Equatorial Guinea, under President Obiang (below), has been among the world’s fastest growing countries but many still live in poverty (above)

Before the oil came, Equatorial Guinea’s phone book boasted only a few pages. Subscribers were listed by their first names. Cars were a novelty and the tallest buildings in Malabo, the island capital, were gracefully ageing villas dating back to Spanish colonial rule. The airport consisted of a tin shack.