1. Equatorial Guinea has one of only a hand full of Capital Cities not on a mainland
Equatorial Guinea’s capital, Malabo, on Bioko Island, is located 40 km off the coast of Cameroon, which is closer than its own mainland, Río Muni! It’s one of the few countries worldwide with a capital not on the mainland, alongside Denmark and Gambia. This quirky setup is a colonial leftover from when the Spanish made Bioko their hub for cocoa and slave trading.
2. Equatorial Guinea is home to the wettest place in Africa
The tiny village of Ureca on Bioko Island gets drenched with up to 11500mm (450 inches) of rain a year, making it Africa’s wettest spot. This rainforest-soaked village is a haven for rare animals like goliath frogs, but make sure you have an umbrella sturdy enough. The constant downpour makes Ureca a lush, green oddity that could double as a set for a jungle apocalypse movie.
3. Christmas was once banned
During Macías Nguema’s rule in the 1970s, he reportedly banned Christmas celebrations, claiming they were too “Western.” Churches were shut, priests expelled, and Christian names swapped for African ones. Macías even called himself a god! This anti-Christmas crusade in a mostly Catholic country was as bizarre as it sounds. Imagine waking up on December 25 to a dictator yelling, “No Santa, only me!” Thankfully, the ban didn’t stick.
4. Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa
Equatorial Guinea is the only African country where Spanish is the main official language, spoken by about 68% of its people. A leftover from its days as Spanish Guinea, a Spanish colony. This linguistic quirk makes it a cultural oddity in a region dominated by French and English. Locals spice it up with Equatoguinean Spanish, saying “Antéose” instead of “No sé” for “I don’t know.”
5. Equatorial Guinea is home to the second longest serving non-royal world leader
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been president since 1979, making him the world’s second longest-serving non-royal leader, outdone only by neighbouring Cameroon’s Paul Biya. He grabbed power by ousting his own uncle in a coup.
6. Equatorial Guinea has one of the world’s newest capitals
Equatorial Guinea is building a new capital, Ciudad de la Paz, deep in the mainland rainforest, because why not move from an island to a jungle? Construction began in 2017 and is one of the world’s newest capitals, aiming to fully replace Malabo. It’s still a work in progress, with funding hiccups slowing the dream of a modern utopia. Imagine a city rising from the wilderness like something for a futuristic science fiction film.
7. Equatorial Guinea is one of the biggest oil producers in the world
Since striking oil in 1996, Equatorial Guinea became sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest oil producer, pumping out crude like there’s no tomorrow. Equatorial Guinea has one of Africa’s highest GDP per capita, but most people still live in poverty.
8. Equatorial Guinea has the second highest literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Equatorial Guinea boasts a 95.2% literacy rate, the second highest in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to Spanish colonial efforts that pushed education hard. By the 1960s, it also had hospital beds per capita than Spain itself!
9. Equatorial Guinea is home to a sex scandal that involved almost every government minister
In 2024, a government official, Baltasar Engonga, was caught in a jaw-dropping scandal involving over 400 sex tapes with the wives of ministers, dignitaries, and even his own cousin! Discovered during a fraud probe, this led to surveillance cameras in government offices and a WhatsApp ban on multimedia sharing. The Attorney General even ordered STD tests for Baltasar.
10. Equatorial Guinea is home to the world’s biggest frogs
Equatorial Guinea is home to the Goliath frog, the world’s largest, which can grow to 35cm and weigh more than a new born child, up to 3.5kgs! Found in the rainforests of Río Muni and Cameroon, these monster amphibians can jump 3 metres. They feed on insects, small mammals, and even other frogs.
If you want to join us in Equatorial Guinea, then check out the tours available on our website here . Or contact us at [email protected] to secure your place!
