Equatorial Guinea

Where the name comes from

The name combines the regional name Guinea with its position around the equator: the mainland lies north of it, while Annobón island lies south.

First people

Bubi people settled Bioko, and Fang and other peoples lived on the mainland.¹

Known for

Equatorial Guinea is the only African country with Spanish as an official language, and its offshore oil has made it one of Africa’s top oil producers.^2,3

Outside contact

Portugal handed its claims here to Spain in 1778, Britain ran a settlement on Bioko in 1827–1843, and a 1900 agreement with France fixed the mainland’s borders.⁴

The modern country

Spain united its territories as Spanish Guinea in 1926, and independence came in 1968.¹