Spanish is the official language. The Roman Catholic Church has greatly influenced both religion and education.
Equatoguineans tend to have both a Spanish first name and an African first and last name. When written, the Spanish and African first names are followed by the father's first name (which becomes the principal surname) and the mother's first name. Thus people may have up to four names, with a different surname for each generation.
Population: 474,214 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
43% (male 101,724; female 100,787)
15-64 years:
54% (male 121,290; female 132,581)
65 years and over:
3% (male 7,960; female 9,872) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 38.13 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 13.4 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female
total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 94.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
53.56 years
male:
51.53 years
female:
55.65 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.94 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective:
Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic groups: Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages: Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
78.5%
male:
89.6%
female:
68.1% (1995 est.)