Geography of Equatorial Guinea: relief, climate, population, flora and fauna. A complete description of Guinea The climate of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is located just north of the equator off the coast of the Gulf of Biafra (part of the Gulf of Guinea) Atlantic Ocean. Includes the mainland of Rio Muni, stretching for 130 km. along the coast and for 300 km. inland, and several islands from the Bioko group 40 km. off the coast of Cameroon in the Gulf of Biafra, ( with total area about 2 thousand square meters km.), the largest of which is Macias Nguema Biyogo. Most of the surface of the continental part is a volcanic highland 600-900 m high (the highest height is 1200 m), along the coast there is a strip of low plains. It borders Cameroon and Gabon.

Administratively, the country is divided into seven provinces. Area - 28,051 sq. km, of which 2034 sq. km falls on the islands of Bioko and Annobón. mainland Mbini borders Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south. Population - 454 thousand people (1998). The capital - the city of Malabo (former Santa Isabel, 10 thousand inhabitants) is located on the island of Bioko. The city of Bata (17 thousand inhabitants) is the largest in Mbini.

Most of the surface of the continental part is highlands with a height of 600-900 m (the highest is 1200 m), along the coast there is a strip of low plains. There are large deposits of oil (50 million barrels, 1999), gas and untapped reserves of gold, iron ore, manganese, tantalum and uranium. The soils are predominantly red-yellow lateritic.

Bioko and Annoban are mountainous islands of volcanic origin, with fertile soils. On the island of Bioko is the highest point in the country, Mount Malabo (3008 m). In Mbini, the coastal plain borders a highland 600–900 m high (tops up to 1500 m).

The river network is dense and deep. The rivers are rapids, navigable only in the lower reaches. The most big river- Mbini - replete with reaches and waterfalls, accessible to small vessels only in the lower reaches.

The climate of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial, hot and constantly humid. Medium annual temperature from +24 C to +28 C in different areas, precipitation falls up to 2000 mm. per year (on the islands it reaches 2500 mm), rainy days per year - up to 160. On the islands of Bioko rainy season lasts from July to January, while on the mainland there are much less showers - a maximum from April to May and from October to December.

Statistical indicators of Equatorial Guinea
(as of 2012)

Relatively drier months are May-September and December-January. On the coast of the island of Macias-Nguema-Biyogo, in the highlands, the average annual temperature is lower - up to +18 C, and the amount of precipitation increases to 2500-4000 mm. in year. It's even colder in the highlands. best time to visit Equatorial Guinea - between November and April.

Flora and fauna of Equatorial Guinea

Vegetation - evergreen wet equatorial forests on red-yellow lateritic soils. In the forests grows St. 150 valuable breeds trees - oil and coconut palms, iron tree, okume, etc. Ficuses and breadfruit also grow on the territory of the state. Animal world rich and varied. Characteristic representatives of the animal world of the state are the leopard, crocodile, buffalo, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, antelope, a large number of snake. The world of birds is diverse (parrots, hornbills, turacos, hoopoes), and there are also many animals from foxes, squirrels, monkeys (including rare species).

Population of Equatorial Guinea

In 1983, 304 thousand people lived in Equatorial Guinea, of which 57 thousand lived on the island of Bioko and 2 thousand on the island of Annobone. By 1998 the population had risen to 454,000 people. The population is dominated by Bantu-speaking peoples. In the hinterland of Bioko live Bubi, who are the indigenous people of the island. Died out from alcoholism and various diseases during the colonial period, they gradually restore their numbers. In the early 1990s, 15,000 Bubis lived in the country. About 3/4 of the population of Mbini is the Fang people, who managed to preserve ethnic community and traditional government institutions. Previously, these people lived in villages, in the 1960s they began to move to the administrative centers of the hinterland - Mikomeseng, Niefang, Ebebiyin and Mongomo, as well as to coastal cities. In the early 1990s, the Fang made up 80–90% of the population largest city Mbini and several other cities. In the 1970s, some Fang were forcibly brought to Bioko Island to replace foreign workers expelled from Equatorial Guinea. The coastal tribes of the Kombu, Buheba and Benga gradually lost their former influence, who were intermediaries in trade between the Europeans and the Fang who inhabited the hinterland. Among the country's other ethnic groups stand out the Fernandino, descendants of English-speaking freed slaves who settled in Bioko in the 19th century.

Until the 1970s, numerous foreign communities found shelter in Equatorial Guinea, including approx. 40,000 migrants from Nigeria who worked on cocoa plantations in Bioko and logging in Mbini. In the mid-1970s, under pressure from the authorities, Nigerians, who made up 2/3 of the population of Bioko and a significant part of the population of Mbini, were forced to leave the country. In 1960, approx. 7 thousand Europeans, mostly Spanish businessmen, civil servants and missionaries. At that time, they almost completely controlled the economic life of the country. Shortly after the declaration of independence, only approx. 200 people. In 1979, the Spaniards began to return to Equatorial Guinea, and in 1980 there were 4,000 of them.

Several African languages ​​are spoken in the country, the most important of which are Fang and Bubi. Pigginized English is spoken by Fernandino. Most of the population speaks Spanish official language countries. The inhabitants of the country profess mainly Catholicism.

Guinea is located in West Africa. It borders Senegal to the north, Mali to the north and northeast, Ivory Coast to the east, Liberia to the south, Sierra Leone to the southwest, and Guinea-Bissau to the northwest. . From the west it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
The history of the peoples who inhabited Guinea before the arrival of Europeans has not been clarified in detail. There were times when the territory on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea was part of the ancient African empires of Mali and Ghana. About 250 years ago, the local population was subjugated by the Fulani nomads who came from the Sahara. The Portuguese plundered the coastal areas and were engaged in the slave trade for about three hundred years, but they did not thoroughly try to settle down. At the mouths of the rivers, villages with slave markets were set up, the main of which was Boffo. In the middle of the 19th century, the French declared Guinea their colony, and only in 1958 did it become an independent state.

Equatorial monsoon, wet in summer, dry in winter. Average monthly air temperatures are from +18°C to +27°C. The hottest month is April (+30°C), the coldest month is August (+26°C). Precipitation falls mainly in summer, from May to October, but is distributed very unevenly over the country: on the coast for 170 rainy days a year, up to 4300 mm of precipitation falls, and in inland areas separated from the ocean by a mountain range - no more than 1500 mm. In January-February, "harmattan" blows - a dry, dusty wind from the north. In coastal areas, its influence is practically not felt.

Guinea money

The traditional occupation of a large part of the population of Guinea has been and remains crafts and arts and crafts: wood and ivory carving, metal processing (casting and chasing), pottery, weaving, jewelry (including filigree work on gold and silver), and also weaving (making colorful baskets, fans, mats, etc.).
game on musical instruments, songs and dances are an inseparable part of the national culture. Rich musical traditions continue to develop today. The musical art of griots (wandering actors, storytellers, musicians and singers) who accompany themselves on the kora (string instrument) has been preserved. The musical instrumentation is diverse: drums (from small tamaru to giant dun-dun - bote, droma, dundumba, tamani, etc.), balafons, castanets, rattles (lala, sistrum vasama), dudaru horn, rattles, flutes (serdu, hula ). There are many stringed instruments: harps (baleil, haububataken), bolen (musical bow), keperu (violin), kerona, keronara (guitar), condival, horses, bark, molar. Most of the rites and rituals have elements of the theater.

The daily food of the Guineans is very simple. These are cereals and stews made from rice, corn, millet, flavored vegetable oil, vegetable seasonings, spices. Vegetables and fruits are an essential part of the diet. Fulbe love milk and consume it both fresh and fermented. Meat, especially large cattle, was and remains so far a rare dish on the table of Guineans. On the coast, one of the main foodstuffs is fish.

Sights of Guinea

The picturesque elevated landscapes of the Futa Djallon highlands are one of the main attractions of Guinea. Located 220 km northeast of the capital and connected to it by a good road, the plateau attracts thousands of tourists with its emerald green vegetation, relative coolness local climate, charming villages with friendly people and very appetizing folk cuisine.

Center of Conakry

The center of Conakry is quite modern and is a complex of office and banking buildings between Roux du Niger and Ave de la República. National Museum has big collection masks, sculptures and folk instruments, housed in a spacious exposition of a building in the style of the Parisian Louvre. In front of the Presidential Palace (the former headquarters of the OAU), there are about 50 picturesque Moorish-style villas currently used as offices. international organizations. In the huge building of the People's Palace in the northern part of Roux du Niger, two ballet theaters traditionally perform and numerous festive ceremonies are held.

The best time to visit Guinea is during the dry season (from early December to late April), which is pronounced on the coast (Conakry). For a trip to the interior of the country, it is better to choose the beginning of the dry season (December - January). In the southeast, rains begin in March (Beila), and heat reigns throughout the north of the country (Kurussa). The nights here are cooler than in the capital. The dry season is also marked by the Sahara wind "harmattan", which can be felt throughout the country, right up to the coast. The sea temperature is acceptable for swimming throughout the year.

The rainy season is especially noticeable on the coast, especially heavy showers are observed in July-August. In the Phuta Jallon mountains, precipitation is less torrential in nature, and in the north of the country, on the border with Mali, it can be said to be already moderate.

clothing

It should be light and made of natural fabric. Preference should be given to light colors. For the rainy season, a light cape and an umbrella are desirable (but they will not save you from stuffiness).

dangers

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended. Rabies vaccination is desirable for those who have arrived in the country for a long time. The risk of malaria persists throughout the year. Insects are very active constantly after sunset.

Guinea has two distinct climatic conditions, but dominated by Aw.

classification

pita

This city has tropical climate. Compared to winter, summer has much more rainfall. The climate here is classified as Aw by the Köppen-Geiger system. The average annual temperature is 22.5 °C in Pita. 1843 mm - the average annual rainfall.

diagrams

Cancan

Kankan has a tropical climate. In summer there is a lot of rainfall, while in winter there is very little. This place is classified as Aw by Köppen and Geiger. The average annual temperature is 26.0 °C in Kankan. The average rainfall per year is 1545 mm.

diagrams

Danton

The climate in Danton is close to tropical. The summers are much rainier than the winters in Danton. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Aw. In Danton, the average annual temperature is 27.3 °C. The average rainfall per year is 2492 mm.

diagrams

Labe

The city of Labé has a tropical climate. Compared to winter, summer has much more rainfall. The climate here is classified as Aw by the Köppen-Geiger system. The temperature here averages 21.2 °C. Approximately 1659 mm of precipitation falls annually.

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Sigiri

This city has a tropical climate. In summer there is a lot of rainfall, while in winter there is very little. The climate here is classified as Aw by the Köppen-Geiger system. Average annual temperature in Sigiri - 26.5 °C. About 1274 mm of precipitation falls annually.

Climate of Guinea- Tropical, with a dry season in winter and a rainy season in summer, due to the arrival of the southwest monsoons.

Rainfall is higher in coastal regions, where 4,000 mm falls. rain per year, and less in the north and north-east of the country, where their number is only slightly more than 1,000 mm. in year. Although the rains are more abundant on the coast, the rainy season lasts longer in the southeast of Guinea, where the first rains are already in the second half of February, and the last in November; in Conakry, on the coast, it rains from May to November, and in Kankan, in the east, from May to October.

The inland regions of Guinea are almost all covered with hills and mountains, the highest of which reach 1,500 meters above sea level - such peaks are located in the mountains of Futa Djallon (in the northwest) and Nimba (in the southeast); in the mountains are the sources of some important rivers, such as Niger, Senegal and Gambia. The altitude somewhat softens the climate of Guinea in these regions, so the most warm cities located on more low altitudes such as the city of Kundara in the north, located on a plain where it is very hot from March to May, before the arrival of the monsoons, when maximum temperatures reach about 38-40 ° C.

Below are the average air temperatures in Kundare.

As already noted, the north of Guinea is the least rainy region of the country, and, moreover, the rainy season is shorter here.

Spring warming is less pronounced in coastal regions, where the climate is moderated by ocean breezes, but also in the interior of the south-central part of the country, due to both higher altitude and early arrival of monsoons. Therefore, in Nzerekore, located 500 meters above sea level in southeastern Guinea, average daily temperatures do not rise above 32 ° C in February and March, and in Conakry, located on the coast, they do not exceed 32 ° C in April.

As mentioned, the southeast of Guinea is a region where the rainy season lasts longer.

Winter in Guinea, which lasts from December to February, is hot, dry and sunny, with a predominance of northeasterly winds, called harmatan that bring desert dust with them. Nights are usually cool, especially in the interior, and during the daytime temperatures are usually high, around 32-34°C, with peaks up to 40°C. In February, early rains fall in the south, and the heat becomes even more intense in the north-central regions.

In the capital, Conakry, located on the coast, there is little change in temperatures throughout the year - in winter, daytime temperatures are around 30-32 ° C, and in the rainy season they drop to 27-29 ° C, although due to high humidity the heat becomes suffocating. Below are the average air temperatures in Conakry.

Conakry is the city that receives the most rainfall in Guinea. Most of 4,000 mm. The annual rainfall is from June to mid-October, with heavy rains occurring in July and August, almost every day, and the sky is almost always covered with clouds.

The sea in Guinea is warm enough for swimming throughout the year.