Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, occupies a strategic position along the west coast of central Africa. Encompassing some 28,000 square kilometres, the nation’s name reflects both its proximity to the equatorial line and its historical ties to the broader Guinea region. Formerly administered as Spanish Guinea, it achieved independence on 12 October 1968. By mid-2024, the population was estimated at 1,795,834, of whom more than eighty-five per cent are members of the Fang ethnic group. The Bubi people of Bioko Island form the second largest community, representing approximately 6.5 per cent of inhabitants.

Equatorial Guinea comprises two distinct territories: an insular sector and a mainland region. The insular sector includes Bioko—formerly Fernando Pó—which hosts the national capital, Malabo, and the smaller island of Annobón lying some 350 kilometres to the west-south-west. Between these lies the nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. The larger mainland region, Río Muni, adjoins Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south. Río Muni contains Bata, the country’s most populous city, and Djibloho Province’s Ciudad de la Paz, designated as the future administrative capital. Offshore in Corisco Bay lie the islands of Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico.

Administratively, Equatorial Guinea is divided into eight provinces, each governed from its own capital. These are Annobón (San Antonio de Palé), Bioko Norte (Malabo), Bioko Sur (Luba), Centro Sur (Evinayong), Djibloho (Ciudad de la Paz), Kié-Ntem (Ebebiyín), Litoral (Bata) and Wele-Nzas (Mongomo). The most recent province, Djibloho, was established in 2017 to oversee the transition of the planned capital. These provinces subdivide into nineteen districts and thirty-seven municipalities, reflecting the country’s effort to manage both island and continental communities.

The climate of Equatorial Guinea is firmly tropical, with distinct wet and dry seasons that vary between its territories. In Río Muni, the dry period extends from June through August, while Bioko experiences peak rainfall at that time; from December to February, these patterns reverse. Annobón, by contrast, endures daily precipitation or mist throughout the year, so rarely is its sky clear. Temperatures on Bioko range between 16 °C and 33 °C, though on the higher southern Moka Plateau highs seldom exceed 21 °C. In Río Muni, average temperatures hover around 27 °C. Rainfall on Bioko varies dramatically, from 1,930 mm at Malabo to 10,920 mm on the island’s southern slopes, while Río Muni remains comparatively drier.

The country’s population is overwhelmingly of Bantu origin. The Fang constitute around 80 per cent of residents, organised into some sixty-seven clans; northern groups speak the Ntumu dialect, and southern communities the Okah variant, both mutually intelligible. The Bubi, indigenous to Bioko, account for roughly 15 per cent. Coastal peoples—sometimes known collectively as Ndowe or “Beach People”—include the Combes, Bujebas, Balengues and Bengas on the mainland, and the Krio-heritage Fernandinos on Bioko; together they total about 5 per cent of the populace. A small number of Europeans, chiefly of Spanish or Portuguese descent, remain, though most departed following independence.

Spanish serves as the principal language of administration and education, reflecting centuries of colonial rule. In 1998, French was added as a second official language to facilitate membership in the Francophonie and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa. Portuguese followed in 2010, aligning the country with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. Despite these designations, Spanish remains the overwhelmingly dominant tongue; according to the Instituto Cervantes, nearly 88 per cent of Equatorial Guineans possess a strong command of it. French and Portuguese see limited practical use, restricted largely to border areas and diplomatic contexts.

The nation’s modern history has been dominated by two leaders. Francisco Macías Nguema, who presided over independence, entrenched a repressive regime, declaring himself president-for-life in 1972. In 1979, his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ousted him and has ruled ever since. Foreign observers characterise both administrations as dictatorial, with systemic human rights abuses. Freedom House consistently assigns Equatorial Guinea among the world’s most restricted polities, while Reporters Without Borders lists Obiang as a leading adversary of press freedom. The country also contends with human trafficking, identified by the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report as both a source and destination for forced labour and sexual exploitation.

Since the mid-1990s, substantial offshore oil discoveries transformed Equatorial Guinea’s economy. By the early 2000s, output had climbed from 220,000 to 360,000 barrels per day, positioning the nation among sub-Saharan Africa’s top producers. As of 2021, nominal GDP per capita reached USD 10,982, and purchasing-power-adjusted GDP per capita ranked forty-third globally. Yet wealth remains concentrated, with much of the population excluded from the oil-driven boom. Agriculture—primarily cocoa, coffee and timber—employs more than half the workforce, while forestry, farming and fishing underpin rural livelihoods. The CFA franc, adopted in 1985, anchors monetary stability within the Central African Monetary and Economic Union.

Connectivity relies on three airports. Malabo International serves as the sole gateway for passenger flights, offering limited direct links to Europe and West Africa. Bata and Annobón airports manage domestic traffic. All carriers registered in Equatorial Guinea appear on the European Union’s ban list, preventing direct airline operations within EU airspace; cargo services nevertheless maintain freight routes to Malabo. Points of interest include Malabo’s colonial quarter, Bioko’s Iladyi cascades and nesting-turtle beaches, Bata’s seaside promenade and tower of liberty, Mongomo’s basilica, and the evolving cityscape of Ciudad de la Paz, envisaged as the nation’s future capital.

Equatorial Guinea remains absent from UNESCO’s World Heritage and Memory of the World registries, as well as from the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Nevertheless, its blend of island and continental environments, layered histories and diverse communities offers a complex portrait of a country shaped by colonial legacies, authoritarian governance and the uneven rewards of resource wealth. In this convergence of geography and human endeavour, observers find much to record and contemplate.