12 October: Equatorial Guinea Independence Day

Equatorial Guinea gained Independence from Spain on this date in 1968. Here are ten facts you may not know about Equatorial Guinea.

1. Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign African state to have Spanish as an official language.
2. The name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea - but no part of it is actually on the equator.
3. Since independence in 1968, the country has only had two Presidents. The first President was Francisco Macias Nguema. He was overthrown by his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in 1979. President Teodoro Obiang has ruled ever since. He is the longest-serving leader in Africa and the longest-serving president in the world.
4. The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni, which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south, and five small islands, Bioko, Corisco, Annobón, Elobey Chico (Small Elobey), and Elobey Grande (Great Elobey). The capital city, Malabo (once known as Port Clarence by the British), is on Bioko Island, making Equatorial Guinea the only country in Africa with mainland territory and its capital on an island.
5. Bioko is also the location for the country's highest point - Pico Basile at 3,008m.
6. It's a small place - with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq miles, or about the size of Wales and slightly smaller than the US State of Maryland) Equatorial Guinea is the smallest country in Africa to be a member of the United Nations.
7. People of the Pygmy and the Ndowe tribes were the first inhabitants of the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. The largest single tribe today is the Fang (Fon, or Pamúe), who migrated to Río Muni from the east between 1687 and 1926.
8. The people who live there are known as Equatoguineans.
9. Britain had Eddie the Eagle - Equatorial Guinea had Eric the Eel, Eric Moussambani, who was Eddie's aquatic equivalent at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, coming last in the 100m freestyle. They also had a female swimmer, Paula Barila Bolopa, or Paula the Crawler, who did equally badly.
10. The six stars on the coat of arms and Flag represent the country's mainland and five islands. The tree is a silk cotton tree, or "God tree".