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Spanish Guinea

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A historic moment in 1941: Iberia's first flight arrives at Bata Airport in Spanish Guinea (now Equatorial Guinea).

Spanish Guinea

Spanish Guinea was a group of islands and land areas in Central Africa. These places were controlled by Spain from the year 1778. They were near the Gulf of Guinea and the Bight of Bonny, which are parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, Spanish Guinea is known as Equatorial Guinea. In 1968, the people there became independent, meaning they could make their own decisions. This was an important time because many African countries were becoming independent.

The area had many names over the years. Some of these names were the Spanish Possessions on the Gulf of Guinea and the Colony of Fernando Poo and Dependencies.

People from many places lived in Spanish Guinea. There were White Spanish people, Black African people, Creole peoples, and workers from nearby countries like Nigeria and Cameroon. The land grew crops like cacao plantations and coffee, which helped the economy.

Images

A historical map from 1897 showing the Gulf of Guinea and the region of Equatorial Guinea, including the island of Bioko. This old map helps us learn about how the area was seen over a century ago.
A historical map from 1903 showing the geography and communities of Equatorial Guinea, including locations of churches and indigenous settlements.
Historians Manuel Fraga Iribarne and Francisco Macías Nguema sign the Independence Act of Equatorial Guinea in 1968.
Historical map of Spanish Equatorial Guinea from the year 1900, showing borders established by the Treaty of Paris.
Historical photograph showing people from the Benga community leaving a church service in Corisco, Equatorial Guinea, around 1910.
A historical postage stamp from 1924 showing boats, palm trees, and pottery from Spanish Guinea.

Related articles

Santa Isabel
Central Africa
Spain
Gulf of Guinea
Bight of Bonny
Equatorial Guinea

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Spanish Guinea, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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