Overview
Equatorial Guinea is a country located on the west coast of Central Africa, with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 square miles). It is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa. The country's name refers to its location near the Equator and in the African region of Guinea. As of 2025, Equatorial Guinea has a population of 1,853,559 people.
Geography and Regions
Equatorial Guinea consists of two distinct geographical parts. The mainland region, known as Río Muni, is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. Río Muni contains the majority of the country's population and is home to Bata, Equatorial Guinea's largest city, as well as Ciudad de la Paz, the new capital as of January 2026. Small offshore islands in this region include Corisco, Elobey Grande, and Elobey Chico.
The insular region comprises the islands of Bioko (formerly Fernando Po) in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobón. Bioko Island is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea and is the site of Malabo, the former capital and second-largest city in the country. The Portuguese-speaking island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón. The Equator runs through Equatorial Guinea's territorial waters, approximately 1.4 degrees south of Annobón island, the country's southernmost territory.
Population and Ethnic Groups
Over 85% of Equatorial Guinea's population are members of the Fang people, the country's dominant ethnic group. The Bubi people, indigenous to Bioko Island, comprise the second-largest ethnic group at approximately 6.5% of the population. Pygmies, the first confirmed inhabitants of the area, are today found only in isolated pockets in southern Río Muni.
Languages
Spanish is the main official language of Equatorial Guinea, a legacy of Spanish colonial rule. French and Portuguese have also been made official languages as of 2010. Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign country in Africa where Spanish is an official language. The country benefits from Spanish support for education and research, including cooperation on teacher training and postgraduate education.
Education and Literacy
Education in Equatorial Guinea has been highly influenced by the Spanish education system since colonial rule. The country boasts one of the highest adult literacy rates among Sub-Saharan African countries at 95.3%, with a youth literacy rate of 98%.
Early History
Pygmies were the first confirmed inhabitants to settle in the area of present-day Equatorial Guinea. Bantu-speaking migrations followed, likely beginning around 2,000 BC from the region between southeast Nigeria and northwest Cameroon. These groups settled continental Equatorial Guinea around 500 BC at the latest. The earliest settlements on Bioko Island date to AD 530. The population of Annobón was originally native to Angola and was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé island.
Portuguese and Early Spanish Rule (1472–1844)
Portuguese explorer Fernando Pó is credited as the first European to see Bioko Island in 1472. He named it Formosa ("Beautiful"), though it eventually took the name of its European discoverer. Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474, with the first factories established around 1500. However, Portuguese efforts to establish settlements faced significant challenges, including Bubi resistance and tropical diseases.
In 1778, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of El Pardo, which ceded Bioko and adjacent islets along with commercial rights in the Bight of Biafra to Spain. Between 1778 and 1810, the territory was administered by the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, based in Buenos Aires. From 1827 to 1843, Spain leased a base in Bioko to the United Kingdom to support British efforts to suppress the slave trade. In 1844, Britain returned the island to Spanish control, and the area became known as the "Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea".
Late Colonial Period and Independence
Throughout the 19th century, plantations were established despite recurring epidemics, including a significant yellow fever outbreak in 1862. The plantations were largely run by a black Creole elite known as Fernandinos. The population became increasingly diverse, with settlers from Sierra Leone, Angola, Nigeria, Liberia, Cuba, the Philippines, and other locations.
Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 under President Francisco Macías Nguema, whose rule was characterized as a bloody dictatorship. In 1972, Macías declared himself president for life, but he was overthrown in a coup in 1979 by his nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has served as the country's president since. Obiang's regime has also been widely characterized as a dictatorship by foreign observers.
Modern Economy
Since the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producers. This has made it one of the richest countries per capita in Africa; however, this wealth is extremely unevenly distributed, with few people benefiting from oil revenues. United States oil companies are the main operators of the oil industry and primary supporters of the government's revenue. The country has the highest Human Development Index ranking among sub-Saharan countries at 133rd place, after only Gabon.
Health and Development
Equatorial Guinea has shown significant progress in child health indicators. In 2021, the country had a child mortality rate of 7.7% for children under five, representing a considerable reduction from 17.9% in 1990.
Human Rights and International Status
Equatorial Guinea's government is authoritarian and 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 rights. Human trafficking is a significant problem, with the country identified as both a source and destination for forced labour and sex trafficking. Reporters Without Borders ranks President Obiang among its "predators" of press freedom.
The country is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Francophonie, OPEC, and the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries).