Independence Day of Equatorial Guinea

OCTOBER 12 marks the day in 1968 when the Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain. Francisco Macías Nguema was elected president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and in July, 1970, he created a single-party state. The country’s post-independence name indicates its location near both the Gulf of Guinea and the Equator, although no part of the country’s territory lies on the equator.

Celebrated as a national holiday throughout the country, Independence Day features official ceremonies and speeches by key officials, colorful parades, formal receptions, outdoor performances, and other festive events. The center of the celebration is Malabo, the country’s capital city.

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is in Central Africa. It shares maritime borders with Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe. It is the only independent nation in Africa where Spanish is an official language. The country gained international prominence for swimmers Eric Moussambani (a.k.a. “Eric the Eel”) and Paula Barila Bolopa, (a.k.a. “Paula the Crawler”), who gained fame at the 2000 Summer Olympics. In June, 2016, Equatorial Guinea was chosen to host the 12th African Games in 2019.

The country’s capital of Malabo is a port city. It boasts of Spanish colonial architecture that includes the neo-Gothic, twintowered St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral, which is home of the Archdiocese of Malabo and is considered the largest Christian church in the nation. Among its other interesting sites are: the dark-green Casa Verde, a 19th century house that was prefabricated in Belgium; and the Equatoguinean Culture Centre, a colonial building with large windows and has a central atrium that serves as a gallery and performance space. The densely forested Parque Nacional del Pico Basilé surrounds the Pico Basilé Volcano.

The Philippines and Equatorial Guinea were both colonies of Spain. The two countries have had “cooperative relations,” particularly in trade and investments, agriculture, education, cultural, and technical fields. The Philippine embassy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria has concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

We greet the people and government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, on the occasion of its 49th Independence Day Anniversary.