Equatorial Guinea: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Equatorial Guinea is a small country in Central Africa, made up of a mainland region called Río Muni, between Cameroon and Gabon, and several islands in the Gulf of Guinea, the largest of which is Bioko. It is the only country in Africa where Spanish is an official language. About 1.9 million people live there. Its long-time capital, Malabo, is on Bioko, and the government has been moving the capital to Ciudad de la Paz, a new city built on the mainland. The country is known for its rainforests, volcanic islands and oil.

On My Earth Toy you can see St. Elizabeth's Cathedral in Malabo, a twin-towered Gothic-style church completed in 1916.

Geography and nature

Bioko is a volcanic island with steep, forested slopes; its highest peak, Pico Basilé, rises above 3,000 metres. Its forests are home to rare monkeys such as drills and several kinds of colobus, and sea turtles nest on its southern beaches. Río Muni, on the mainland, is low and covered in thick rainforest, crossed by rivers. Annobón, a tiny island far to the southwest, lies south of the Equator. The climate is hot and wet all year.

People, languages and culture

The largest ethnic group is the Fang, who live mainly on the mainland, while the Bubi are the original people of Bioko. Spanish, French and Portuguese are official languages, and Fang, Bubi and other local languages are spoken at home. Most people are Christian. Music and dance, such as the balélé dance of Bioko, are important at festivals. Fish, cassava and plantains are common foods.

History in a nutshell

The Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó sighted Bioko in the 1470s, and the island was named after him for centuries. Portugal handed the region to Spain in 1778. Spanish Guinea grew cocoa and coffee on plantations. The country became independent from Spain on 12 October 1968 as Equatorial Guinea. Large offshore oil reserves were discovered in the 1990s, transforming the economy.