Africa/Middle Africa
Equatorial Guinea
Malabo
1.7 Mio
28 051 km²
Central African CFA franc
Coastal
French, Portuguese, Spanish
Historical Events
1472 - Exploration by Fernando Pó
Portuguese explorer Fernando Pó explores the area that is now Equatorial Guinea.
1778 - Treaty of El Pardo
Portugal ceded territories in the Bight of Biafra to Spain, establishing Spanish Guinea.
1968 - Independence from Spain
Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spanish colonial rule.
1972 - Macías Nguema declares president for life
President Francisco Macías Nguema declared himself president for life, marking an authoritarian regime.
1979 - Coup against Macías Nguema
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo overthrew his uncle, President Macías Nguema.
1990s - Oil production rise
Equatorial Guinea became one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producers.