the English from 1827 until 1858, this point was officially the Spanish takeover. Spanish rule of the mainland didn 't begin until 1926. It was this time that they started exploring further into the area and discovered Rio Muni. After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, Spain started to invest more in the development of Equatorial Guinea. The country experienced prosperity with the aid of the Spanish government and the Catholic Church. Industry grew, and cocoa and timber contributed to a strong economy ("Equatorial Guinea" History and Ethnic Relations, Emergence of the

Where Equatorial Guinea is on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, they have a lot of tropical foods and Atlantic Ocean fish. "Chefs nationwide draw on this abundance of fresh, local food to create their dishes" ("Food in Equatorial Guinea"). The country 's colonial past also plays an important role at the table, as residents of this former Spanish territory often use imported cooking techniques and ingredients. Most of the food in Equatorial Guinea comes from its native tribe 's people. They use most plant-based ingredients, such as cassava, plantains and yams in their cooking. Earlier settlers and merchants such as Portugal, Spain and the Middle East also influenced the small country 's cuisine. Today, the majority of restaurants serve Spanish and European food, such as tapas or marinated meat dishes. Although coffee and cocoa are Equatorial Guinea 's biggest economy boosters, most people living here don 't even consume these beverages themselves. Most people in Equatorial Guinea drink Osang, (an African Tea). They also drink palm wine or a locally produced sugar cane alcohol known as Malamba. You can find locally brewed beer or imported beer in Equatorial Guinea (Foods in Equatorial