Equatorial Guinea

(Spanish Guinea)

Capital : Bata

Mbini (Rio Muni), Bioko Island (Fernando Po)

Size: 10 800 sq m Popn: 369 000

History

The area was inhabited by Pygmies before the C13th and various other ethnic groups arrived on the mainlnd and islands after this. Portuguese explorers arrived in 1472 but the islands came under Spanish rule in 1880 and the whole colony became Spanish Guinea in 1885. The mainland segment (now Mbini) was known as Rio Muni and the chief island, Bioko Island, was called Fernando Po.

From 1959, it was a Spanish Overseas Province but some self-government was granted in 1964 under Spanish appointed President Ondo Edu and full independence came in 1968 under Francisco Macias Nguema as President. He banned all political parties, replacing them with the United National Party (PUN), declared himself president for life and formed links with the Soviet bloc. After ten years of political repression and economic decline, his nephew, Lieutenant Colonel Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, took power in 1979. He survived a coup in 1981, was given a bodyguard of 1000 Moroccan troops and 400 Spanish police and officially became President in 1982, surviving another coup in 1986. A new constitution was introduced in 1992 but in the subsequent elections all members of the house of representatives were nominated by the president and elected without opposition.

The mainland Pamues or Fang are resented by the islanders. There are several tribal languages and French is used officially. Traditional beliefs and Roman Catholicism are the religions.

Names

Male

Surnames

This collection of names was compiled by Kate Monk and is ©1997, Kate Monk.

Copies may be made for personal use only.