Celebrating Equatorial Guinea on Independence Day

Oct 12, 2020 08:55AM ● By Oga Africa

Happy Independence Day, Equatorial Guinea! Today, October 12th, this Central African country gained independence from Spain. Join us in celebrating the country with 7 unique facts. Let’s jump right in!

Equatorial Guinea, also known as EQG, is the only country in Africa with Spanish as an official language. From the 1700s until 1968, the country was colonized by Spain. Spanish and French are both official languages in the country.

(Equatorial Guinean children of the Bubi tribe)
The Fang and Bubi ethnic groups dominate the region. Other ethnicities in the country include Fernandino people, a creole people that are descendants of enslaved Africans and Portuguese,Yoruba, Seke, Igbo and more.

(Equatorial Guineans on Annobon Island)
The country has a history of corruption, dictatorship and poverty. The dictator and president of the country for over 40 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Basongo, has broken the world record for longest presidency.

(President Obiang)

4. In 2018, EQG’s export per capita was $4.38k. Most of the economy is based on crude petroleum and petroleum gas. Although the natural resources have made economic benefits in the country, it is the leaders who are benefitting from this growth, and not the majority of the citizens.

5. EQG is made up of a mainland, Rio Muni, and small islands. Some of these islands include Annobon, Corisco, Elobey and Malabo, the capital. In 2015, the population was estimated to be 1.2 billion people.

(Malabo, EQG)

6. Donato Ndongo Bidyogo is a famous Equatorial Guinean writer and journalist. His work magnified Hispanic-African experiences to the modern world and fueled the Hispanic African movement.

(Donato Ndongo Bidyogo)