Learn About Equatorial Guinea

 

The Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó, seeking a path to India, is credited as being the first European to discover the island of Bioko in 1472. He called it Formosa ("Beautiful"), but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer. The islands of Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474.
In 1778, the island, adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger and Ogoue Rivers were ceded to Spain in exchange for territory in the American continent (Treaty of El Pardo, between Queen Maria I of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain). Between 1778 and 1810, the territory of Equatorial Guinea depended administratively on the viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, with seat in Buenos Aires.
From 1827 to 1843, the United Kingdom established a base on the island to combat the slave trade, which was then moved to Sierra Leone upon agreement with Spain in 1843. In 1844, on restoration of Spanish sovereignty, it became known as the Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea Ecuatorial. The mainland portion, Rio Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled by the Treaty of Paris (1900), and periodically, the mainland territories were united administratively under Spanish rule. Between 1926 and 1959 they were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea.
In September 1968, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected first president of Equatorial Guinea, and independence was recognised on October 12, 1968. In July 1970, Nguema created a single-party state. Nguema's reign of terror led to the death or exile of up to 1/3 of the country's population. Out of a population of 300,000, an estimated 80,000 had been killed. The economy collapsed, and skilled citizens and foreigners left. Teodoro Obiang deposed Francisco Macías on August 3, 1979 in a bloody coup d'état.

Monte Alen National Park

Monte Alen is definitely nature's highlight in Equatorial Guinea and actually one of the most beautiful and quiet parks anywhere in the region. If it is only one place you can visit, make sure it is this treasure. The protected area covers around 1400 square kilometres of virgin lush rainforests and there is a lot of wildlife to discover here, including the West African lowland gorilla, as well as mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, crocodiles and many other species of African wildlife. Well-maintained and accessible trails guide you through the rainforests and if you want to go deeper into the park, it is best to go with a guide and camping equipment as any other option, like lodges, are totally absent here, which only adds to the quiet atmosphere. Also bring enough water and food, and dry clothes to be self-sufficient for a day or so. The park can be reached by shared taxi from Bata. For more details, check the Ecofac website, which has several other national parks in the region to be visited.
Bioko

Bioko is a beautiful island, where the capital Malabo is located. It has black sand beaches and three volcanoes: the Pico de Santa Isabel, the Pico de Moka and in the south of the island the Gran Caldera. In the capital you will find many colonial buildings and if you are just a bit interested in architecture, be sure to visit the Gothic style cathedral and the court of justice building.
Luba

Less than 50 kilometres from Malabo is the second biggest city of Bioko: Luba. From here well maintained special trails for hiking lead into the surrounding area and from here you can visit one of the most beautiful beaches on the island or take a look in one of the surrounding fishing villages.
Ureca

At several of the beaches at Ureca turtles come ashore to lay their eggs during the dry season. And since 1996 this spectacular happening is well guarded by local villager who now work as patrol guards at the beaches during this nesting season. This was necessary as turtles as well as their eggs were sold as consumption goods on the local markets. There are a few guesthouses to stay nearby and apart from seeing the turtles or enjoying the beaches yourself, you can go hiking in the nearby jungle.
Evinayong

Located on the mainland, about 180 kilometres south of Bata, this city offers the chance to visit a unique place where few visitors go. The surrounding area is just perfect for nature enthusiasts and the climate is less hot. Camping close to one of the many waterfalls is just a breathtaking experience without another tourist in sight.
Bata

Bata is the capital of the mainland region of Rio Muni and is actually larger than Malabo itself. Bata is worth a visit because of its colonial charm and despite being a bustling city it is a safe and clean place to go. There is a good infrastructure for travellers with bars, hotels and restaurants and a lot to do or see in town or nearby islands and beaches north and south of Bata. And the good thing is, like in most parts of the country that you will enjoy everything just by yourself as mass tourism is something unheard of.

Located along the equator, Equatorial (what's in a name) Guinea has a climate typical for this region. Both the mainland and the islands have high temperatures, high humidity, heavy rainfall, and much cloud around the year. Annual rainfall is around 2000 mm. December to February is the dry period with only a few days with some showers. During most of the rest of the year, rainfall is high, with some peaks in May/June and September/October. Temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius year round during the day, and around 20 degrees at night with extremely little variation. The records are 17 degrees at night and 33 at daytime.

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (, ; , ) is a country located in Middle Africa. It comprises two parts: a Continental Region (Río Muni), including several small offshore islands like Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico; and an insular region containing Annobón island and Bioko island (formerly Fernando Po) where the capital Malabo is situated.

Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the east is the mainland region. Equatorial Guinea is bordered by Cameroon on the north, Gabon on the south and east, and the Gulf of Guinea on the west, where the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón. Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name is suggestive of its location near both the equator and the Gulf of Guinea. Besides the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the Mediterranean coast next to Morocco, it is the only territory in mainland Africa with Spanish as the official language.

With an area of Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries in continental Africa. It is also the richest per capita http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?c=mr&v=67; however, the wealth is distributed very unevenly, with 70% of the population living under the United Nations Poverty Threshold of $2/day. With a population of 650,702, Equatorial Guinea is the third smallest country in continental Africa.Seychelles, The Gambia, Djibouti, Rwanda, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Swaziland, and São Tomé and Príncipe are smaller in terms of area, and Djibouti and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic have smaller populations, although the population of the latter is disputed It is also the second smallest United Nations (UN) member from continental Africa.

The discovery of sizeable petroleum reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country. Its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita ranks 28th in the world;CIA World Factbook: GDP - per capita (PPP), The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency. however, most of the country's considerable oil wealth actually lies in the hands of only a few people.

Equatorial Guinea has one of the worst human rights records in the world, consistently ranking among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House's annual survey of political and civil rightshttp://freedomhouse.org/uploads/special_report/88.pdf and Reporters Without Borders ranks President Obiang among its "predators" of press freedom.http://en.rsf.org/equatorial-guinea.html Out of 44 sub-Saharan countries, Equatorial Guinea ranks 9th highest in the Human Development Index (HDI) and 115th overall, which is among the medium HDI countries.

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