Equatorial Guinea

For other uses, see Guinea (disambiguation).

Republic of Equatorial Guinea République de Guinée équatoriale República da Guiné Equatorial
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: «Unity, peace and justice»
Anthem: Caminemos pisando las sendas de nuestra inmensa felicidad
Capital	Malabo Population: approx. 211,276 1°30′49″N 10°22′47″E
Largest city	Bata
Official languages	Spanish, French and Portuguese
Spoken languages	Languages of Equatorial Guinea
Demonym	Equatoguinean
Member state	of the African Union
Government	Presidential republic within the framework of a military dictatorship
• President	Teodoro Obiang
• Vice President	Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue
• Prime Minister	Francisco Pascual Obama Asue
Independence  from Spain
• Referendum	December 15, 1963
• Elections	Sept. 22 and Sept. 29, 1968
• Signing of the act	October 11, 1968
• Recognized	October 12, 1968
Area
• Total	28,051 km2 (10,831 sq mi) (145th)
• Water (%)	0
Population
• 2014 census	1,222,442 (159th)
• Density	43.57/km2 (112.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Total	US$ 31,769 million (127th)
• Per capita	US$ 25,988
HDI (2017)	▼ 0.591  (141st)
Currency	Central African CFA franc (FCFA) ([[ISO 4217|XAF]])
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
	Not applicable
Calling code	240
ISO 3166 code	226 / GNQ / GQ
Internet TLD	.gq
Borders: 528 km · Coastline: 296 km Radio prefix: 3CA-3CZ · Vehicle registration: GQ · Aircraft registration: 3C Member of: UN, AU, OEI, ASALE, OIF, CPLP, PALOP, ASA, OEI, OPEC, GECF, G-77, ECCAS, UEMAC Notes: National language. — Full member since May 25, 2017.

Equatorial Guinea —officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea— is a Central African country, which defines itself in its constitution as an independent, republican, unitary, social and democratic state, and whose form of government is the presidential republic. Its territory is made up of seven provinces. Its capital is the city of Malabo, formerly known as Santa Isabel, although the inauguration of Ciudad de la Paz, a planned city intended to be the future capital of the country, is planned for the year 2020.

With its 28,051 km² of area it is one of the smallest countries on the African continent, consisting of a mainland territory and five inhabited islands. It borders Cameroon to the north, Gabon to the south and east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west, in whose waters, farther to the southwest, lie the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its population was estimated at 1,222,442 inhabitants in 2014. The mainland part of the territory is known as Río Muni or Mbini, and has an area of 26,000 km². Within the insular part, the most important islands are the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Poo) with 2,017 km², Annobón with 17 km², and Corisco with 15 km².

Equatorial Guinea obtained its independence from Spain on October 12, 1968. Equatorial Guinea is one of the two African countries whose official language is Spanish (the other is the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic), according to its constitution. It is spoken by 87.7% of the population according to the Instituto Cervantes.

According to the 2016 Human Development Report of the United Nations, Equatorial Guinea had a Gross Domestic Product per capita of 21,517 dollars in 2015, one of the highest in the ranking of wealth in Africa. However, it is one of the most unequal countries in the world according to the Gini index, and 70% of Guineans live on one dollar a day.

Toponymy

The name the country adopted after obtaining its independence from Spain comes from the name it had borne since 1963, when it obtained a regime of autonomy from Spain under the denomination of Equatorial Guinea, which is due to the fact that the territory is located in the Gulf of Guinea and to its proximity to the equator.

History

Main article: History of Equatorial Guinea

The present-day territory of Equatorial Guinea rests upon loosely organized medieval tribal kingdoms, which undoubtedly arose under the influence of more advanced proto-state structures that developed in parallel in the area: the Oyo Kingdom, the Kingdom of Kongo, the Benga kingdom of the island of Mandj (later called Corisco), the Bubi kingdom of the island of Bioko, and the village-states of the Fang clans of the mainland.

It is possible that the Gulf of Guinea area was visited by Hanno, a Carthaginian general who made a voyage along the coasts of Africa toward the end of the 5th century BC or the beginning of the 4th century BC.

Portuguese rule

The Portuguese were the first Europeans who, with certainty, explored the Gulf of Guinea, in 1471. That year the Portuguese Fernando Poo (who was seeking a route to India) placed the island of Bioko on European maps. He named it "Formosa" (beautiful). However, it soon became known by the name of its discoverer. On January 1, 1472, the Portuguese discovered the island of Pagalu (present-day Annobón), which they called "Ilha do Annobom" or "Ano Bom" (good year).

Around 1493, Dom John II of Portugal added to the series of his royal titles that of Lord of Guinea and first Lord of Corisco. The Portuguese colonized the islands of Bioko, Annobón and Corisco in 1494, turning them into "factories," or trading posts for the slave trade.

In 1641 the Dutch East India Company established itself on the Island of Bioko without Portuguese consent, temporarily centralizing the slave trade of the Gulf of Guinea from there. The Portuguese returned to the island in 1648, replacing the Dutch company with one of their own, the Corisco Company, devoted to the same type of trade. For that purpose they built one of the first European structures on the island, the fort of Punta Joko.

1729 map showing the geographic area of the Gulf of Guinea where the Bubi, Fang and Benga cultures, among others, developed.

From Corisco, Portugal sold slave labor under special contracts to France (to which it came to supply as many as 49,000 Guinean slaves), Spain and England between 1713 and 1753. The main collaborators were the Bengas, a people devoted to razzias, or the capture of human beings, a task in which they were assisted by the Pamue and Nviko.

The islands remained in Portuguese hands until March 1778, following the Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777) and the Treaty of El Pardo (1778), by which the islands were ceded to Spain, together with slave-trading rights and free trade along a stretch of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea between the Niger and Ogooué rivers, as well as the disputed Colonia del Sacramento, in Uruguay, in exchange for the Island of Santa Catarina (southern Brazil), held by the Spanish. From that moment on, the Spanish territory of Guinea was part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (founded in 1776), until the latter's definitive dismemberment with the May Revolution (1810).

Spanish rule

Main article: Governorate of Fernando Poo and Annobón

On April 17, 1778, the Spanish Brigadier Felipe de los Santos Toro y Freyre, 7th Count of Argelejo, set out from Montevideo bound for Bioko to take possession of the territories of the Gulf of Guinea in the name of Spain, but he died four months later; those territories would be part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The second Governor was Joaquín Primo de Rivera, who held the post on a provisional basis from November 14, 1778, to October 30, 1780, at which point the Spanish mission decided to return, disengaging from any action in the territory and abandoning the settlement of Concepción, the first and provisional administrative center.

The British occupied the Island of Bioko between 1826 and 1832 under the formal pretext of "fighting the slave trade" (even though the British position in previous decades had been favorable to that trade). Under these circumstances, the "Commission for the Repression of the Slave Trade, for the capture of slave ships and the pursuit of traffickers" was established on Fernando Poo. In 1827 the settlement of Port Clarence was founded, later Santa Isabel and today Malabo. In 1836 the Spanish navigator José de Moros visited the island of Annobón, governed by Pedro Pomba. The British, after leaving Bioko, returned in 1840, attacking and burning several Spanish outbuildings and factories on the Island of Annobón and on that of Corisco. In 1841, England was still interested in controlling Fernando Poo and proposed purchasing the island from Spain. The Spanish Congress and public opinion succeeded in stopping this initiative. To secure Spain's rights, the expedition of Juan José Lerena y Barry was sent; in March 1843 it raised the Spanish flag in Santa Isabel and received the submission of several local chiefs, such as Bonkoro I, King of the Bengas of the island of Corisco.

Bengas of Corisco (1910).

On September 13, 1845, the Royal Order was made public by which Queen Isabella II authorized the transfer to the region of all free Blacks and mulattoes from Cuba who "voluntarily" wished to go.

From 1855 onward there was a turbulent period of internal struggles among the Bengas over the question of local chieftaincies, struggles that ended in 1858 with the arrival of the first Spanish Governor. This Governor, Carlos de Chacón y Michelena, in 1858 appointed Munga I (who was opposed to Bonkoro II) Lieutenant Governor of Corisco. From 1859 to 1875 he left a Spanish garrison on the island, which would later be moved to the island of Elobey Chico. As part of this policy of interventionism, in 1864 Governor Ayllón named the native Bodumba King of Elobey Grande.

Stamp of Spanish Guinea (1903).

On June 20, 1861, the Royal Order was published by which the island of Bioko was turned into a Spanish penal colony; in October of the same year the Royal Order was issued by which, since emancipated Blacks from Cuba were not volunteering to emigrate to Guinea, it was ordered that, if no volunteers came forward, 260 Black Cubans be embarked without their consent, to be joined later by political reprisal victims. The region would be extensively explored by Manuel de Iradier y Bulfy, in charge of two expeditions (in 1875 and 1884) that were also tasked with putting an end to the uprisings of several Fang village-states. During the period 1887–1897, several Spanish representatives established relations with King Moka of Bioko, who in the second half of the 19th century unified all the Bubi clans (he would be followed by Sas Ebuera in 1899–1904 and Malabo in 1904–1937, the latter year being when the King was imprisoned by the Spanish authorities). The mainland portion, Río Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a Colony in 1900, the year in which a treaty signed in Paris determined the limits of the territory recognized as belonging to Spain.

On December 30, 1916—in the context of World War I—Spain sent an expeditionary company of marine infantry to take charge of German troops who, coming from Cameroon, had entered Spanish Guinea fleeing British pressure. The bulk of the company returned in 1917, with officers remaining alongside the internees until the war ended. During this period there were some clashes with the local population, such as those that gave rise to the 1918 Río Muni punitive expedition.

Colony of Spanish Guinea

During the Spanish colonization of Guinea there was an apartheid that segregated the country's citizens according to skin color.

King Malabo I of Bioko in 1930.

Both the insular and the mainland territory were united in 1926 as the colony of Spanish Guinea. By this time the earlier traditional structures of the local national kingdoms had finished dissolving, and the European-style administration imported by the Spanish became consolidated.

However, Spain lacked the wealth and interest needed to develop a significant economic infrastructure during the first half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, Spain developed large cocoa plantations on the island of Bioko with thousands of laborers imported from neighboring Nigeria.

In the 1930s Equatorial Guinea remained loyal to the Second Spanish Republic until September 1936 when, with the Spanish Civil War already under way, it joined the Uprising against the Republic, provoking the short-lived Taking of Guinea. In 1942 the so-called Operation Postmaster took place on Equatorial Guinean territory.

Spanish provinces

Until 1956, the islands of Fernando Poo and Annobón formed part of the Territory of Spanish Guinea. On August 21, 1956, these territories were organized under the name of Province of the Gulf of Guinea. During this period the first pro-independence movements in the country began to emerge tentatively, such as the one led by Acacio Mañé Ela.

In 1959 the Spanish territories of the Gulf of Guinea acquired the status of Spanish overseas provinces, similar to that of the metropolitan provinces. By the law of July 30, 1959, they officially adopted the name of Spanish Equatorial Region and were organized into two provinces: Fernando Poo and Río Muni. As such, the region was ruled by a Governor General exercising all civil and military powers. The first local elections were held in 1960, and the first Equatorial Guinean procuradores (deputies) to the Cortes were elected.

On December 15, 1963, the Spanish Government submitted to a referendum among the population of these two provinces a draft of Bases on Autonomy, which was approved by an overwhelming majority. Consequently, these territories were granted autonomy, officially adopting the name of Equatorial Guinea, with bodies common to the whole territory (the General Assembly, the Council of Government and the Commissioner General) and bodies specific to each province. Although the Commissioner General appointed by the Spanish government had broad powers, the General Assembly of Equatorial Guinea had considerable initiative in formulating laws and regulations. Its first and only President was Bonifacio Ondó Edu.

In November 1965, the Fourth Committee of the UN Assembly approved a draft resolution asking Spain to set as soon as possible the date for the independence of Equatorial Guinea. In December 1966 the Council of Ministers of the Spanish Government agreed to prepare the Constitutional Conference. In October 1967 that Conference was inaugurated, presided over by Fernando María Castiella, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs; at the head of the Guinean delegation was Federico Ngomo.

Independent state

Main article: Independence of Equatorial Guinea

Proclamation of independence

In March 1968, under pressure from Equatorial Guinean nationalists and the United Nations, Spain announced that it would grant independence. A Constituent Convention was formed, which produced an electoral law and a draft constitution. Once the second phase of the Constitutional Conference had ended (April 17–June 22, 1968), the vote was held. The referendum on the constitution took place on August 11, 1968, under the supervision of a team of observers from the United Nations. 63% of the electorate voted in favor of the new constitution, which provided for a government with a General Assembly and a Supreme Court with judges appointed by the President.

On September 22 the first presidential elections were held and none of the four candidates obtained an absolute majority. One week later Francisco Macías Nguema was elected President of Equatorial Guinea; his closest runner-up in the election was Bonifacio Ondó Edu.

In September 1968, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected the first President of Equatorial Guinea with the support of nationalist movements such as the IPGE (Popular Idea of Equatorial Guinea), part of MONALIGE (National Liberation Movement of Equatorial Guinea) and MUNGE (National Union Movement of Equatorial Guinea). The independence of Equatorial Guinea was proclaimed on October 12, 1968. The country adopted the name Republic of Equatorial Guinea. It was admitted to the UN as the Organization's 126th member.

Decree of independence of Equatorial Guinea, operative part:

Article One. The electoral results proclaimed by the Electoral Commission of Guinea, dated the second of October of the current year, are recognized, and by virtue thereof His Excellency Don Francisco Macías Nguema is held to be President-elect of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Article Two. The territory of Equatorial Guinea is declared independent as of twelve o'clock on the twelfth day of October of the current year, at which moment the ceremony of the handover of powers to the President-elect of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea shall take place. I so order by this Decree, given in Madrid on the ninth of October, nineteen hundred and sixty-eight.

— Decree 2467/1968, of October 9, granting independence to Equatorial Guinea
Francisco Franco, Boletín Oficial del Estado, October 11, 1968

In January 1969, the leader of the opposition to Macías, Bonifacio Ondó Edu, who was under house arrest, was murdered. Instability in the country increased.

In March 1969, Macías announced that he had put down a coup attempt headed by the opposition figure Atanasio Ndongo (accounts vary: although some authors maintain that it never existed, others assert that the attempt did take place). The Equatorial Guinean President used this pretext to do away with all opposition and establish a sinister dictatorship. The followers of Atanasio Ndongo were arrested or murdered. The failed coup or false coup generated a wave of popular anti-Spanish indignation (encouraged by the government), as a result of which the Spanish community felt threatened. This whole situation resulted in a diplomatic crisis between Spain and Equatorial Guinea.

On March 28, 1969, the Spanish troops stationed in Río Muni were re-embarked. The same would happen on April 5, when they left the island of Fernando Poo. The Spanish presence in Equatorial Guinea had come to an end.

The Macías dictatorship

Macías did not take long to concentrate all the powers of the State in his own person: in July 1970 he created a single-party regime, the PUNT (United National Workers' Party); in May 1971 crucial parts of the Constitution were abrogated; and in July 1972 he proclaimed himself President for life.

In July 1973 he promulgated a new Constitution (the country's second), tailor-made for him, which created a unitary State, annulling the previous status of a federation between Fernando Poo and Río Muni. He carried out relentless repression against his political opponents, who were liquidated in the prisons through simple and brutal beatings. Because of his dictatorial methods, more than 100,000 people fled to neighboring countries; at least 50,000 of those who remained in the country died, and another 40,000 were sentenced to forced labor.

The Macías regime was characterized by the abandonment of all government functions with the exception of internal security. Owing to theft, ignorance and negligence, the country's infrastructure—electricity, water supply, roads, transport and health—fell into ruin. The Catholic religion was repressed and the educational system shut down. The Nigerian contract laborers, who carried out the bulk of the work on the cocoa plantations of Bioko, were deported en masse in early 1976. The Equatorial Guinean economy collapsed, and the most qualified citizens and the foreigners left the country.

The schools were closed in 1975 and Catholic worship was banned in June 1978. Nguema implemented a campaign of toponymic Africanization, superficially imitating the sociocultural movement of Négritude, replacing the colonial names with native names: the capital Santa Isabel became Malabo, the Island of Fernando Poo was renamed Masie Nguema Biyogo in honor of the dictator himself, and Annobón became Pagalu. As part of the same process, the entire population was ordered to change their European names to African names. The dictator's own name underwent several transformations, so that by the end of his rule he was known as Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong.

The Teodoro Obiang dictatorship

President Teodoro Obiang.

On August 3, 1979, Macías was overthrown in a coup d'état led by his nephew, Lieutenant colonel Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who had been warden of the sinister Black Beach prison. Macías was tried and executed, while a Supreme Military Council was constituted, presided over by Obiang himself. The islands were renamed Bioko and Annobón. The new regime faced an enormous task: the State coffers were empty and the population was barely a third of what it had been at the time of independence.

In July 1982, that Council named Obiang President of the Republic for a seven-year term, while a new constitution (the country's third) was promulgated, approved by referendum (August 15, 1982). The Supreme Military Council was dissolved in October 1982. Shortly afterward, on December 19, 1983, Equatorial Guinea joined the Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC), and somewhat later the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, as a result of which in 1985 it adopted the CFA franc as its currency. Parliamentary elections took place in 1983 and 1988, contested by a single list of candidates. In 1987, Obiang had announced the formation of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) with a view to the presidential elections to be held in 1989. As the sole candidate, Obiang was reelected. However, he did not manage to lift the country out of the deep economic crisis in which it was mired.

In 1991 a tentative democratization began, indispensable for the continuation of economic aid from Spain, France and other countries. In November a new constitution (the country's fourth) was approved by referendum, establishing a system of parliamentary representation for political parties that were legalized. Upon the announcement of this tentative opening, many political opponents returned to the country, only to be imprisoned by Obiang (January–February 1992).

Some months later, various opposition political groups were legalized. However, in the 1993 legislative elections ten of the fourteen registered parties were banned, which resulted in voter abstention of around 80%. The official results gave victory to the PDGE, so Obiang remained in power as head of State and of Government. After these elections, not only did the regime fail to democratize, but in 1995 the opposition leader Severo Moto Nsá was imprisoned on charges of corruption and slander. Nor was the candidate of the Joint Opposition Platform (POC), Amancio Nsé, allowed to take part in the presidential elections of February 1996, by means of an electoral law tailored to the President. Consequently, Obiang was reelected with 98% of the votes.

The year 1996 was crucial for the future development of the country. That year the American multinational Mobil began extracting petroleum in Equatorial Guinean territory, which would lead to a considerable increase in revenue for the country.

The 1996 elections were strongly questioned internationally. To counter the criticism, Obiang named a new government in which opposition figures held some minor posts. In 1998 a trial without any procedural guarantees was held against 117 members of the Bubi ethnic group (the Nguema family belongs to the Fang, the majority in the country) close to the opposition group MAIB (Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island), allegedly involved in an attempted assassination of the head of state, the 1998 Bubi revolt. The sham trial ended with fifteen death sentences. The legislative elections of March 1999 saw another crushing victory for the President's party, the PDGE (which went from 68 to 75 seats in an 80-seat chamber). The main opposition parties, the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) and the Popular Union (UP), which won four seats and one seat respectively, refused to take them up. The local elections of May 2000 were another sweeping victory for the PDGE, which thereby controlled all the important municipalities in the country. The main opposition parties described the elections as rigged and boycotted them.

In the presidential elections of December 2002, despite the opposition's allegations of fraud, Obiang was reelected, renewing his mandate for another seven years (until 2009).

In 2003 a Government of Equatorial Guinea in Exile was formed, led by Severo Moto. Apparently, they hired a company based in the Channel Islands to overthrow the Obiang government. In March 2004, 64 alleged mercenaries were detained at the airport of Harare (Zimbabwe) after concealing information about the cargo and the crew. In 2004, the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mark Thatcher, was arrested in South Africa on the charge of collaborating in a failed coup attempt.

Thanks to oil revenues, with production having increased tenfold in recent years, Equatorial Guinea has experienced growth rates of 33%. However, this influx of wealth is not serving to improve the economic conditions of the population; rather, it has served to grant a certain international "legitimacy" to the regime, with visits from representatives of the governments of the United States and Spain, among others. Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest crude oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa (after Angola and Nigeria).

In 2003 President George Walker Bush resumed diplomatic relations with the Equatorial Guinean government, which had been interrupted in 1995 when the ambassador of President Bill Clinton, seeking to promote the cause of human rights, was threatened with death and ordered to leave the country.

The government of Teodoro Obiang Nguema is considered one of the most repressive in the world, according to international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Specifically, the disappearances of activists, torture, the lack of press freedom, the lack of real legal guarantees, the manipulation of electoral processes and the extremely unequal distribution of the country's wealth have been denounced.

In 2011 the government announced the creation of a new capital for the country, Ciudad de la Paz.

In 2011 a constitutional referendum was held, in which reforms were approved such as the restoration of the office of Vice President, the creation of the Senate and the limitation of the presidential mandate to two terms.

On July 20, 2012, the CPLP once again rejected Equatorial Guinea's application to be considered a full member.

In the 2013 legislative elections, the PDGE won 69 of the 70 seats in the Senate and 99 of the 100 members of the Chamber of Deputies. The CPDS denounced the elections as fraudulent.

On April 24, 2016, new presidential elections took place, in which Obiang obtained 93.5%.

In 2017, the prominent cartoonist and opponent of Obiang Ramón Esono Ebalé was arrested and imprisoned in Black Beach prison.

That same year Vice President Teodorín Nguema Obiang was sentenced in Paris to a suspended three-year prison term and a fine of 30 million euros for corruption. In addition, all his palaces in France and 17 luxury cars were seized.

The 2017 legislative elections resulted in another victory for the PDGE, which won all the senators and 99 of the 100 deputies, the remaining seat going to the party Citizens for Innovation (CI). This party was shortly afterward accused of organizing a coup d'état, and consequently 146 of its members were put on trial in February 2018. The verdict of the trial was made public on February 26. 36 defendants (including the party's deputy Jesús Mitogo Oyono) were sentenced to 26 years in prison (it was initially reported in error that the sentences were 44 years). Although a large part of those tried were acquitted, the verdict also included the banning of CI. CI announced its intention to appeal the verdict, which it finally did by filing a cassation appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice. In an official statement from Spain, the People's Party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Unidos Podemos, En Comú Podem, Ciudadanos and the Basque Nationalist Party denounced the persecution of the opposition party and demanded "respect for human rights, for public freedoms and for the elementary norms of democracy." The Spanish government contacted Gabriel Nsé Obiang (leader of CI) and stated that it maintained a constant dialogue with the Guinean opposition to promote democracy. In March 2018, the Spanish senator Carles Mulet García of Compromís drafted a question in the Senate of Spain, answered by the Spanish Government in May of the same year, concerning the events relating to CI that had taken place in Equatorial Guinea. In contrast, the PDGE justified the sentences, which was repudiated by CI.

As regards the case of Ramón Esono Ebale, at the first session of the trial, held on February 27, 2018, the prosecution withdrew all charges against Esono, having found insufficient evidence to incriminate him. The prosecution witness, National Police Corporal Trifonio Nguema Owono Abang, could not sustain his accusations before the court and acknowledged that he "was following orders" when he accused Esono Ebale. The artist was released on March 7.

In April 2018 Equatorial Guinea organized the so-called "International Colloquium on Human Rights and Civil Society," attended by ambassadors, international experts and heads of diplomatic missions. The event was criticized by opposition parties such as CI, given the political situation in the country. On May 2, 2018, the hearing began on the cassation appeal filed by the party to overturn its banning. The proceedings were handled by the lawyers Fabián Nsue and Ponciano Mbomio. The final judgment was handed down on May 7, and it upheld both the banning of CI and the sentences against its members. CI expressed its disagreement with the verdict and accused the Guinean judicial system of being manipulated by the government. The banning of CI was also condemned by the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS).

On May 17, the Secretary General of CI, María Jesús Mene Bopabote, traveled to Brussels and was received by the institutions of the European Union, presenting a dossier on the human rights violations committed by the government.

On May 23, President Obiang met with a Spanish delegation led by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ildefonso Castro López, who conveyed the Spanish Government's wish to accompany the authorities and the people of Equatorial Guinea on the 50th anniversary of their independence. Castro also met with the opposition figures Andrés Esono Ondó (leader of the Convergence for Social Democracy) and Avelino Mocache (leader of the Center-Right Union), with whom he discussed the Equatorial Guinean political situation.

In June 2018, the International Court of Justice agreed to determine whether the expropriations of several properties of Vice President Nguema Obiang by the French authorities during his judicial proceedings had been correct. On June 7, CI filed an amparo appeal before the Constitutional Court, considering that the sentence upheld against it violated the Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea.

On June 11 Obiang convened a National Dialogue Roundtable (the sixth in the country's history) for the month of July, in which all of the country's legalized and non-legalized political parties, as well as opposition groups in exile, could take part. The announcement was received with optimism by CI (although it criticized the government for not explaining the content of the project) and with skepticism by CPDS. The process was convened by presidential decree on June 13. The period between July 16 and 21 was set as the date for holding the event. CI and CPDS set as conditions for taking part in the process the release of political prisoners, the participation of civil society and the presence of the international community. The Obiang government agreed to this last point by inviting foreign figures to the Dialogue, but it did not allow the participation of CI, citing its prior banning. CI condemned the government's attitude in a statement. For its part, the Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea described the National Dialogue as a "deception" by Obiang. The Union for Democracy and Social Development (UDDS) and the Republican Democratic Force (FDR) set a series of conditions for participating. The National Coordinating Body of Civil Society Organizations congratulated Obiang on the announcement, as did the United Nations, a body that also announced it would send an observer to the event. The CORED Coalition, a group in exile, expressed its intention to participate by videoconference.

On July 4, the Obiang government announced a general amnesty for all political prisoners with a view to the Dialogue Roundtable convened by the government weeks earlier. CI, the CPDS and the FDR assessed the measure positively, but denounced the arbitrariness of the regime. The Government of Spain and Amnesty International expressed similar views. The Guinean government criticized the Spanish government for an attitude it described as "interference." Days after the amnesty decree was enacted, the opposition denounced that it had not yet been put into practice. CPDS also criticized the organization of the Dialogue Roundtable, which in its view excluded the opposition parties. The National Dialogue began on July 16 at the Sipopo Conference Center with the participation of 17 political parties (including CPDS) and the absence of CI, which lamented its exclusion. On the eve of the start of the event, the European Union asked to participate as an observer. During the event, the opposition parties again denounced the failure to implement the amnesty and the continued imprisonment of several Supreme Court justices, one of whom died in prison. The CPDS even called for the resignation of the Government and the establishment of a transitional government, a proposal that was rejected by the Executive. The Dialogue Roundtable was finally extended until July 23, pending the participants' conclusion of agreements. At the close of the process, agreements were reached such as greater respect for human rights, projects on cultural matters and the construction of public schools. The Government assessed the Dialogue Roundtable positively, and President Obiang declared himself satisfied and encouraged by its outcome. Nevertheless, opposition parties such as the CPDS and the Center-Right Union (UCD) considered the process fruitless and refused to sign the final document of agreements. Days later a meeting was held between the government and the political parties at which the authorities tried without success to persuade CPDS and UCD to sign the document. CI also assessed the results of the Dialogue Roundtable as a failure, as did the opposition in exile.

In October 2018, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Equatorial Guinea, all the CI prisoners were pardoned, including its elected deputy Jesús Mitogo. Its leader Gabriel Nsé stated that he hoped to recover the party's parliamentary seat. However, CI likewise denounced that the detainees were not immediately released. On October 22 they were finally released, a step that was welcomed by the Spanish Government and by the opposition both at home and in exile. However, the party's leadership noted that several of those released showed signs of torture. Likewise, the authorities prevented the party from recovering its parliamentary seat.

On October 12, 2018, Equatorial Guinea celebrated 50 years of independence. The government held a mass event that was even attended by several heads of State from the African continent. For its part, the opposition in exile held a protest rally in front of the Equatorial Guinean embassy in Spain, and that country's government congratulated Equatorial Guinea on its independence anniversary, although it urged the Obiang government to halt political repression.

In May 2019, after a controversial trial, more than 130 people were sentenced to prison for their participation in the 2017 coup attempt.

On March 7, 2021, there were munitions explosions at a military base near the City of Bata that caused 98 deaths, and 600 people were injured and treated in hospital.

In November 2022 Obiang was reelected in the 2022 Equatorial Guinean general election with 99.7% of the votes amid accusations of fraud by the opposition.

In July 2024, the Obiang regime began a crackdown on the island of Annobón after protests broke out over the activity of a mining company. Telephone coverage and internet on the island were cut off, leaving its inhabitants completely isolated from the rest of the world. It was noted that the aim is to silence dissenting voices and prevent the spread of information about human rights violations on the island.

Also in 2024 it was reported that mercenaries of the Wagner Group (renamed "Africa Corps") had entered Equatorial Guinea at Obiang's request. According to opposition figures, the mercenaries' objective would be to help consolidate a hypothetical succession in power from Obiang to his son Teodorín.

On May 19, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded Equatorial Guinea sovereignty over the island of Mbañe, Cocoteros Island and Conga Island in the face of the territorial claims that neighboring Gabon had been making since 1972.

On January 2, 2026, the Equatorial Guinean government made official the administrative transfer of the capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Equatorial Guinea, President of Equatorial Guinea, and Government of Equatorial Guinea

Nominally, Equatorial Guinea has been a constitutional democracy since 1991. The Constitution has been amended on several occasions, the most recent being the reform of November 2011. However, opposition forces describe the political reality of this country as a one-party and personal dictatorship of Teodoro Obiang Nguema, in power since August 3, 1979, when he led a coup d'état against his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, and who has perpetuated himself in the presidency by falsifying election results and murdering serious opponents. The political system of Equatorial Guinea has been defined as a "democratura" by Professor Max Liniger-Goumaz, while other analysts agree that it is a de facto dynasty. Its critics claim that in practice the country functions as a plutocracy.

A group of exiles, based mainly in Spain and led by Severo Moto Nsá, leader of the center-right Progress Party (PPGE), demand the democratization of the country. The Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) party, socialist in orientation and led by Plácido Micó Abogo, is the second opposition force, followed by the Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island (MAIB) headed by Weja Chicampo Puye, a Bubi party of an ethnic nationalist character; and, finally, the Republican Democratic Force (FDR), a party led by Guillermo Nguema Elá, which has not been recognized by the government.

Presidential elections are held every seven years (the most recent took place in December 2009 and April 2016), and all persons over 18 years of age vote in them. The President, in turn, appoints the Prime Minister (currently Francisco Pascual Obama Asue). There is a single legislative chamber, practically decorative and without real power (the Chamber of Deputies), made up of 100 representatives elected, on paper, by direct popular vote for a five-year legislative term. Of the 100 seats, in the current legislature 99 belong to the single party of the dictatorship, the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), and the other to the opposition Citizens for Innovation (CI), which denounced the voting process as fraudulent.

Since Teodoro Obiang took power, there has been a succession of political murders and disappearances, as well as mock trials notable for the absence of procedural guarantees. The reports of Amnesty International and other independent bodies have for years documented and reported a harrowing reality of arbitrary detentions, horrific torture, beatings and deaths in custody.

Currently, oil also guides relations with the former European colonizing powers. Even though the country is governed by a dictatorship (in the decade from 2000 to 2010 it was several times among the ten countries with the most repressive regimes). Successive governments of Spain have made statements of support for "democracy" in Equatorial Guinea, since Repsol has important economic interests in the country. Likewise, Equatorial Guinea's relations with France are good despite its dismal record on human rights.

In November 2011 a reform of the Constitution was approved that limited the presidency of the Republic to two terms, created the Council of the Republic, created a Senate and the office of ombudsman, and introduced the office of Vice President of the Republic. The head of State also became head of government. This new reform of the Constitution was submitted to a popular referendum before the text to be voted on was published. Surprisingly, during the government reshuffle following the referendum, President Teodoro Obiang appointed two vice presidents, flagrantly violating the reform he himself had just introduced. The Senate would be composed of 70 members, of whom 55 would be elected by the people, while the remaining 15 were to be appointed by the President of the Republic. The Council of the Republic would always be presided over by a former head of State.

Human rights

Equatorial Guinea has one of the worst human rights records in the world according to the annual report on political and civil rights by Freedom House. Reporters Without Borders places President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo among the "predators" of press freedom. The 2012 United States report on human trafficking states that "Equatorial Guinea is a source and destination for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking." The report places Equatorial Guinea as a Tier 3 country, the lowest ranking, where the countries are found "whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so." Currently Equatorial Guinea is under what many sources consider a military dictatorship that has now been in power for 40 years.

Status of Equatorial Guinea with respect to the main United Nations human rights treaties

Treaty	Status
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)	Ratified or acceded
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR-OP)	Neither signed nor ratified
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)	Ratified or acceded
First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR-OP1)	Ratified or acceded
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR-OP2)	Neither signed nor ratified
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)	Ratified or acceded
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)	Signed but not ratified
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)	Ratified or acceded
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW-OP)	Neither signed nor ratified
Convention against Torture (CAT)	Ratified or acceded
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)	Ratified or acceded
Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC-OP-AC)	Signed but not ratified
Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC-OP-SC)	Signed but not ratified
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC)	Signed but not ratified
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)	Neither signed nor ratified
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD-OP)	Neither signed nor ratified

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea

Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in the United States.

Equatorial Guinea is a member of the United Nations (UN), the African Union, the Economic Committee of Central Africa and the Monetary Union (CEMAC), which includes Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon. It is also a member of the franc zone. It maintains some international disputes, for example, over the exclusive economic zone on the maritime border with Cameroon, which is currently before the International Court of Justice. Another maritime boundary dispute exists with Gabon over sovereignty over the islands in Corisco Bay, in addition to the dispute over the maritime border with Nigeria and Cameroon due to competition for the oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea.

Armed Forces

Main article: Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea

The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea are made up of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and a National Guard. Together they constitute the Equatoguinean institution which, according to the Constitution of 1995, is charged with guaranteeing national Defense and sovereignty, and maintaining the order and territorial integrity of this Central African nation.

Its supreme commander, according to article 39 of the Constitution, is the President of the Republic. Title Three, sole chapter, of this country's charter refers to the functions and organization of this military institution.

Political and administrative organization

Main article: Territorial organization of Equatorial Guinea

Main article: List of municipalities of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is administratively divided into seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 32 municipalities:

Provinces of Equatorial Guinea.

Provinces of Equatorial Guinea

Provinces	Municipalities	Capital	Area (km²)	Population (2014)	Density (inhab/km²)	HDI
Annobón	2	San Antonio de Palé	17	5,232	307.76	n/a
Bioko Norte	3	Malabo	776	299,836	386.38	n/a
Bioko Sur	2	Luba	1,241	34,627	27.90	n/a
Centro Sur	5	Evinayong	9,931	141,903	14.28	n/a
Kié-Ntem	6	Ebebiyín	3,949	183,331	46.42	n/a
Litoral	7	Bata	6,645	366,130	55.09	n/a
Wele-Nzas	7	Mongomo	5,478	191,383	34.93	n/a

Geography

Main article: Geography of Equatorial Guinea

Map of Equatorial Guinea

Map of Mbini

Map of Annobón and Bioko

Equatorial Guinea is a small country located in the equatorial part of Africa. It consists of a mainland territory of 26,017 km², called the Continental Region or Mbini (formerly Río Muni), which borders Cameroon to the north, Gabon to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; and another called the Insular Region of 2,034 km², formed by the islands of Bioko (formerly Fernando Poo), where the capital Malabo is located, Annobón (south of São Tomé and Príncipe, called Pagalú during the Macías dictatorship), and the islands located in Corisco Bay: Corisco, Elobey Grande, Elobey Chico and a few others.

Mbini comprises a flat coastal strip that becomes increasingly rugged toward the interior, where there is a series of mountain ranges called the "Seven Mountains". The terrain is gently rolling and covered by jungle vegetation. About 60% of the area belongs to the basin of the Mbini River (formerly called the Benito).

The most important island is Bioko (2,017 km²), and it is located north of the mainland, 40 kilometers off the coast of Cameroon in the Bight of Bonny (Biafra), a section of the Gulf of Guinea. The island, of volcanic origin, is mountainous and heavily forested, with a steep and rocky coastline (195 km) whose beaches are hidden when the tide rises. There are excellent ports at Malabo and Luba. Its highest elevation is Pico de Santa Isabel, also known as Pico Basilé, 3,008 meters high. The island has fertile volcanic soils (on which cocoa is grown) and various rivers; the lakes are found in the mountains.

The island of Annobón (18 km²), so named because it was discovered on New Year's Day of 1472, is located some 640 kilometers southwest of the coast of Gabon and 595 southwest of Bioko.

The islands of Corisco Bay form part of the municipality of Corisco, which is located 25 km from the estuary of the Muni River, while the Elobeys are located less than 10 km from Gabon.

More than 45% of the territory is forest (46.2%) and is made up of tropical forests, notable for their biodiversity. Despite the profits produced by oil, the agricultural area is increasing, with consequent deforestation (8.2%).

Islands

Main article: Islands of Equatorial Guinea

Number	Island	Area (km²)	Population	Province(s)	Coordinates
1	Bioko	2017	592,066	Bioko Norte Bioko Sur	3°30′N 8°42′E
2	Annobón	17	20,741	Annobón	1°26′S 5°38′E
3	Corisco	15	1004	Litoral	0°55′N 9°19′E
4	Elobey Grande	2.27	uninhabited	Litoral	0°59′N 9°30′E
5	Elobey Chico	0.19	uninhabited	Litoral	1°00′N 9°31′E

Climate

Equatorial Guinea has an equatorial climate. The average annual temperature is around 25 °C and average annual precipitation is over 2,000 mm in most of the country. On the island of Bioko the rainy season runs from April to October, while on the mainland the rains are somewhat lighter and occur from April to May and from October to December.

Flora and fauna

Lowland gorilla

Species typical of African equatorial ecosystems stand out. Among them are the drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), the mandrill, picathartes, lowland gorilla, sitatunga, leopard, guenons, chimpanzee, elephant and the rare Zenker's squirrel (Idiurus zenkeri). The number of cases of endemism on the island of Bioko is very high.

Ecology

The biomes present in Equatorial Guinea are rainforest and mangrove.

According to the WWF, the continental region of Equatorial Guinea belongs entirely to the ecoregion of the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests, with the exception of the estuary of the Muni River, on the border with Gabon, which is included in the Central African mangroves, as are the islands of Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico. The island of Annobón forms part of the São Tomé, Príncipe and Annobón lowland forests, while Bioko is divided between the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests and the Bioko and Mount Cameroon montane forests, the latter above 800 m above sea level.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Equatorial Guinea

Equatoguinean pesetas (1969).

The economy of Equatorial Guinea depends mainly on oil production, which accounts for 60% of gross domestic product and 86% of the country's exports. Other economic resources are the exploitation of fine woods and agriculture, with products such as cocoa, cotton, coffee, sugarcane, tropical fruits, etc. Cattle ranching is practiced in the highlands, and there is an informal trade in minerals, particularly precious metals. The issuing of postage stamps, mainly for philatelic collecting, is also a source of income for the state.

Since the end of the 20th century, thanks to the exploitation of oil fields, Equatorial Guinea has been the country in Africa with the highest per capita income, at some 29,000 dollars at purchasing power parity, a figure similar to that of Portugal or Greece. However, this wealth has been hoarded by a small elite from President Obiang's circle, while a large part of the population has remained in poverty. Equatorial Guinea has become one of the most unequal countries in the world, with a Gini coefficient of 0.65. This inequality is reflected in its low Human Development Index, lower than that of many North African countries that have a per capita income almost 10 times lower than that of Equatorial Guinea.

The country has been in recession since 2013, which worsened after the fall in the price of oil in 2015. In 2017 the International Monetary Fund predicted that the Guinean economy would remain in recession until at least 2022. The government has carried out spending cuts that have not prevented the public deficit from rising to 16% of GDP. The central bank exhausted its foreign currency reserves in 2016.

Equatorial Guinea is a member state of the CEMAC. The legal tender is the CFA franc.

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Equatorial Guinea

Malabo Airport, at Punta Europa, Bioko island.

There are practically no railways in Equatorial Guinea. There are 2,880 kilometers (1,790 miles) of roads and highways in Equatorial Guinea. Investment in roads and highways has been constant in recent years. The main ports are those of Bata and Mbini in Río Muni and those of Malabo and Luba on Bioko. There are nine ports and five airports (3 international) in Equatorial Guinea, the main one being Malabo Airport, at Punta Europa, Bioko island. CEIBA Intercontinental is the country's flag carrier, operating 2 weekly flights between Malabo and Madrid.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Equatorial Guinea

Population trend between 1961 and 2003 (figures from the FAO, 2005). Population in thousands of inhabitants.

Equatorial Guinea has a young population (45% are no older than 15 years) with a birth rate of around 42 per thousand and a mortality rate of 16 per thousand (by comparison, infant mortality in Cuba is 5.3). Life expectancy is 49 years for men and 53 for women (the worst averages within the Hispanic world). Only 4% of the population is over 65 years old. The adult literacy rate stood at 52% in 1992, but would have risen to 87% by 2009. Most of the population lives in rural areas. According to the preliminary results of the Official Census for 2015, Equatorial Guinea has 1,222,442 inhabitants, in contrast with the 1,014,999 counted in 2001.

Education

Main article: Education in Equatorial Guinea

The country has one university, the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), with a campus in Malabo and a Faculty of Medicine in Bata. The Faculty of Medicine in Bata is supported mainly by Cuba, whose government provides the center's professors and doctors. The Spanish National University of Distance Education also has a branch in Malabo and another in Bata.

Several cultural organizations are active in the country (the Hispano-Guinean Cultural Center, the Spanish Cultural Center of Malabo and others), whose main purpose is literacy and the cultural promotion of the population. Most of the financial support in this regard comes from the Spanish government.

Ethnography

Main article: Ethnography of Equatorial Guinea

Population distribution by age and gender

It is the only Spanish-speaking country in the world with a predominantly black population, and practically all of its inhabitants have Spanish names.

The national population, which represents 99% of the population, is essentially Bantu: Fang in Río Muni and Bubi on Bioko. The main ethnic groups are distributed as follows: Fang (72% of the population, in Río Muni), Bubi (15%, on Bioko), Fernandinos (on Bioko), Bisio and Ndowé on the coast of the Continental Region, the former province of Río Muni, and Annobonese on the Island of Annobón, the only territory of the country in the Southern Hemisphere. The predominant minority of another race is made up of white Europeans of Spanish descent. Equatorial Guinea received Asians and black Africans from other countries to work on the cocoa and coffee plantations. Other black Africans come from Liberia, Angola and Mozambique, and the Asians are mostly Chinese. Likewise, British, French and German communities have arrived in the country. Of all these arrivals, the only ones who did not adopt the Spanish language were the French, since their language is co-official.

After independence, thousands of Equatoguineans left for Spain, since all inhabitants of the country born before independence retained Spanish nationality. Around 100,000 Equatoguineans went to Cameroon, Gabon and Nigeria because of the dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema. Many of their communities live in Spain, Brazil, many Hispanic American countries, the United States, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Most populous localities

Main localities of Equatorial Guinea
		Locality	Province	Inhabitants			Locality	Province	Inhabitants
	1	Bata	Litoral	230,282		11	Cogo	Litoral	23,121
	2	Malabo	Bioko Norte	211,276		12	Mbini	Litoral	20,295
	3	Ebebiyín	Kié-Ntem	60,747		13	Acurenam	Centro Sur	20,255
	4	Mongomo	Welé-Nzas	53,510		14	Micomeseng	Kié-Ntem	20,226
	5	Añisoc	Welé-Nzas	40,395		15	Aconibe	Welé-Nzas	20,105
	6	Niefang	Centro Sur	37,273		16	Nkimi	Centro Sur	16,451
	7	Evinayong	Centro Sur	36,521		17	Nsork	Welé-Nzas	16,037
	8	Nsok Nsomo	Kié-Ntem	32,979		18	Mengomeyén	Welé-Nzas	15,644
	9	Bidjabidjan	Kié-Ntem	28,144		19	Bicurga	Centro Sur	15,346
	10	Luba	Bioko Sur	23,870		20	Nkue	Kié-Ntem	14,955
	Register of inhabitants

Languages

Main article: Languages of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea in the Hispanic world

The official languages are Spanish (Equatoguinean Spanish), as reflected in the country's Constitution, French and Portuguese. The vast majority of Equatoguineans speak Spanish (although often as a second language). The region with the greatest knowledge of Castilian is Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844, although during a brief period in the 1970s, Castilian was declared an "imported" language and its use was banned (being replaced by Fang). From August 3, 1979, after the abolition of the Constitution of 1973, it was again declared an official language. Currently, Equatorial Guinea has committed to founding in the country an Equatoguinean Academy of the Spanish Language, which was finally created in October 2013; to establishing a program that strengthens the dissemination of Castilian in the mass media; and to reinforcing the Spanish courses for foreigners already established by the National University of Equatorial Guinea.

A constitutional law of 1998, which amends article 4 of the Fundamental Law of the State, establishes that the official languages of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are Castilian and French. French was adopted as an official language, although in practice its use is very limited, and it was adopted as an official language in order to belong to the Community of Francophone States, with the benefits of market opening that this entails. The indigenous languages are recognized as part of the national culture (Constitutional Law No. 1/1998 of January 21): Fang, spoken by almost 300 thousand people as a mother tongue and also spoken in areas of Cameroon, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the total number of speakers exceeds one million); Bubi (Bioko) (40 thousand speakers); Annobonese on the Island of Annobón (9 thousand speakers); Balengue in the Continental Region (one thousand speakers); Igbo and Creole English (Pichi), also on Bioko. The Ndowé language (also called Kombe, Ngumbi or "playero") belongs to the Ndowé group located in the coastal area of the mainland part of the country and is spoken by 4 thousand people. Other important languages are Kwasio (also called Bisio or Bujeba), with almost 9 thousand speakers, and Seki, with 11 thousand speakers.

In July 2007, the dictator Teodoro Obiang announced his government's decision that Portuguese would become a co-official language of Equatorial Guinea, in order to meet the requirements to apply for full membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP); however, its use is practically nonexistent (except on the Island of Annobón, where Annobonese, a creole language derived from Portuguese, is spoken). In July 2012, the CPLP rejected Equatorial Guinea's application, less because of insufficient progress in the introduction of Portuguese and more because of the constant human rights violations in the country.

Port of Malabo in 2001.

Religion

The vast majority of the population is formally Catholic (80.1%), although other Christian religions are professed (6.8%), certain rites of the religions of the former animist inhabitants are practiced to varying degrees, and there is an Islamic minority (4%).

Culture

Main article: Culture of Equatorial Guinea

Music

Main article: Music of Equatorial Guinea

Music in this country is characterized by the blending of native African influences and Spanish culture. Each group contributes different musical styles. The largest ethnic group is the Fang, although there are also numerous Bubi and smaller populations of Bisio, Bujeba, Ndowe, Combe, Annobonese and Spaniards. The former Spanish colony of Equatorial Guinea has an enormous wealth of musical expressions among its ethnic and social groups. As for modern rhythms, the genres of this country are hip-hop and the fusion of native African music with pop (Afropop).

Literature

Main article: Literature of Equatorial Guinea in Spanish

Among the country's leading authors are:

• Leoncio Evita Enoy (1929–1996)
• Juan Balboa Boneke (1938–2014)
• Raquel Ilonbé (1938?–1992)
• María Nsué Angüe (1945–2017)
• Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo (b. 1950)
• Justo Bolekia Boleká (b. 1954)
• Joaquín Mbomío Bacheng (b. 1956)
• Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (b. 1966)
• Guillermina Mekuy (b. 1982)
• Trifonia Melibea Obono (b. 1982)
• Constantino Ocha'a Mve Bengobesama (19??–1991)
• Constancia Mangue Bico Mbasogo (b. 1985)
• Cesar Brandon (Malabo, 1993)

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Equatorial Guinea

Meat and fish dishes stand out, rich in spices and fruits such as plantains or vegetables such as cassava and yam. Spanish culture from the colonial era also influenced the country's cuisine.

Media

Main article: List of media in Equatorial Guinea

The main mass media in the country are three FM radio stations with state participation. There are also two shortwave stations.

A July 2003 article by the BBC notes that there are no daily newspapers in the country and describes how a program in the Fang language called Bidze-Nduan ('buried by fire') declared, on a widely listened-to state station, that Teodoro Obiang was "in permanent contact with the Almighty". Likewise, a presidential aide added: "He [Obiang] can decide to kill without answering to anyone and without going to hell because it is God himself, with whom he is in permanent contact, who gives him his strength."

Most media outlets practice strict self-censorship, and it is prohibited by law to criticize public figures. The State controls the public media, and the main private radio network is run by Teodorín Nguema Obiang, the President's son.

Some data on communications in Guinea, according to The World Factbook:

• Telephone system (considered a poor system but with adequate government services):
  • Telephone lines in use: 10,000 (2005)
  • Mobile phones: 346,000 (2008)
  • International voice communications:
    • From Bata and Malabo with African and European countries
    • Satellite earth station: 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
• Radio:
  • AM stations: 0, FM: 2, Shortwave: 5 (2001) (Radio Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial)
  • Radio sets: 180,000 (1997)
• Television:
  • TV stations: 2, Televisión Guinea Ecuatorial (TVGE) (2001) and Asonga Televisión
  • TV sets: 4,000 (1997)
• Internet
  • Internet domains: 81 (2007)
  • Internet users: 12,000 (2008)

Philately

The region was under Spanish rule until 1969. The stamps of this period reflect the evolution of the colony's name.

• Between 1868 and 1902 the name Fernando Poo was used throughout the colony.
• Between 1903 and 1908 the names Fernando Poo on Bioko, Elobey, Annobón y Corisco on the other islands and Guinea Continental Española in the continental sector were used.
• Between 1908 and 1951 the name Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea was used throughout the territory.
• Between 1951 and 1959 the name Guinea Española was used throughout the territory.
• Between 1960 and 1968 the names Fernando Poo on the islands and Río Muni in the continental sector were used.
• Since 1968, the name has been República de Guinea Ecuatorial.

In 1968 it declared independence. The issuing of stamps remained in the hands of the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre of Spain. But in 1971 a contract was made with various companies, and hundreds of stamps began to be issued for exclusively philatelic purposes.

This mania for compulsive issues continued until 1979, the year in which a coup d'état overthrew the government and canceled the postal issue contracts. Control of them was returned to the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, which limited the number of issues.

The number of issues in the period 1972–1979 is so large that international catalogs do not show them, only mentioning them briefly. And Spanish catalogs jump directly from 1972 to 1980 (ignoring all issues not produced by the FNMT).

Sports

• Equatorial Guinea at the Olympics
• Equatorial Guinea national football team
• Equatoguinean Primera División

Malabo Stadium

Equatorial Guinea was chosen to host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations jointly with neighboring Gabon, and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In the first it reached the quarterfinals, and in the second it reached fourth place, becoming the surprise of the tournament.

It has also hosted the women's version on two occasions (2008 and 2013) and won both of those tournaments, in addition to having been runner-up in the 2010 edition, becoming the second-best team of the tournament, surpassed only by Nigeria. Apart from that, Equatorial Guinea qualified for the 2011 World Cup in Germany, and several youth categories have also reached international tournaments; hence the Equatorial Guinea women's team is among the strongest on the African continent, although it is one of the weakest at the world level.

In addition to football, basketball is also popular in Equatorial Guinea.

Notable athletes

• Miguel Jones: footballer. He played for Atlético de Madrid.
• Emilio Nsue: footballer, currently at Middlesbrough F.C.
• Éric Moussambani: swimmer.
• Álvaro Cervera: Spanish former footballer and coach born in the former colony of Spanish Guinea.
• Emilia Mikue Ondo: athlete; flag bearer of the country's delegation at the 2008 Olympic Games.
• José Mba Nchama: judoka; one of the country's 3 representatives at the 2008 Olympic Games.
• Reginaldo Micha Ndong Mangué, track and field athlete at Beijing 2008.
• Gus Envela Jr.: sprinter.
• Jade Boho: footballer.
• Genoveva Añonma: footballer.
• Javier Ángel Balboa: footballer.
• Rodolfo Bodipo: footballer.
• Benjamín Zarandona: footballer.
• Iván Zarandona: footballer.
• Pedro Obiang: Spanish footballer, son of Equatoguinean parents.
• Purificación Mbulito: basketball player.
• Pepe Collins: basketball player.
• Alex Asumu: kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter; currently competes in Spain.
• Joseph Nicolás García Nguere: Spanish-Guinean Muay Thai fighter; currently competes in Thailand.
• Daniel Minang: runner-up in the third European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championship.
• David Davis: handball player who plays internationally for Spain.
• Marta Mangué: Spanish handball player of Equatoguinean origin.
• Juvenal Edjogo: footballer, currently at F. C. Santa Coloma of Andorra.
• Venancio José: Spanish-Guinean athlete; held the Spanish record in the 100 meters dash between 2000 and 2008 with a time of 10.17s.
• Vicente Engonga: former footballer of Equatoguinean origin, capped by Spain; he was also national coach of Equatorial Guinea.
• Iris Junio: basketball player; she is the youngest in history to make her professional debut.
• Aauri Bokesa: Spanish athlete with roots in Equatorial Guinea.
• Larry Abia: basketball player.
• Richard Nguema: basketball player.

Public holidays

National Holidays

Date	Name in English	Notes	Local name
January 1	New Year's Day		Día del Año Nuevo y la Noche Vieja
May 1	Labor Day		Día del Trabajo y Festivos
June 5	Birthday of Teodoro Obiang Nguema		Día del Nacimiento del Grande Obiang Nguema
August 3	Freedom Coup Day		Día de Libertad y Golpismo
August 15	Constitution Day		Día de Leyes y Constitución
October 12	Independence Day		Día de la Independencia de Guinea Ecuatorial
December 8	Feast of the Immaculate Conception		Día de la Santa Concepción
December 10	Human Rights Day		Día de Deberes, Derechos y Obligaciones Humanas
December 25	Christmas		Día de la Noche Buena

Bibliography

• ABAGA EDJANG, Fernando: La ayuda externa en el desarrollo de Guinea Ecuatorial: revisión crítica. Spain: Los Libros de la Catarata, 1997. ISBN 84-8319-013-3.
• BALBOA BONEKE, Juan; and NGUEMA ESONO, Fermín: La transición de Guinea Ecuatorial: historia de un fracaso. Madrid: Labrys 54, 1996. ISBN 84-88070-09-8.
• BOLEKIA BOLEKÁ, Justo: Antroponimia bubi: estudio lingüístico. Bolekia, J., 1994
• BUALE BORIKÓ, Emiliano: Guinea Ecuatorial: las aspiraciones bubis al autogobierno. Iepala Editorial (Instituto de Estudios Políticos para América Latina y África), 1988.
• CASTRO ANTOLÍN, Mariano Luis de, Geografía de Guinea Ecuatorial (1985) Prog. Colab. Educ. M. Educ. C
• CASTRO ANTOLÍN, Mariano Luis de; and DE LA CALLE, María Luisa: Origen de la colonización española en Guinea Ecuatorial. Spain: University of Valladolid, Secretariado de Publicaciones, 1992.
• CREUS, Jacint: Identidad y conflicto: aproximación a la tradición oral de Guinea Ecuatorial. Asociación Los Libros de la Catarata, 1997.
• DENANTES TEULADE, Samuel: Malabo, le nouvel Eldora pétrolier de l'Afrique. L'Harmattan, 2009 (fr).
• GAMBOA GONZALEZ, Fernando: Guinea Ecuatorial: sobrevivir a Obiang. Supplement of El Mundo, August 2009.[1]
• Geografía e historia de Guinea Ecuatorial. Equatorial Guinea: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, 1982.
• Guinea Ecuatorial: una realidad viva. Proyectos y Producciones Editoriales Cyan, 1997.
• Guinea Ecuatorial, un país sometido al terror y al hostigamiento. Editorial Amnistía Internacional, 1999.
• IYANGA PENDI, Augusto: Bibliografía de las lenguas de Guinea Ecuatorial y africanas. Nau Llibres, 1996.
• LINIGER GOUMAZ, Max: Bibliografía general n.º 9 de Guinea Ecuatorial. Proyectos y Producciones Editoriales Cyan, 1996.
• MEDINA DOMÉNECH, Rosa María: "Paludismo, explotación y racismo científico en Guinea Ecuatorial". In: Rodríguez Ocaña E, Ballester Añón R, Perdiguero E, Medina Doménech RM, Molero Mesa J: La acción médico-social contra el paludismo en la España metropolitana y colonial del siglo XX (pp. 383–427). Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2003.
• NDONGO BIDGOYO, Donato: "Historia y tragedia de Guinea Ecuatorial". In the magazine Cambio 16, 1977.
• NERÍN ABAD, Gustau: Guinea Ecuatorial, historia en blanco y negro: hombres blancos y mujeres negras en Guinea Ecuatorial (1843-1968). Spain: Península, 1997.
• ONDO AYANG, Luis: Guinea Ecuatorial y el ensayo democrático. Proyectos y Producciones Editoriales Cyan, 1996.
• PIETILÄ, Annemarie: El español en Guinea Ecuatorial. Helsinki: Helsingin yliopisto, 2006.
• Reseña estadística de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 1981.

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Equatorial Guinea

• Espanol.Guinea-Equatorial.com, official website of the Government of Equatorial Guinea (in Spanish).
• Official website of the Office of Information and Press of Equatorial Guinea (in Spanish).
• Guinea-Ecuatorial.org, website of the Government of Equatorial Guinea in exile (in Spanish).