In the Rio Muni region there is believed to have been a widespread pygmy population, of whom only isolated pockets remain in the north Bantu migrations between the 17th and 19th centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang
The Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó, seeking a path to India, is credited as being the first European to discover the island of Bioko in 1472 He called it Formosa "Beautiful", but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer The islands of Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474
In 1778, the island, adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger River and Ogoue Rivers were ceded to the Spanish Empire in exchange for territory in the American continent From 1827 to 1843, the United Kingdom established a base on the island to combat the slave trade which was then moved to Sierra Leone upon agreement with Spain in 1843 In 1844, on restoration of Spanish sovereignty, it became known as the Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea Ecuatorial The mainland portion, Rio Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900 Between 1926 and 1959 all three regions were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea
Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Franco's Spain in October 1968 Since then, it has been ruled by two men Francisco Macías Nguema, the first president, was a brutal dictator who despised intellectuals, killed a large number of the ethnic Bubi minority, banned fishing, and awarded himself a huge number of grandiose titles including President for Life He was overthrown by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in 1979 and later captured and executed Obiang's rule has seen less violence, but his regime is still brutally repressive Political power is centralized in his small mainland clan, and most senior members of the government are related Despite having one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, much of this income goes into the hands of government elites, with the majority of the people still being extremely poor
Equatorial Guinea has two distinctive and very pronounced seasons: rainy and dry seasons April to October are the wettest months of the year, and December to March are the driest
The major ethnic groups are the Fang of the mainland and the Bubi of Bioko Island
Equatorial Guinea recognizes the major Christian holidays October 12 is Independence Day
The colonial language is Spanish, and the country is also a member of La Francophonie There is an Anglophone population in Bioko that is historically linked to British commerce on the island
Everything is extremely expensive in Equatorial Guinea A decent room with very limited amenities bring all the necessary stuff like towel, soap, shampoo, etc as the hotel may not have any will be at the range of $75 to $300 A simple lunch will cost at least $20 without drinks like wine, beer or softdrinks in a clean and airconditioned restaurant
There are several good places to go to eat particularly in Malabo The coffee shop at Hotel Sofitel located just across the Cathedral along the north coast offers French cuisine Hotel Bahia's main restaurant is also a favorite destination for both local and expats If you like pizza and pasta, the Pizza Place is the best place in town For Asian cuisine, Restaurante Bantu offers authentic Chinese cuisine For Morrocan and other European food, try La Luna Try An Equatorial Guinean Cuisine such a Smoked Beef with a black pepper also a roast duck with cheese and onion leaf
Ebebiyin is known for its large number of bars They drink a lot of wine
Due to the influx of foreign workers and foreign investment in Malabo as well as in the continent, there is an ample choice of hotels
