The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Central Africa. It consists of two parts, an insular region and the mainland region.
The insular region is home to Bioko Island located in the northernmost part of the country, which is also the site of the capital, Malabo.
Formerly a Spanish colony, its post-independence name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea.
With an estimated population of 1.2 million as of 2015, Equatorial Guinea is the only African state in which Spanish is the official language.
Despite being one of sub-Sahara’s biggest oil producers, the majority of its population still lives in poverty.
One of the smallest countries on the continent, Equatorial Guinea can, however, boast of having some of the most distinguished personalities who are changing the world.
As the country celebrates its independence, here are five notable people you probably didn’t know are from Equatorial Guinea: