Wikipedia Afrika (a nation/day)

[EthiopianEyezD]

I've been trying to avoid this for too long
what to do? what to do?
any ideas, guys?

the wikipedia page is a two-in-one-republic-democratic-zaire of the congo link


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Congo

[nolawip]

I've been trying to avoid this for too long
what to do? what to do?
any ideas, guys?

the wikipedia page is a two-in-one-republic-democratic-zaire of the congo link


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Congo

hey yesterday i was gonna ask if someone would let me know when we get to the z as in zaire...

but i guess c also ...

cuz u know i had a girl from zaire.. and my grandfather served in zaire .. and a bullet passed by his forehead .... a sniper was shooting from the clock tower in brazzaville in 1965 and my gfather was pulled by the 100 aleqa right before the bullet got zere..

anyways the girls name is maria... can u beleive a kinshashain named maria..

[EthiopianEyezD]

Democratic Republic of the Congo





The Democratic Republic of the Congo — also referred to as DRC, DR Congo, Congo and Congo-Kinshasa, and formerly Zaire — is a nation in central Africa and the third largest country on the continent. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, and the Republic of the Congo on the west[1]. The country enjoys access to the sea through a narrow forty kilometre stretch, following the Congo river into the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Congo" (meaning "hunter") is coined after the Bakongo ethnic group, living in the Congo river basin. Formerly, the Belgian colony of the Belgian Congo, the country's post-independence name was changed in 1971, from Congo-Kinshasa (after its capital, to distinguish it from the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville) to Zaire, until 1997. Since 1998, the country has suffered greatly from the devastating Second Congo War (sometimes referred to as the African World War), the world's deadliest conflict since World War II.
(Captial: Kinshasa)

Demographics
The Republic of the Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with 85% of its total population living in a few urban areas, namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities or villages lining the 332-mile railway which connects the two cities. In rural areas, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in recent years, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence. Before the 1997 war, about 9,000 Europeans and other non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French. Presently, only a fraction of this number remain.

Population
3,039,126
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)

Culture
Culture of the Republic of the Congo - Half of Congolese people follow traditional beliefs, there are 15 principle Bantu groups and more than 70 subgroups. The other 50% is contructed of 35% Roman Catholic, 15% other Christian and 2% are Muslim.

As a result of the highly diverse belief and culture systems amongst the Congolese population, it is difficult to describe single cultural events and traditions which the entire population partake in as a whole. However, one such event would be the traditional drinking of Um Bongo.

Um Bongo can be described as a kind of tropical fruit juice drink which was first blended in the Congo many hundreds of years ago. Native Congolese tribespeople believe that the beverage was created by a group of magical talking animals, but people from all backgrounds and belief systems in the Republic of the Congo join in the traditional drinking of Um Bongo in the last week of March each year, and sing this ancient hymn (crude English translation):

Motto: Unité, Travail, Progrès

[EthiopianEyezD]

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC





The Central African Republic or Centrafrique /sɑntɹəˈfɹiːk/ (French: République Centrafricaine /ʀe.pyˈblik.sãtʀəfʀiˈkɛn/ or "Centrafrique" /sãtʀəˈfʀik/) is a landlocked country in central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan on the east, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the south, and Cameroon on the west. Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas but it also includes a Sahelo-Sudanese zone in the north and an Equatorial forest zone in the south. Two thirds of the country lies in the basins of the Ubangi river, which flows south into the Congo River, while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Shari river, which flows north into Lake Chad. Since most of the territory is located in the Ubangi and Shari river basins, the French called the colony it carved out in this region Ubangi-Shari, or Oubangui-Chari in French. This French colony of Ubangi-Shari became a semi-autonomous territory of the French Community in 1958 and then an independent nation on 13 August 1960. For over three decades since independence the CAR was ruled by presidents who were not chosen in truly democratic elections or who took power by force. The first fair democratic elections were held in 1993 and brought Ange-Félix Patassé to power, but President Patassé was overthrown by General François Bozizé in 2003. General Bozizé won a democratic election in May 2005 and remains in power today.
Contents
(Captial: Bangui)

Demographics
The population has tripled since independence. In 1960 the population was 1,232,000.
The nation is divided into over 80 ethnic groups, each having its own language. The largest ethnic groups are the Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, and Yakoma 4%, with 2% others, including Europeans. Of the religions, 35% are indigenous beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic, and 15% Muslim.

Culture
Music of the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic includes many different cultures and musical forms. Western rock and pop music, as well as Afrobeat, soukous and other genres have become popular nation-wide. The sanza is a popular instrument.

The Pygmies have an incredibly complex folk music tradition. Polyphony and counterpoint are common components, as is an incredibly varied rhythmic structure. The trumpet-based music of the Bandas has also gained some popularity outside of the area due to its jazzy structure. The Ngbaka use an unusual instrument called a mbela, which is made with an arched branch and a string strung between the two ends and held in front of the musician's mouth. When the string is struck, the mouth is used to amplify and modulate the tone. Instruments similar to the mbela are sometimes considered the oldest ancestors of all string instruments [1].

The national anthem of the Central African Republic is "La Renaissance". This song, which has been the anthem since 1960, was written by Barthélémy Boganda (words), the first President of the Central African Republic, and Herbert Pepper, who also composed the melody for the Senegalese national anthem [2].

Popular music
Popular music in the Central African Republic generally comes from the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo or elsewhere in Africa; however, Latin, European and American pop are also common, as is jazz and rock and roll.

Banda music
The Banda people have produced some modern popular music, using a trumpet-based kind of jazzy music which UNESCO has called one of the "great musicological discoveries of our century" [3]. Banda folk music includes ongo, a kind of trumpet made from wood or antelope horn. Ongos are used in ceremonies and rituals, including adolescent initiation rites, in polyphonic ensembles of eighteen trumpets [4].

Pygmy music
Formally Pygmy music consists of at most only four parts, and can be described as an, "ostinato with variations," or similar to a passacaglia, in that it is cyclical. In fact it is based on repetition of periods of equal length, which each singer divides using different rhythmic figures specific to different repertoires and songs. This interesting case of ethnomusicology and ethnomathematics creates a detailed surface and endless variations of not only the same period repeated, but the same piece of music. As in some Balinese gamelan these patterns are based on a super-pattern which is never heard. The Pygmies themselves do not learn or think of their music in this theoretical framework, but learn the music growing up.
Pygmy styles include liquindi, or water drumming, and instruments like the bow harp (ieta), ngombi (harp zither) and limbindi (a string bow) (Abram).

Motto: Unité, Dignité, Travail (yeah, yeah...we know)

[EthiopianEyezD]

COTE D'IVOIRE





The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (IPA: pronunciation: /kot divwa/ or /kot divwar/; commonly called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. It borders Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. One of the most prosperous of the tropical West African states, its economic development has been undermined by political turmoil spawned by official corruption and refusal to adopt needed reforms.
(Captial: Yamoussoukro (official) Abidjan (de facto))

Demographics
76% of the population are considered Ivorians. They belong to different peoples, which linguistically are summarized under the language groups of Kwa, Kru, Mande, and Gur.
Since Cote d'Ivoire has established itself as one of the most successful west African nations, about 20% of the population consists of workers from neighbouring Liberia, Burkina Faso and Guinea. This fact has created steadily increasing tension in recent years, especially since most of these workers are Muslims while the native-born population is largely Christian (primarily Roman Catholic) and animist. 4% of the population is of non-African ancestry. Many are French, British, and Spanish citizens, as well as Protestant missionaries of American and Canadian background. In November 2004, around 10,000 French and other foreign nationals evacuated Cote d'Ivoire due to attacks from pro-government youth militias.

Culture
Music
Côte d'Ivoire's largest city, Abidjan, is perhaps the most influential city in recorded African music, with performers coming from across the continent to record their singles and albums. The city has several high-tech studios, more than any other city in Africa with only Johannesburg as a possible rival; prominent studios include JBZ, Nefertiti and Sequence. EMI International was the major label with the most invested in Abidjan and in African music in general until it shut down its African branch in 1995.

The Coupe-Decale created by Doucoure during the militaro-political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire,reflects the aspirations of the Ivorian youth.Coupe-Decale is a very melodious and percussive African samples,deep bases, rythmic and very well accommodated.It is a unique style.Coupe-Decale is about happiness,expresses the day life of the Ivorian society,and also gave an insight into the political situation of the country.The prominent artists of Coupe-Decale are Sagacite(Doucoure),DJ Brico,DJ Arsenal,Papa Ministre with his famous tune "coupe-Decale Chinois", and many others talented Ivorian artists.

Each of the more than sixty ethnic groups of Côte d'Ivoire have their own folk music traditions, most showing strong vocal polyphony (a common characteristic of African music), especially the Baoulé. Talking drums are also common, especially among the Appollo, who are also known for their abissa purification dance, part of the popular music of Meiway. Polyrhythm, another African characteristic, is found throughout Côte d'Ivoire and is especially common in the southwest.

Gbébé, a Baoulé rhythm, has been a part of popular music since Côte d'Ivoire's independence, popularized by Soeurs Comöé and later, Frères Djatys and Sery Simplice. Ernesto Djédjé, however, is considered the father of Ivorian popular music. Using one of the folk rhythms of the Bété as well as his teacher, Amédée Pierre's dopé style. Djédjé has long been an advocate of Ivorian music, railing against the "Congolization" of the Abidjan scene. Outside of Côte d'Ivoire, Djédjé is best known for 1977's Gnoantre-Ziboté, which was a pan-African hit and found some success in France and Canada. He plays a type of music called ziglibithy.

Since Djédjé, no Ivorian musician has been able to achieve the same level of fame. Luckson Padaud's laba laba style, which is similar to the Bété ziglibithy, has had some success, as has Gnaore Djimi's polihet. The most popular styles in Côte d'Ivoire are imported reggae from Jamaica and hip hop from the United States; the country has produced notable musicians of both genres, especially Alpha Blondy's brand of Afro-reggae became a national hit following his appearance on the TV show First chance in 1983. Hip hop has been popular in Côte d'Ivoire since the mid-1990s, and includes a gangsta rap-influenced style called rap dogba. Notable hip hop musicians include All Mighty, M.C. Claver and Angelo.

Zouglou is the most recent Ivorian popular tradition. It comes from the early 1990s, when university students, upset about living conditions on campus, began rallying around Didier Billé. Zouglou was satirical in nature, and usually accompanied by a dance to a fictional god.

Islam in Cote D'Ivoire
Islam came to West Africa in three waves. In the ninth century, Berber traders brought the faith from North Africa to the ancient Ghana Empire. Beginning in the thirteenth century, the Malinké rulers of the Mali Empire contributed to its spread throughout much of the savanna, a process that continued into the eighteenth century, when the Juula established a Muslim kingdom in what is now northern Côte d'Ivoire. Finally in the nineteenth century, the Malinké warrior Samori Touré contributed to the southward spread of Islam.

In Côte d'Ivoire, it is mostly the devout Muslims who pray, fast, and give alms as required by strict tenets of Islam, and only the most wealthy perform the hajj. Most Ivoirian Muslims are Sunni, following the Maliki school of Islamic law. Sufism, involving the organization of mystical brotherhoods (tariqa) for the purification and spread of Islam, is also widespread, laced with indigenous beliefs and practices. The four major Sufi brotherhoods are all represented in Côte d'Ivoire, although the Qadiriya, founded in the eleventh century, and the Tidjaniya, founded in the eighteenth century, are most popular. The Qadiriya is prevalent in the west, and the Tidjaniya, in the east. The other two major Islamic brotherhoods have few adherents in Côte d'Ivoire. The Senoussiya is identified with Libya, where its influence is substantial.

The significant religious authority is the marabout. He is believed to be a miracle worker, a physician, and a mystic, who exercises both magical and moral authority. He is also respected as a dispenser of amulets, which protect the wearer--Muslim or non-Muslim--against evil. The influence of marabouts has produced a number of reactions in Ivoirian society, among them a series of reformist movements inspired by Wahabist puritanism, which originated in nineteenth-century Saudi Arabia. These reform movements often condemn Sufism and marabouts as un-Islamic, but the poor see that marabouts often speak out on behalf of the downtrodden and that reform movements appear to support the interests of wealthier Muslims.

Hamallism began as an Islamic reform movement in the French Sudan early in the twentieth century and has provided a channel for expressing political and religious discontent. Its founder, Hamallah, was exiled from the French Sudan to Côte d'Ivoire during the 1930s. He preached Islamic reform tempered by tolerance of many local practices, but he condemned many aspects of Sufism. Orthodox brotherhoods were able to convince the French authorities in Côte d'Ivoire that Hamallah had been responsible for earlier political uprisings in the French Sudan. Authorities then expelled Hamallah from Côte d'Ivoire and banned his teachings.

Islam was embraced because it provided symbolic identification with successful traders and travelers throughout the world. Further, its agents were black, and it preached on behalf of those who lacked the trappings of Western civilization. In the 1980s, about one-fourth of all Ivoirians, including most Juula and Malinké people, called themselves Muslims.

Motto: (translation) Unity, Discipline and Labor

[EthiopianEyezD]

DJIBOUTI
(inspect djibouti, ahnd!)





The Republic of Djibouti (Arabic: : جيبوتي, Ǧībūtī) is a country in eastern Africa, located in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.
Contents
(Captial: Djibouti)

Demographics
The population is divided into two main groups, the Issa, or Somali people, who make up about 60%, and the Afar, about 35%. The remainder is formed by Europeans (mostly French and Italians), Arabs and Ethiopians. The presence of two different population groups was the cause of the civil war in the early 1990s.
The Somali ethnic component in Djibouti is mainly composed of the Issas, who form the majority and rule the nation, and the Gadabuursi and Isaaq, all of whom are closely related as Dir subclans. The Issas form part of the Madoobe Dir, while the Gadabuursi and Isaaq are part of the Mahe Dir, Mohammed Hiniftire. Other Somalis in Djibouti include Issas from the Ethiopian Somali Region and from northern Somalia.
Almost all of the people of Djibouti are Muslim, only a small percentage are Christian, notably the Europeans.
Although French and Arabic are the official languages, Somali and Afar are widely spoken.

Culture
Culture of Djibouti - The Republic of Djibouti is ethnically diverse, due to its strategic location at the crossroads of trade and commerce. Its population consists of 457,130 citizens. Sixty percent are Somali, thirty percent are Afar, and French, Arab, and other minorities make up the remaining ten percent.

Music
Djibouti is an African country on the Horn of Africa. It is an important port city, and has historically been part of several states, most recently including France. Djibouti was France's last African colony to gain independence. The national anthem of Djibouti is "Djibouti", adopted in 1977 with words by Aden Elmi and music by Abdi Robleh [1].

Djibouti is made up of two main ethnic groups: the Afar and the Issas, along with French, Yemeni, Arab and Somali citizens. Afar music is similar to the music of Ethiopia with elements of Arab music. The Issa are culturally related to Somalis. Their oral traditions include an array of poetry and proverbs, much of it devoted to the lives of Sufi saints. Afar oral literature is more musical, and comes in many varieties, including songs for weddings, war, praise and boasting [2].

"Miniature poetry", invented by a truck driver named Abdi Deeqsi, is well known in Djibouti; these are short poems (balwo), mostly concerning love and passion [3]. Balwo is also a style of Somali popular music.

[EthiopianEyezD]

EGYPT





The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Misr, in Egyptian Arabic Másr, listen (help·info)), is a republic in North Africa. While most of the country is geographically located in Africa, the Sinai Peninsula east of the Suez Canal is in Asia.

Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometres (386,560 mi²), Egypt shares land borders with Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and Israel and the Gaza Strip to the northeast and has coasts on the north and east by the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, respectively.
Egypt is the fifteenth most populous country in the world. The vast majority of its 77 million population (2005) live near the banks of the Nile River (about 40,000 km² or 15,450 mi²), where the only arable agricultural land is found. Large areas of land are part of the Sahara Desert and are sparsely inhabited. About half of the Egyptian people today are urban, living in the densely populated centers of greater Cairo, the largest city in Africa, and Alexandria.
Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most stunning ancient monuments, including the Giza Pyramids, the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings and the Great Sphinx of Giza; the southern city of Luxor contains a particularly large number of ancient artifacts. Today, Egypt is widely regarded as the main political and cultural centre of the Arab and Middle Eastern regions.
(Captial: Cairo)

Culture
Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is Africa's largest city and has been renowned for centuries as a center of learning, culture and commerce. The Egyptian Academy of the Arabic Language is responsible for regulating the Arabic Language (Arabic:اللغة العربية ) throughout the world.

Egypt also hosts two major religious institutions. Al-Azhar University (Arabic: جامعة الأزهر) is the oldest Islamic institution for higher studies (founded around 970 A.D). Egypt also has a strong Christian heritage as evidenced by the existence of the Coptic Orthodox Church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, which has a following of approximately 50 million Christians worldwide (one of the famous Coptic Orthodox Churches is Saint Takla Haimanot Church in Alexandria [4]).

Though considered a low-income country, Egypt has a thriving media and arts industry, with more than 30 satellite channels and over 100 motion pictures produced each year. To bolster its media industry, especially with the keen competition from the Persian Gulf states and Lebanon, a large media city was built and has been since promoted as the "Hollywood of the East." Egypt is also the only Arab country with an opera house.]

The Culture of Egypt has five thousand years of recorded history. Ancient Egypt was among the earliest civilizations. For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. After the Pharaonic era, Egypt itself came under the influence of Hellenism, for a time Christianity, and later, Arab and Islamic culture. Today, many aspects of Egypt's ancient culture exist in interaction with newer elements, including the influence of modern Western culture, itself with roots in Ancient Egypt.

Language
The Ancient Egyptian language, which formed a separate branch among the family of Afro-Asiatic languages, was among the first written languages, and is known from hieroglyphic inscriptions preserved on monuments and sheets of papyrus. The Coptic language, the only extant descendant of Egyptian, is today the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The "Koiné" dialect of the Greek language was important in Hellenistic Alexandria, and was used in the philosophy and science of that culture, and was later studied by Arabic scholars.

Arabic came to Egypt in the seventh century and Egyptian Arabic has since become the modern speech of the country. Of the many varieties of Arabic, it is the most widely spoken second dialect, probably due to the influence of Egyptian cinema throughout the Arabic-speaking world.

In the Upper Nile Valley, around Kom Ombo and Aswan, there are about 300,000 speakers of Nubian languages, mainly Nobiin, but also Kenuzi-Dongola. The Berber languages are represented by Siwi, spoken by about 5,000 around the Siwa Oasis. There are over a million speakers of the Domari language (an Indo-Aryan language related to Romany), mostly living north of Cairo, and there are about 60,000 Greek speakers in Alexandria. Approximately 77,000 speakers of Bedawi (a Beja language) live in the Eastern Desert.

Religion
Ancient Egyptian religion was a polytheistic system that saw the world as in conflict between forces of order and chaos. The Pharaoh, representative of order on Earth, was seen as divine and descended of the falcon god Horus. There was a strong cult of resurrection in the next life centered around the god Osiris.

Coptic Christianity became popular in the Roman and Byzantine periods, and Egypt was indeed one of the strongest early Christian communities. Today, Christians constitute about 10% of the population.

Islam in Egypt came to the country with the successors of Mohammed, and is today the dominant faith with 90% of the population adherents, almost all of the Sunni denomination.

Music
Egyptian music is a rich mixture of indigenous, Arabic, African and Western influences.

As early as 4000 BC, ancient Egyptians were playing harps and flutes, as well as two indigenious instruments: the ney and the oud. However, there is little notation of Egyptian music before the 7th century AD, when Egypt became part of the Arab world. Percussion and vocal music became important at this time, which has remained an important part of Egyptian music today.

From the 1970s, Egyptian pop music has become increasingly important in Egyptain cultured: listened to by mainly the large youth population of Egypt. Folk music from Egypt's many cultures is also listened to a lot and played during weddings and other festivites. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Egyptian music was a way to communicate social and class issues. The most popular Egyptian pop singer is Amr Diab.

Belly dance, or Raqs Sharqi in Arabic, may have originated in Egypt, and today the country is considered the international center of the art.
[edit]

[Lady B]

COTE D'IVOIRE





Culture
Music

The Coupe-Decale created by Doucoure during the militaro-political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire,reflects the aspirations of the Ivorian youth.Coupe-Decale is a very melodious and percussive African samples,deep bases, rythmic and very well accommodated.It is a unique style.Coupe-Decale is about happiness,expresses the day life of the Ivorian society,and also gave an insight into the political situation of the country.The prominent artists of Coupe-Decale are Sagacite(Doucoure),DJ Brico,DJ Arsenal,Papa Ministre with his famous tune "coupe-Decale Chinois", and many others talented Ivorian artists.

Each of the more than sixty ethnic groups of Côte d'Ivoire have their own folk music traditions, most showing strong vocal polyphony (a common characteristic of African music), especially the Baoulé. Talking drums are also common, especially among the Appollo, who are also known for their abissa purification dance, part of the popular music of Meiway. Polyrhythm, another African characteristic, is found throughout Côte d'Ivoire and is especially common in the southwest.

Gbébé, a Baoulé rhythm, has been a part of popular music since Côte d'Ivoire's independence, popularized by Soeurs Comöé and later, Frères Djatys and Sery Simplice. Ernesto Djédjé, however, is considered the father of Ivorian popular music. Using one of the folk rhythms of the Bété as well as his teacher, Amédée Pierre's dopé style. Djédjé has long been an advocate of Ivorian music, railing against the "Congolization" of the Abidjan scene. Outside of Côte d'Ivoire, Djédjé is best known for 1977's Gnoantre-Ziboté, which was a pan-African hit and found some success in France and Canada. He plays a type of music called ziglibithy.

Since Djédjé, no Ivorian musician has been able to achieve the same level of fame. Luckson Padaud's laba laba style, which is similar to the Bété ziglibithy, has had some success, as has Gnaore Djimi's polihet. The most popular styles in Côte d'Ivoire are imported reggae from Jamaica and hip hop from the United States; the country has produced notable musicians of both genres, especially Alpha Blondy's brand of Afro-reggae became a national hit following his appearance on the TV show First chance in 1983. Hip hop has been popular in Côte d'Ivoire since the mid-1990s, and includes a gangsta rap-influenced style called rap dogba. Notable hip hop musicians include All Mighty, M.C. Claver and Angelo.

Zouglou is the most recent Ivorian popular tradition. It comes from the early 1990s, when university students, upset about living conditions on campus, began rallying around Didier Billé. Zouglou was satirical in nature, and usually accompanied by a dance to a fictional god.

*ahem*
yes, born and raised. and proud of my roots.
*daps* to eyezd for recognizing dat!!
you just earned extra brownie points in my book , hun.

[canadian_cutie]

Miss B...you are one gewagesss lady...I love love love your smile...just a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day...


*ahem*...


so when are Eri and Ethio coming up....and wonder what kinna pictures are gonna be representing....

[Lady B]

awwww, shucks.
got a sista blushing and ish.
fua sil, i cant stop laughin.

[EthiopianEyezD]

Miss B...you are one gewagesss lady...I love love love your smile...just a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day...


*ahem*...


so when are Eri and Ethio coming up....and wonder what kinna pictures are gonna be representing....

not WHAT kinna pictures
but WHO'S pictures
bwhahahahaha

[canadian_cutie]

Miss B...you are one gewagesss lady...I love love love your smile...just a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day...


*ahem*...


so when are Eri and Ethio coming up....and wonder what kinna pictures are gonna be representing....

not WHAT kinna pictures
but WHO'S pictures
bwhahahahaha

make sure you get my good side is all I am saying...*does her best attempt at a profile*

[EthiopianEyezD]

Equatorial Guinea





The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is a nation in west central Africa, and one of the smallest countries in continental Africa. It borders Cameroon on the north, Gabon on the south and east, and the Gulf of Guinea on the west, where the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe lie to its southwest. Formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Guinea, the country's territory (continentally known as Río Muni) includes a number of islands, including the sizable island of Bioko where the capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel), is located. Its post-independence name is suggestive of its being situated near both the equator and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the only country in Africa where Spanish is an official language, excluding the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the non recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
(Capital: Malabo)

Demographics
The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin. The largest tribe, the Fang, is indigenous to the mainland, but substantial migration to Bioko Island has resulted in Fang dominance over the earlier Bantu inhabitants. The Fang constitute eighty percent of the population and are themselves divided into sixty seven clans. Those in the northern part of Rio Muni speak Fang-Ntumu, while those in the south speak Fang-Okah; the two dialects are mutually unintelligible. The Bubi, who constitute fifteen percent of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island.

In addition, there are coastal tribes, sometimes referred to as "Playeros" (Beach People in Spanish): Ndowes, Bujebas, Balengues, and Bengas on the mainland and small islands, and "Fernandinos", a Creole community, on Bioko. Together, these groups compose five percent of the population. Some Europeans (largely of Spanish or Portuguese descent) – most of them mixed with African ethnicity – also live in the nation. There is a growing number of foreigners from neighboring Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea received Asians and black Africans from other countries as workers on cocoa and coffee plantations. Other black Africans came from Liberia, Angola, and Mozambique, and Asians are mostly Chinese and Japanese. Equatorial Guinea also allowed many fortune-seeking European settlers of other nationalities, including British, French and Germans. After independence, thousands of Equatorial Guineans went to Spain. Another 100,000 Equatorial Guineans went to Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria because of dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema. Some of its communities also live in Brazil, some Spanish-speaking Latin American nations, United States, Portugal, and France.

Culture
Several cultural dispersion and literacy organizations are located in the country, founded chiefly with the financial support of the Spanish government. The country has one university, the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (UNGE) with a campus in Malabo and a Faculty of Medicine located in Bata on the mainland. The Bata Medical School is supported principally by the government of Cuba and staffed by medical educators and physicians from that country..

Equatorial Guinea's culture on the mainland is heavily entrenched in ancient rituals and songs. This is especially true for the Fang while on the capital island of Bioko has largely been influenced by Spanish customs and traditions during the colonial period. During the colonial period education and health services was developed in the country. However, many Bubi farmers still hold to their ancient customs. One of the countries most famous celebrations is the abira which is believed to cleanse the community of evil. The balélé dance is performed along the coast throughout the year and on Bioko around Christmas. Most people in the country are nominally Christian while predominantly practice a combination of Roman Catholicism and pagan practices. Spanish and French are the official languages of the country while pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo are also common.
The news is broadcast on FM radios, and the country doesn't have any newspapers.

Motto: Motto: Unidad, Paz, Justicia, Spanish: (Unity, Peace, Justice)

[EthiopianEyezD]

guess what two countries are next, y'all?
just guess

and PM me if you want me to use your picture in either of the next two

[chereka]

guess what two countries are next, y'all?
just guess

and PM me if you want me to use your picture in either of the next two

who, who??? Ye'Agerochachen tera hone...