Equatorial Guinea is made up of two main areas: the island of Bioko (where the capital city of Malabo is located) and Rio Muni, 125 mi/200 km away on the African mainland. Several other islands in the Gulf of Guinea—Annobon, Corisco, Elobey Chico and Elobey Grande—are also part of the nation. The mainland area is bordered by Cameroon on the north, Gabon on the east and south and the Gulf of Guinea on the west.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century, Equatorial Guinea was populated by Pygmies and Bantu peoples. (Their descendants, the Fang and the Bubi, are the two main ethnic groups in the country today.) The strategic location and excellent harbor of the main island, Bioko, made it the focus of European rivalry: At one time or another, the country was ruled by Portugal, England and Spain. Commerce, including the slave trade, flourished in those colonial years, and a pidgin English, still spoken by some residents of Bioko, was developed in order to communicate with passing sailors. The major colonial influence on the country was Spain, which controlled the country for many years before granting partial autonomy in 1959. Full independence was achieved in 1968.
Before independence, the country was one of the most prosperous in Africa, but its first president, Macias Nguema, ran the economy into the ground through his incompetence, paranoia and brutality (more than half the population was either murdered or driven into exile). The dictator, who called himself 'Unique Miracle,' was finally overthrown and killed by his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in a 1979 coup. Since then, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled in the strongman tradition by Obiang, who seems more rational and humane than his predecessor (which isn't all that difficult), and who has vowed to remedy some of the human rights violations for which the country had become so notorious. However, his opponents complain that most of the proceeds of the country's oil boom have been going to Obiang and his cronies and that recent elections have been laughably fraudulent.
Beaches, surfing, volcanoes, colonial architecture and tropical scenery are among the foremost attractions of Equatorial Guinea.
The country will appeal only to those adventurous travelers who want to see lush, tropical Africa and don't mind taking the time to get there. Don't go if you are not comfortable traveling in developing countries or are upset by schedule changes, delays and below-average service and accommodations.
Though he finished last, Equatorial Guinean swimmer Eric Moussambani was one of the stars of the 2000 Olympic Games. Moussambani, who had never raced in a 50-meter pool prior to the Games, struggled to complete his 100-meter race but received a standing ovation when, clearly exhausted, he touched the wall more than a minute after the leaders.
Though the Bubi are a statistical minority in Equatorial Guinea's population (about 80% of the country's people are Fangs), they consider themselves the original inhabitants of Bioko Island. In 1998, the Bubi issued a proclamation calling for the Fang people to abandon the island (and its lucrative natural resources). The proclamation was ignored, but resentment between the two groups still exists.
During the 1993 elections, the Equatorial Guinean government accused the U.S. ambassador of practicing witchcraft because he visited British military graves on election day. The U.S. subsequently closed its embassy in Malabo.
While Spanish is the official language of the country, Fang and Bubi are the native tongues of most of the nation's inhabitants. French is also an official language, though it is typically spoken only in the country's major cities. This is due in part to good trade relations with French-speaking neighbors Cameroon and Gabon. Pidgin English is also spoken there on a colloquial level. In July 2007, President Obiang and his government officially declared Portuguese as the third official language of the country.
A volcanic chain that begins with Mount Cameroon (in Cameroon) extends through Bioko Island and the nation of Sao Tome and Principe and ends at Annobon (Pagalu) Island, a possession of Equatorial Guinea.
On a clear day, often at dawn, you can see Mount Cameroon from Malabo, although it is about 45 mi/75 km away.
Many of Equatorial Guinea's people are very religious. The nation's Catholics survived eight years of persecution during the dictatorial rule of Macias Nguema. You may wish to attend Sunday Mass in Malabo or Bata. The music is a beautiful, rhythmic adaptation of African music to the Catholic religious service.
Amnesty International reports that torture is still routine in the nation's prisons.
