Often called the North Korea of Africa along with Eritrea, there is no doubt that Equatorial Guinea is somewhat of a bizarre place. Yet few people know just how whacky it really is.
Therefore we have put together 11 fun facts about Equatorial Guinea that are not just true, but will frankly blow your mind.
Table of Contents
11 Fun Facts About Equatorial Guinea
As always our count of the fun facts about Equatorial Guinea counts down from 11-1, getting whackier as you hit the summit.
11.It is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa
Yes, in the middle of Francophone and Anglophone Africa you suddenly hit a country where the official language is Spanish. Not Arabic. Not French. Spanish. This is down to colonial history and the fact it was once known as Spanish Guinea. You can land in Malabo and hear cleaner Spanish than in parts of Latin America.
10. It has one of Africa’s longest serving presidents
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been in power since 1979. That is not a typo. He overthrew his uncle and has ruled ever since. In African strongman terms, that is elite longevity.
9. It is insanely rich on paper
Thanks to offshore oil discoveries in the 1990s, Equatorial Guinea ended up with one of the highest GDP per capita figures in Africa. For a while it technically rivalled some European countries. The catch? The wealth distribution in Equatorial Guinea is somewhat not exactly the most socialist.
8. It built a brand new capital in the jungle
While Malabo sits on an island, the government decided to build a shiny new administrative capital called Ciudad de la Paz on the mainland. Wide boulevards, empty buildings, almost no people. It feels like a set from a dystopian film
7. The capital is not even on the mainland
Malabo sits on Bioko Island, not continental Africa. That alone makes logistics odd and gives the country a slightly detached vibe from its neighbours.
6. It once had one of the most brutal dictators in African history
Before Obiang, there was Francisco Macías Nguema. His rule in the 1960s and 70s was so extreme that a huge percentage of the population either fled or died. Entire educated classes vanished. Churches were banned. The country imploded.
5. It has very few tourists
Despite beaches, jungle and oil money infrastructure, tourism is almost nonexistent. Visas are not exactly straightforward and the country does not exactly market itself as the next safari hotspot.
4. It uses a Central African currency
Even though it is Spanish speaking, it uses the Central African CFA franc, tying it economically to former French colonies. Linguistically Spanish. Economically Francophone Africa. Politically its own thing.
3. It is tiny but geographically split
The country consists of a mainland chunk called Río Muni and several islands including Bioko and Annobón. That makes governance and transport interesting to say the least.
2. It once proposed making Spanish the language of the African Union
Equatorial Guinea has actively promoted Spanish on the continent and even pushed for it to gain greater recognition within African institutions. Not bad for a country most people struggle to place on a map.
1. It genuinely feels like stepping into a parallel universe
Between the oil wealth, near empty mega projects, heavy security presence and ultra long presidential rule, Equatorial Guinea does not feel like anywhere else in Africa. It is not quite North Korea. It is not quite Gabon. It is something entirely its own.
Click to see our tours to Equatorial Guinea.
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