115-468: Convergence for Social Democracy (Spanish: Convergencia para la Democracia Social , CPDS) is the opposition party in Equatorial Guinea . It was the only opposition party with parliamentary representation during 2013-2017. The CPDS is headed by a president and a secretary-general, who are currently Santiago Obama Ndong and Andres Esono Ondo , respectively. The Secretary-General is defined as
230-488: A March 2004 BBC profile, politics within the country were dominated by tensions with Obiang's son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue . In 2004, a planeload of suspected mercenaries was intercepted in Zimbabwe while allegedly on the way to overthrow Obiang. A November 2004 report named Mark Thatcher as a financial backer of the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt organized by Simon Mann . Various accounts also named
345-493: A National Executive Commission. Plácido Micó Abogo was the only CPDS candidate to win a seat in the 1999 legislative election . The party's candidate in the December 2002 presidential election was Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé , who withdrew from the election along with other opposition candidates due to alleged fraud and intimidation but remained on the ballot and won 2.2% of the vote; President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of
460-562: A US-based international private military company , has worked in Equatorial Guinea to train police forces in appropriate human rights practices. In 2006, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hailed Obiang as a "good friend" despite repeated criticism of his human rights and civil liberties record. The US Agency for International Development entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Obiang in April 2006 to establish
575-457: A base for British ships hunting slave traders . Thus, on 25 December 1827, Port Clarence was founded on the ruins of a previous Portuguese settlement. The name was chosen in honor of the Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV . The Bubis indigenous to the island called it Ripotó (place of the foreigners). The population of the capital was increased by the arrival of slaves freed by
690-424: A bloody coup d'état ; over two weeks of civil war ensued until Macías Nguema was captured. He was tried and executed soon afterward, with Obiang succeeding him as a less bloody, but still authoritarian president. In 1995, Mobil , an American oil company, discovered oil in Equatorial Guinea. The country subsequently experienced rapid economic development, but earnings from the country's oil wealth have not reached
805-563: A cultural space where they can unleash their creative freedom. It also has three geographical axes, in order to capture the largest number of people in the region and contribute to its development. Activities include the training , art, film, theater, music and games , with the two main festivals: Traveling Film Festival of Equatorial Guinea (FECIGE) and the International Festival of Hip Hop in Malabo. Another important center
920-525: A loss of privileges and 'swamping' by the Fang majority, and the Río Muni Fang nationalists on the other. At the conference, the leading Fang figure, the later first president Francisco Macías Nguema , gave a controversial speech in which he claimed that Adolf Hitler had "saved Africa". After nine sessions, the conference was suspended due to deadlock between the "unionists" and "separatists" who wanted
1035-792: A major toll on European settlers from the beginning, and it would be centuries before attempts restarted. In 1778, Queen Maria I of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain signed the Treaty of El Pardo which ceded Bioko , adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the Bight of Biafra between the Niger and Ogoue rivers to Spain in exchange for large areas in South America that are now Western Brazil. Brigadier Felipe José, Count of Arjelejos formally took possession of Bioko from Portugal on 21 October 1778. After sailing for Annobón to take possession,
1150-657: A measure of influence there. For the USSR, there was an advantage to be gained in the war in Angola from access to Luba base and later on to Malabo International Airport . In 1974, the World Council of Churches affirmed that large numbers of people had been murdered since 1968 in an ongoing reign of terror . A quarter of the entire population had fled abroad, they said, while 'the prisons are overflowing and to all intents and purposes form one vast concentration camp'. Out of
1265-455: A military base near the city of Bata , causing 98 deaths and 600 people being injured and treated at the hospital. In November 2022, Obiang was re-elected in the 2022 Equatorial Guinean general election with 99.7% of the vote amid accusations of fraud by the opposition. The current president of Equatorial Guinea is Teodoro Obiang. The 1982 constitution of Equatorial Guinea gives him extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of
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#17327657283781380-417: A population of 300,000, an estimated 80,000 were killed. Apart from allegedly committing genocide against the ethnic minority Bubi people , Macias Nguema ordered the deaths of thousands of suspected opponents, closed down churches and presided over the economy's collapse as skilled citizens and foreigners fled the country. The nephew of Macías Nguema, Teodoro Obiang deposed his uncle on 3 August 1979, in
1495-575: A purge on Christmas Eve 1969, all of whom were political opponents. Macias Nguema further consolidated his totalitarian powers by outlawing opposition political parties in July 1970 and making himself president for life in 1972. He broke off ties with Spain and the West. In spite of his condemnation of Marxism , which he deemed " neo-colonialist ", Equatorial Guinea maintained special relations with communist states , notably China, Cuba, East Germany and
1610-562: A referendum of 15 December 1963, gave the territory a measure of autonomy and the administrative promotion of a 'moderate' group, the Movimiento de Unión Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial [ es ] (MUNGE). This was unsuccessful, and, with growing pressure for change from the UN, Madrid was gradually forced to give way to the currents of nationalism. Two General Assembly resolutions were passed in 1965 ordering Spain to grant independence to
1725-508: A separate Fernando Pó. Macías resolved to travel to the UN to bolster international awareness of the issue, and his firebrand speeches in New York contributed to Spain naming a date for both independence and general elections. In July 1968 virtually all Bubi leaders went to the UN in New York to try and raise awareness for their cause, but the world community was uninterested in quibbling over the specifics of colonial independence. The 1960s were
1840-651: A social development fund in the country, implementing projects in the areas of health, education, women's affairs and the environment. In 2006, Obiang signed an anti-torture decree banning all forms of abuse and improper treatment in Equatorial Guinea, and commissioned the renovation and modernization of Black Beach prison in 2007 to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners. However, human rights abuses have continued. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International among other non-governmental organizations have documented severe human rights abuses in prisons, including torture, beatings, unexplained deaths and illegal detention. Obiang
1955-778: A socialist party called the Popular Front in the enclave which served to oppose the interests of the Fernando Pó plantation owners. When the War broke out Francisco Franco ordered Nationalist forces based in the Canaries to ensure control over Equatorial Guinea. In September 1936, Nationalist forces backed by Falangists from Fernando Pó, similarly to what happened in Spain proper, took control of Río Muni, which under Governor-General Luiz Sanchez Guerra Saez and his deputy Porcel had backed
2070-510: A time of great optimism over the future of the former African colonies, and groups that had been close to European rulers, like the Bubi, were not viewed positively. Independence from Spain was gained on 12 October 1968, at noon in the capital, Malabo. The new country became the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (the date is celebrated as the country's Independence Day ). Macías became president in
2185-535: A treatment capacity of 200,000 tons/year. The main maritime links are with national destination to Bata and international to Spain and Douala in Cameroon. The Malabo International Airport serves the city. It is located 7 km from the centre in Punta Europa, Bioko . It serves long-distance direct flights to Europe and some African capitals as per the list below: From Malabo airport, one can fly to any of
2300-400: A very long cloudy wet season that covers the remaining nine months from March to November. On average, the months hit hardest by the wet season are September and October, which receive 500 millimetres (20 in) of rain and showers between them. Daytime temperatures do not vary at all day to day, and vary only a few degrees throughout the entire year. At night, the average low temperature
2415-440: Is 20 to 21 °C (68 to 70 °F) in every month of the year but January to April have a slightly higher diurnal range because it is clearer. Nonetheless, with only 1,020 hours of sunshine per year, Malabo is one of the cloudiest, wettest and most lightning-prone capitals of the world, and experiences much fog and haze even when it is not raining in the driest months. The mayor is María Coloma Edjang Mbengono who establishes
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#17327657283782530-615: Is a church in the Gothic Revival style, built between 1897 and 1916. Its architect was Luis Segarra Llairadó, paid by contributions from the government of Spain and the donations of the faithful. It has two spires 40 meters high. In January 2020 a fire due to an electrical failure caused the calcination of part of its structure, currently there is work ongoing for an early restoration in November 2021. Other points of interest are La Gaditana , known as Finca Amilivia prior to 1918,
2645-717: Is a full member of the Socialist International . 15 members of the Senate are appointed by the President Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea , officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea , is a country on the west coast of Central Africa , with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea , its post-independence name refers to its location near both
2760-572: Is a legally recognized party, its members are regularly detained and/or tortured by police. The CPDS acquired a radio station in August 2008 and began broadcasting from it in September. The police raided the CPDS headquarters on 13 September 2008, searching for the party's radio transmitter, although the police reportedly failed to find the transmitter and only seized electoral campaign material. The CPDS
2875-607: Is an official language (Spanish is also spoken in the African parts of Spain: the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla). It is also the most widely spoken language (considerably more than the other two official languages); according to the Instituto Cervantes , 87.7% of the population has a good command of Spanish. Equatorial Guinea's government is totalitarian and has one of the worst human rights records in
2990-577: Is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. It is the location of Bata , Equatorial Guinea's largest city, and Ciudad de la Paz , the country's planned future capital. Río Muni also includes several small offshore islands, such as Corisco , Elobey Grande , and Elobey Chico . The country is a member of the African Union , Francophonie , OPEC , and the CPLP . After becoming independent from Spain in 1968, Equatorial Guinea
3105-406: Is seeing significant expansion. Since the discovery of oil, numerous infrastructural developments have been made. The city of Malabo is a focal point for tourism in Equatorial Guinea , due to its direct connections with major tourist attractions on the island of Bioko . Nearby tourist attractions include the following: Malabo has a relatively young population. Approximately 45% of the population
3220-619: Is the Estadio Internacional . The Estadio Internacional has a 6,000 seat capacity. The Equatorial Guinea national football team played here until the Estadio de Malabo was opened. The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations was organized jointly by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. One of the four venues for the tournament was the Estadio de Malabo , the main stadium of the country, constructed in 2007. In Malabo were disputed six matches of
3335-512: Is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko Norte . It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko ( Bube : Etulá , and as Fernando Pó by the Europeans). In 2018, the city had a population of approximately 297,000 inhabitants. Spanish is the official language of the city and of the country as well, but Pichinglis is used as a language of wider communication across Bioko island, including Malabo. Malabo
3450-464: Is the 7th least democratic country in Africa . The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea consists of approximately 2,500 service members. The army has almost 1,400 soldiers, the police 400 paramilitary men, the navy 200 service members, and the air force about 120 members. There is also a gendarmerie , but the number of members is unknown. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index , Equatorial Guinea
3565-450: Is the 94th most peaceful country in the world. Equatorial Guinea is on the west coast of Central Africa . The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni , which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south, and five small islands, Bioko , Corisco , Annobón , Elobey Chico (Small Elobey), and Elobey Grande (Great Elobey). Bioko, the site of the capital, Malabo , lies about 40 kilometers (25 mi) off
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3680-555: Is the Hispano-Guinean Cultural Center, from 2012 Equatorial Guinean Cultural Center began as headquarters of Institute Cardinal Cisneros, and then archive, museum and library. It was built in the 1950s. The Museum of Modern Art Equatorial Guinea has traditional and contemporary art of the country and the continent. The city also hosts the National Library, built in 1916. The tourism sector
3795-541: Is the hospital. West of the city, located about 9 km from the center of Malabo, is renewed Malabo International Airport . In the coastal region north of the city are the bays and capes . The elder is the punta de la Unidad Africana located just behind the Malabo Government Building and which occupies the entire eastern part of the Bay of Malabo. Another cape of importance is punta Europa located in
3910-533: Is the oldest city in Equatorial Guinea. Ciudad de la Paz is a planned community under construction in mainland Equatorial Guinea which was designed to replace Malabo as the capital. The institutions of governance of Equatorial Guinea began the process of locating to Ciudad de la Paz in February 2017. In 1472, in an attempt to find a new route to India , the Portuguese navigator Fernão do Pó , encountered
4025-405: Is under 15. Only about 4% of the population is more than 65 years old. Most of the population lives in rural areas of the island. Malabo is the commercial and financial center. Malabo's economy is based on the administration and other services. Trade is also one of the most prominent and important economic activities, especially since the arrival of US companies which exploit oil wells close to
4140-465: Is very corrupt and 100 is extremely clean. Equatorial Guinea was the 174th lowest scoring nation out of a total of 180 countries. Freedom House, a pro-democracy and human rights NGO, described Obiang as one of the world's "most kleptocratic living autocrats", and complained about the US government welcoming his administration and buying oil from it. According to 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices , Equatorial Guinea
4255-725: The Caudillo ' s paternal hand in Cameroun and Gabon. They formed two bodies: the Movimiento Nacional de Liberación de la Guinea (MONALIGE), and the Idea Popular de Guinea Ecuatorial (IPGE). By the late 1960s, much of the African continent had been granted independence. Aware of this trend, the Spanish began to increase efforts to prepare the country for independence. The gross national product per capita in 1965
4370-625: The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea won 97.1%. In the April 2004 parliamentary election , the party won two seats in the 100-member Chamber of People's Representatives , with CPDS candidates Plácido Micó Abogo and Bacalé winning seats from Malabo . In the May 2008 parliamentary election , it won one out of 100 seats; this seat was won by Plácido Micó Abogo. Although the Convergence
4485-577: The Equator and in the African region of Guinea . As of 2024 , the country had a population of 1,795,834, over 85% of whom are members of the Fang people , the country's dominant ethnic group. The Bubi people , indigenous to Bioko , are the second largest group at approximately 6.5% of the population. Equatorial Guinea consists of two parts, an insular and a mainland region. The insular region consists of
4600-466: The Fang people in the 1920s, at the time that Liberia was beginning to cut back on recruitment. There were garrisons of the colonial guard throughout the enclave by 1926, and the whole colony was considered 'pacified' by 1929. The Spanish Civil War had a major impact on the colony. A group of 150 Spanish whites, including the Governor-General and Vice-Governor-General of Río Muni, created
4715-641: The USSR . Macias Nguema signed a preferential trade agreement and a shipping treaty with the Soviet Union. The Soviets also made loans to Equatorial Guinea. The shipping agreement gave the Soviets permission for a pilot fishery development project and also a naval base at Luba . In return, the USSR was to supply fish to Equatorial Guinea. China and Cuba also gave different forms of financial, military, and technical assistance to Equatorial Guinea, which got them
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4830-631: The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata . The area stretched from the Niger Delta to the mouth of Ogooué River — in current Gabon — and included, besides the islands of Fernando Pó and Annobón , the islets of Corisco and Elobeyes. Spain wasn't interested in these lands because already had vast colonies in other parts of the world, Spain lost interest in Spanish Guinea in 1827 and authorized
4945-567: The Windward coast continued. The Fernandinos became traders and middlemen between the natives and Europeans. A freed slave from the West Indies by way of Sierra Leone named William Pratt established the cocoa crop on Fernando Pó. Spain had not occupied the large area in the Bight of Biafra to which it had right by treaty , and the French had expanded their occupation at the expense of
5060-604: The 26 May elections on 25 June. Interior minister Clemente Engonga refused to authorise the protest on the grounds that it could "destabilize" the country and CPDS decided to go forward, claiming constitutional right. On the night of 24 June, the CPDS headquarters in Malabo were surrounded by heavily armed police officers to keep those inside from leaving and thus effectively blocking the protest. Several leading members of CPDS were detained in Malabo and others in Bata were kept from boarding several local flights to Malabo. In 2016, Obiang
5175-657: The British moved the headquarters of the Mixed Commission for the Suppression of Slave Traffic to Fernando Pó in 1827, before moving it back to Sierra Leone under an agreement with Spain in 1843. Spain's decision to abolish slavery in 1817 at British insistence damaged the colony's perceived value to the authorities and so leasing naval bases was an effective revenue earner from an otherwise unprofitable possession. An agreement by Spain to sell its African colony to
5290-478: The British to use the island as a base for suppressing the slave trade . In 1821, the Nelly approached the island of Fernando Pó . He found it abandoned and founded the establishments of Melville Bay (now Riaba ) and San Carlos (now Luba ). Some years later, another British captain, William Fitzwilliam Owen , decided to colonize the island and in the north of it — on the site of the present capital — erected
5405-487: The British was cancelled in 1841 due to metropolitan public opinion and opposition by Spanish Congress. In 1844, the British returned the island to Spanish control and the area became known as the "Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea". Due to epidemics, Spain did not invest much in the colony, and in 1862, an outbreak of yellow fever killed many of the whites that had settled on the island. Despite this, plantations continued to be established by private citizens through
5520-470: The British. These freedmen were settled in Port Clarence before the establishment of Sierra Leone as a colony for freed slaves. The descendants of these freed slaves remained on the island. They joined other migrants who arrived as free workers from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, and became the population group called Creole or fernandinos , whose language
5635-453: The CPDS held its Constitutive Congress in Bata . The Congress chose Plácido Micó Abogo as Secretary-General at the head of an Executive Commission. The party held its Second National Congress in Bata in February 2001; Plácido Micó Abogo was again chosen as secretary-general. The Third National Congress, held in Bata in February 2005, again chose Plácido Micó Abogo as Secretary-General and elected
5750-529: The Christy Report which brought down the country's president Charles D. B. King in 1930. By the late nineteenth century, the Bubi were protected from the demands of the planters by Spanish Claretian missionaries, who were very influential in the colony and eventually organised the Bubi into little mission theocracies reminiscent of the famous Jesuit reductions in Paraguay . Catholic penetration
5865-471: The Count died of disease caught on Bioko and the fever-ridden crew mutinied. The crew landed on São Tomé instead where they were imprisoned by the Portuguese authorities after having lost over 80% of their men to sickness. As a result of this disaster, Spain was thereafter hesitant to invest heavily in its new possession. However, despite the setback Spaniards began to use the island as a base for slave trading on
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#17327657283785980-595: The Cónsul River, beside the black beach and behind the Governor's Palace and barracks. Several people have been jailed there during the 35 years of dictatorship. Among those imprisoned and tortured are many political leaders such as Rafael Upiñalo (Movimiento), Fabián Nsue (UP), Felipe Ondo Obiang (FDR), Martín Puye of Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island (MAIB) or Plácido Micó Abogo of
6095-608: The Equatorial Guinea Basketball Federation and Club de Baloncesto Conejero from Spain. Malabo was originally to host the 2019 African Games but due to economic problems they decide to withdraw its hosting rights and was replaced by Casablanca , Morocco . Malabo has been significantly affected by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo 's growing co-operation with the petroleum industry . The country's production has reached 360,000 barrels per day (57,000 m /d) as of 2005 , an increase which led to
6210-593: The Movimiento de Protesta Popular (People's Protest Movement), were arrested. They were detained on 13 May. They called for a peaceful protest at the Plaza de la Mujer square on 15 May. Coordinator Enrique Nsolo Nzo was also arrested and taken to Malabo Central Police Station. Nsolo Nzo was released later that day without charge. Shortly after the elections, opposition party Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) announced that they were going to protest peacefully against
6325-467: The Republican government. By November, the Popular Front and its supporters had been defeated and Equatorial Guinea secured for Franco. The commander in charge of the occupation, Juan Fontán Lobé, was appointed Governor-General by Franco and began to exert more Spanish control over the enclave interior. Río Muni officially had a little over 100,000 people in the 1930s; escape into Cameroun or Gabon
6440-491: The Social Democratic Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS). A group of mercenaries were jailed at Black Beach for the 2004 coup d'état attempt against President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo . Malabo is situated in the north of the island of Bioko, at coordinates 3° 45' 7.43" North and 8° 46' 25.32" East. The south of Malabo is limited by the Cónsul River and just across the river, south-west,
6555-459: The Spaniards. His uncle Sas Ebuera, head of the Bubi warriors, claimed to represent legitimate Bubi rule and continued resisting, confronting the Spanish openly in 1898. After the Spanish killed Sas Ebuera, Malabo became the king unopposed, but with no authority. Bubi clans and settlements were slow to accept Spanish sovereignty over the island, and the full conquest and pacification of the island
6670-462: The UK know its desire to regain control of the colony and thus the island. It took another decade to implement this direct control. The capital already had more dynamic and Protestant religious missions which were very successful. Both factors helped to change the attitude of Spain, in addition to internal reasons already alluded. Spain again took control of the island in 1855 and the capital, Port Clarence,
6785-477: The United Kingdom's MI6 , the United States' CIA , and Spain as tacit supporters of the coup attempt. Nevertheless, the Amnesty International report released in June 2005 on the ensuing trial of those allegedly involved highlighted the prosecution's failure to produce conclusive evidence that a coup attempt had actually taken place. Simon Mann was released from prison on 3 November 2009 for humanitarian reasons. Since 2005, Military Professional Resources Inc. ,
6900-430: The age of five. Equatorial Guinea's nominal GDP per capita is $ 10,982 in 2021 according to OPEC. Since Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony, Spanish is the main official language. French and (as of 2010 ) Portuguese have also been made official, but they are not as widely used. Aside from the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , it is the only country situated in Mainland Africa where Spanish
7015-517: The breakaway state fled to the island. The International Committee of the Red Cross began running relief flights out of Equatorial Guinea, but Macías quickly shut the flights down, refusing to allow them to fly diesel fuel for their trucks nor oxygen tanks for medical operations. The Biafran separatists were starved into submission without international backing. After the Public Prosecutor complained about "excesses and maltreatment" by government officials, Macías had 150 alleged coup-plotters executed in
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#17327657283787130-432: The cabinet, making laws by decree, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties and serving as commander in chief of the armed forces. According to Human Rights Watch , the dictatorship of President Obiang used an oil boom to entrench and enrich itself further at the expense of the country's people. Since August 1979, some 12 perceived unsuccessful coup attempts have occurred. According to
7245-464: The casa Teodolita, built in 1902 and one of the oldest homes in the city, the City Hall building in Malabo, the Church of Elá Nguema, Independence Square, Parque Nacional de Malabo, the Casa de España and the bay of the harbor. Public buses make the journey between downtown Malabo and the neighborhood of Ela Nguema. Taxis circulate in the city and outlying areas, and there is car hire from Avis and Europcar . The port of Malabo can theoretically reach
7360-463: The city is the Atlético Semu , once champion of Equatoguinean Cup . Another important club from the city is the Malabo Kings of basketball, which was champion of the country, and in 2013 was proclaimed champion Central Zone of Africa Basketball Championship, winning in Kinshasa at Talia from Gabon. The Malabo Kings had already finished second in 2011, Yaoundé (Cameroon). In 2013 held in Malabo on I Campus of Basketball Ciudad de Malabo organized by
7475-426: The city. International schools: Malabo has preserved buildings from the colonial era, such as the Presidential Palace and the Palace of Justice of Malabo. Other colonial buildings are also found downtown, although they are worn; for example the wooden 19th-century buildings on Nigeria and Rey Boncoro streets. Notable buildings include the Cathedral of Santa Isabel , of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malabo . It
7590-419: The coast of Cameroon. Annobón Island is about 350 kilometers (220 mi) west-south-west of Cape Lopez in Gabon. Corisco and the two Elobey islands are in Corisco Bay, on the border of Río Muni and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea lies between latitudes 4°N and 2°S , and longitudes 5° and 12°E . Despite its name, no part of the country's territory lies on the equator—it is in the northern hemisphere, except for
7705-638: The coast, especially in the Muni River estuary. The Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion covers most of Bioko and the adjacent portions of Cameroon and Nigeria on the African mainland, and the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion covers the highlands of Bioko and nearby Mount Cameroon . The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests ecoregion covers all of Annobón, as well as São Tomé and Príncipe. Malabo Malabo ( / m ə ˈ l ɑː b oʊ / mə- LAH -boh , Spanish: [maˈlaβo] ; formerly Santa Isabel [ˈsantajsaˈβel] )
7820-439: The coast. This trade also comes from the presence of Americans, Mexicans, Nigerians, Cameroonians, Spanish and other Central Africans; The building that was originally built by the Banco Popular Español , but after independence became the seat of Banco de Guinea Ecuatorial. The main industry in the city is fishing , while cacao and coffee are the main products of export. Malabo has a high-tonnage port, connected mainly with
7935-475: The colony of Spanish Guinea . The economy was based on large cacao and coffee plantations and logging concessions and the workforce was mostly immigrant contract labour from Liberia , Nigeria , and Cameroun . Between 1914 and 1930, an estimated 10,000 Liberians went to Fernando Po under a labour treaty that was stopped altogether in 1930. With Liberian workers no longer available, planters of Fernando Po turned to Río Muni. Campaigns were mounted to subdue
8050-426: The colony, and in 1966, a UN Commission toured the country before recommending the same thing. In response, the Spanish declared that they would hold a constitutional convention on 27 October 1967 to negotiate a new constitution for an independent Equatorial Guinea. The conference was attended by 41 local delegates and 25 Spaniards. The Africans were principally divided between Fernandinos and Bubi on one side, who feared
8165-423: The colony, where they quickly began to join the new group. To the local mix were added Cubans, Filipinos, Jews and Spaniards of various colours, many of whom had been deported to Africa for political or other crimes, as well as some settlers backed by the government. By 1870, the prognosis of whites that lived on the island was much improved after recommendations that they live in the highlands, and by 1884 much of
8280-604: The continental enclave of Río Muni, only 26,000 km out of the 300,000km stretching east to the Ubangi river which the Spaniards had initially claimed. The humiliation of the Franco-Spanish negotiations, combined with the disaster in Cuba led to the head of the Spanish negotiating team, Pedro Gover y Tovar , committing suicide on the voyage home on 21 October 1901. Iradier himself died in despair in 1911; decades later,
8395-526: The country and is organized from Spain mainly within the social-democratic Convergence for Social Democracy. Most of the media are under state control; the private television channels, those of the Asonga group, belong to the president's family. In their 2020 publishing, Transparency International awarded Equatorial Guinea a total score of 16 on their Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). CPI ranks countries by their perceived level of public corruptionwhere zero
8510-520: The country's only free and fair election to date . The Spanish (ruled by Franco ) had backed Macías in the election; much of his campaigning involved visiting rural areas of Río Muni and promising that they would have the houses and wives of the Spanish if they voted for him. He had won in the second round of voting. During the Nigerian Civil War , Fernando Pó was inhabited by many Biafra-supporting Ibo migrant workers and many refugees from
8625-533: The country, is the Estadio de Malabo , with a capacity of 15,250 spectators. The stadium is home to the Equatorial Guinea national football team and hosted matches during the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations . Notably, the Spain national football team , at the time World Champions, played a friendly at this stadium. The stadium also is home to the CD Elá Nguema , the main club of the country. Also located in Malabo
8740-713: The elimination of stagnant water . Through the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), are made several development projects at both regional and national level. Headquartered in the Technical Cooperation Office in Malabo (created in 1984), carried out actions for the development of the culture, health, education and institutional strengthening. Stressing the Cultural Center of Spain in Malabo (CCEM), founded in 2003, where young people are encouraged to feel
8855-499: The group stage (one match of Group A and five of group B), and one cross of quarterfinals The 16 November 2013, the Spain national football team played a friendly match against the Equatorial Guinea national football team . It was the first visit of a European team in the country, and the match was criticized by several organizations, including the president of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , Javier Tebas , due to
8970-511: The insular Annobón Province , which is about 155 km (96 mi) south of the equator. Equatorial Guinea has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. From June to August, Río Muni is dry and Bioko wet; from December to February, the reverse occurs. In between it, there is a gradual transition. Rain or mist occurs daily on Annobón, where a cloudless day has never been registered. The temperature at Malabo, Bioko, ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F), though on
9085-570: The island of Bioko, which he called Formosa . Later, the island was named after its discoverer, Fernando Pó. At the beginning of the 16th century, specifically in 1507, the Portuguese Ramos de Esquivel made a first attempt at colonization on the island of Fernando Pó. He established a factory in Concepción (now Riaba ) and developed plantations of sugarcane . With the treaties of San Ildefonso in 1777 and El Pardo in 1778, during
9200-416: The islands around 1500 as the Portuguese quickly recognized the positives of the islands including volcanic soil and disease-resistant highlands. Despite natural advantages, initial Portuguese efforts in 1507 to establish a sugarcane plantation and town near what is now Concepción on Fernando Pó failed due to Bubi hostility and fever. The main island's rainy climate, extreme humidity and temperature swings took
9315-471: The islands of Bioko (formerly Fernando Pó ) in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobón , a small volcanic island which is the only part of the country south of the equator . Bioko Island is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea and is the site of the country's capital, Malabo . The Portuguese-speaking island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón. The mainland region, Río Muni ,
9430-535: The latest. The earliest settlements on Bioko Island are dated to AD 530. The Annobón population, originally native to Angola , was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé island . The Portuguese explorer Fernando Pó , seeking a path to India, is credited as being the first European to see the island of Bioko, in 1472. He called it Formosa ("Beautiful"), but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer. Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474. The first factories were established on
9545-500: The leader of the party, while the President is assigned the role of a moderator. After operating clandestinely and publishing its newspaper La Verdad ("The Truth") in the early 1990s, the CPDS applied for legal recognition in November 1992 and was given legal recognition in February 1993. The party was led and founded by Secundino Oyono Edú-Aguong . The CPDS attributed this recognition to international pressure. In December 1994,
9660-468: The minimal administrative machinery and key plantations had moved to Basile hundreds of meters above sea level. Henry Morton Stanley had labeled Fernando Pó "a jewel which Spain did not polish" for refusing to enact such a policy. Despite the improved survival chances of Europeans living on the island, Mary Kingsley , who was staying on the island, still described Fernando Pó as "a more uncomfortable form of execution" for Spaniards appointed there. There
9775-514: The minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so." Pygmies probably once lived in the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea, but are today found only in isolated pockets in southern Río Muni. Bantu migrations likely started around 2,000 BC from between south-east Nigeria and north-west Cameroon (the Grassfields). They must have settled continental Equatorial Guinea around 500 BC at
9890-417: The municipal services prescribed by law, which are the responsibility of the municipality. These include drinking water and others public sources, lighting , paving of roads, cemeteries, cleaning and sanitation , the sanitary waste treatment and waste, disinfecting , emergency first aid , health inspections and drinks, health inspection of poor housing , public banks, slaughterhouses , markets and
10005-573: The nearby mainland. Between 1778 and 1810, the territory of what became Equatorial Guinea was administered by the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , based in Buenos Aires . Unwilling to invest heavily in the development of Fernando Pó, from 1827 to 1843, the Spanish leased a base at Malabo on Bioko to the United Kingdom which it had sought as part of its efforts to suppress the transatlantic slave trade . Without Spanish permission,
10120-479: The new constitution was not retroactive and the two-term limit would only become applicable from 2016. The elections on 26 May 2013 combined the senate, lower house and mayoral contests in a single package. Like all previous elections, this was denounced by the opposition, and it too was won by Obiang's PDGE. During the electoral contest, the ruling party hosted internal elections, which were later scrapped. Clara Nsegue Eyi and Natalia Angue Edjodjomo, coordinators of
10235-415: The other airports in the country. These airports are located in the region of Annobón , Bata , Mongomoyen , and Corisco . Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples ( Catholic : Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malabo , Protestant , Evangelical Christian : Assemblies of God ). Malabo Mosque was established in 2015. The main sports facility of Malabo, and
10350-438: The policies of Portugal and France, notably in dividing the population into a vast majority governed as 'natives' or non-citizens, and a very small minority (together with whites) admitted to civic status as emancipados , assimilation to the metropolitan culture being the only permissible means of advancement. This "provincial" phase saw the beginnings of nationalism , but chiefly among small groups who had taken refuge from
10465-667: The political situation of the country and the government of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo . Some of the top clubs in the country, who have won several times the Equatoguinean Primera División are from the city of Malabo. The club with the most league titles is the CD Elá Nguema with 14. Other clubs from the city that have been proclaimed league champions are the Renacimiento FC , the Atlético Malabo or Cafe Bank Sportif . Another club of
10580-419: The population and the country ranks low on the UN human development index. 7.9% of children die before the age of 5, and more than 50% of the population lacks access to clean drinking water . President Teodoro Obiang is widely suspected of using the country's oil wealth to enrich himself and his associates. In 2006, Forbes estimated his personal wealth at $ 600 million. In 2011, the government announced it
10695-461: The port of Cogo was renamed Puerto Iradier in his honour. Land regulations issued in 1904–1905 favoured Spaniards, and most of the later big planters arrived from Spain after that. An agreement was made with Liberia in 1914 to import cheap labor. Due to malpractice however, the Liberian government eventually ended the treaty after revelations about the state of Liberian workers on Fernando Pó in
10810-518: The ports of Douala , (Cameroon) and Bata , and an air link via an international airport. There are about 300 hotel beds in the city. The National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE) and the National Distance Education University (UNED), the latter Spanish-language, have headquarters in the city. The Colegio Nacional Enrique Nvó Okenve , another of the country's universities, has one of its two campuses in
10925-808: The reign of the Spanish King Charles III , the Portuguese gave to the Spanish the islands of Fernando Pó, Annobón , and the right to conduct trade in the mainland, an area of influence of approximately 800 000 km in Africa, in exchange for the Colonia del Sacramento in Río de la Plata and the Santa Catarina Island off the Brazilian coast (occupied by the Spaniards) during a recent war trying to stop Portuguese expansion in
11040-437: The richest country per capita in Africa, and its gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita ranks 43rd in the world; however, the wealth is distributed extremely unevenly, with few people benefiting from the oil riches. The country ranks 144th on the 2019 Human Development Index , with less than half the population having access to clean drinking water and 7.9% of children dying before
11155-466: The second half of the 19th century. The plantations of Fernando Pó were mostly run by a black Creole elite , later known as Fernandinos . The British settled some 2,000 Sierra Leoneans and freed slaves there during their rule, and a trickle of immigration from West Africa and the West Indies continued after the British left. A number of freed Angolan slaves, Portuguese-African creoles and immigrants from Nigeria, and Liberia also began to be settled in
11270-557: The southern Moka Plateau, normal high temperatures are only 21 °C (70 °F). In Río Muni, the average temperature is about 27 °C (81 °F). Annual rainfall varies from 1,930 mm (76 in) at Malabo to 10,920 mm (430 in) at Ureka , Bioko, but Río Muni is somewhat drier. Equatorial Guinea spans several ecoregions . Río Muni region lies within the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion except for patches of Central African mangroves on
11385-527: The territory claimed by Spain. Madrid only partly backed the explorations of men like Manuel Iradier who had signed treaties in the interior as far as Gabon and Cameroon, leaving much of the land out of "effective occupation" as demanded by the terms of the 1885 Berlin Conference . Minimal government backing for mainland annexation came as a result of public opinion and a need for labour on Fernando Pó. The eventual treaty of Paris in 1900 left Spain with
11500-406: The west of the city near to the airport. Malabo features a tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen Am ). Malabo receives on average 1,850 millimetres or 73 inches of rain per year. The city has a pronounced, albeit short, sunnier (but still cloudy) dry season from December through February. January is normally its driest month with 29 millimetres or 1.14 inches of rain falling on average. It also has
11615-603: The world , consistently ranking among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House 's annual survey of political and civil rights . Reporters Without Borders ranks Obiang among its "predators" of press freedom. Human trafficking is a significant problem, with the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report identifying Equatorial Guinea as a source and destination country for forced labour and sex trafficking. The report also noted that Equatorial Guinea "does not fully meet
11730-590: Was Pichinglis , a Bantu-English Creole with some Spanish elements. During the British period, the British consul automatically became the governor of the colony, including Governor John Beecroft , a British mulatto who modernized the capital, and whose work was later recognized by Spain with a monument in Punta Fernanda. In 1844, when Queen Isabella II of Spain ruled after the regency of her mother Maria Cristina and Baldomero Espartero , in an attempt to modernize Spain and rescue its heritage, Spain let
11845-453: Was $ 466, which was the highest in black Africa; the Spanish constructed an international airport at Santa Isabel, a television station and increased the literacy rate to 89%. In 1967, the number of hospital beds per capita in Equatorial Guinea was higher than Spain itself, with 1637 beds in 16 hospitals. By the end of colonial rule, the number of Africans in higher education was in only the double digits. A decision of 9 August 1963, approved by
11960-616: Was also a trickle of immigration from the neighboring Portuguese islands, escaped slaves, and prospective planters. Although a few of the Fernandinos were Catholic and Spanish-speaking, about nine-tenths of them were Protestant and English-speaking on the eve of the First World War, and pidgin English was the lingua franca of the island. The Sierra Leoneans were particularly well placed as planters while labor recruitment on
12075-440: Was announced that there would be two vice-presidents in clear violation of the constitution that was just taking effect. In October 2012, during an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN , Obiang was asked whether he would step down at the end of the current term (2009–2016) since the new constitution limited the number of terms to two and he has been reelected at least 4 times. Obiang answered he refused to step aside because
12190-573: Was easy. Fernando Pó thus continued to suffer from labour shortages. The French only briefly permitted recruitment in Cameroun, and the main source of labour came to be Igbo smuggled in canoes from Calabar in Nigeria . This resolution led to Fernando Pó becoming one of Africa's most productive agricultural areas after the Second World War . Politically, post-war colonial history has three fairly distinct phases: up to 1959, when its status
12305-450: Was furthered by two small insurrections in 1898 and 1910 protesting conscription of forced labour for the plantations. The Bubi were disarmed in 1917, and left dependent on the missionaries. Serious labour shortages were temporarily solved by a massive influx of refugees from German Kamerun , along with thousands of white German soldiers who stayed on the island for several years. Between 1926 and 1959, Bioko and Río Muni were united as
12420-400: Was limited to a maximum of two seven-year terms and would be both the head of state and head of the government, therefore eliminating the prime minister. The new constitution also introduced the figure of a vice president and called for the creation of a 70-member senate with 55 senators elected by the people and the 15 remaining designated by the president. In the following cabinet reshuffle, it
12535-405: Was not achieved until 1912. During the so-called Reign of Terror of Macías Nguema, the dictator suppressed much of the intelligentsia of the country, initiating the process of taking over the positions of the public administration by part of the natives of Mongomo and clan Esangui. The infamous Black Beach prison, also known as Blay Beach prison (or Playa Negra prison), sits at the mouth of
12650-491: Was planning a new capital for the country, named Oyala . The city was renamed Ciudad de la Paz ("City of Peace") in 2017. As of February 2016 , Obiang was Africa's second-longest serving dictator after Cameroon 's Paul Biya . Equatorial Guinea was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council 2018–2019. On 7 March 2021, there were munition explosions at
12765-474: Was raised from "colonial" to "provincial", following the approach of the Portuguese Empire ; between 1960 and 1968, when Madrid attempted a partial decolonisation aimed at keeping the territory as part of the Spanish system; and from 1968 on, after the territory became an independent republic . The first phase consisted of little more than a continuation of previous policies; these closely resembled
12880-407: Was re-elected to serve an additional term in 2009 in an election the African Union deemed "in line with electoral law". Obiang re-appointed Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang in 2010. In November 2011, a new constitution was approved. The vote on the constitution was taken, though neither the text nor its content was revealed to the public before the vote. Under the new constitution, the president
12995-467: Was reelected for an additional seven-year term in an election that, according to Freedom House , was plagued by police violence, detentions and torture against opposition factions. Following the 2022 general elections , President Obiang's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea holds all of the 100 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and all of those in the Senate. The opposition is almost non-existent in
13110-436: Was renamed Santa Isabel , in honor of Queen Isabella II . The capital of the island of Fernando Pó became the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Its present name was given to the town in 1973 as part of the campaign of President Francisco Macías Nguema to replace place names of European origin with African names, in this case honoring Malabo Löpèlo Mëlaka , the last Bubi king. Malabo, the son of King Moka , surrendered to
13225-439: Was ruled by Francisco Macías Nguema . He declared himself president for life in 1972, but was overthrown in a coup in 1979 by his nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo , who has served as the country's president since. Both presidents have been widely characterized as dictators by foreign observers. Since the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Saharan Africa 's largest oil producers. It has subsequently become
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