According to abbreviationfinder, Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko, it is the oldest city in Equatorial Guinea, it is located north of the island of Bioko, it was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Fernando Póo.
Malabo is a city full of contrasts, despite being a rich country, there is a lot of poverty, lacking essential services, however in the city there are more than three hundred hotel beds, it has a high tonnage port that interconnects the ports of Douala in Cameroon and Bata, in addition to having an international airport.
History
The history of Malabo begins in 1472, when the sailor Fernando Poo, a native of Portugal, discovered Bioko Island, also known as Poo Island, in honor of its discoverer. From those moments there are attempts to colonize the island with the construction of factories and the development of agriculture based on sugar cane.
Those beginnings were not easy, not in vain, the island people had them in check for years. In the 18th century the Portuguese ceded power and control of the island to the Spanish, specifically it was in 1777 with the treaty of San Ildefonso. In it, the Portuguese gave the Spanish control of more than 750,000 square kilometers on the African coast in exchange for territories in Brazil. Spain was not pending and Great Britain occupied the area.
The city was founded by the British in 1827 under the name of Port Clarence, and was used until the 1840s as a base in the eradication of the slave trade. Years later the Island returned to Spanish hands, Port Clarence was renamed Santa Isabel, a city that was named the country’s capital on October 12, 1968, the year in which Equatorial Guinea became independent from Spain, replacing the previous capital of the country. Bata, located in Continental Guinea. Later in 1973, the name of the city became Malabo, in honor of the last King of the Bubi, natives of the place who defended their land from the Spanish invasion.
Later came years of convulsion to take power, of repressions, of situations of political tension due to repression and dictatorships, but today the city is developing, and tourism is promoting that development. Today it is a quiet and hospitable small town.
Geography
City of Equatorial Guinea, national capital and main port of the island of Bioko. It used to be called Santa Isabel and is located in the north of the island, on the edge of a volcanic crater that, broken by the sea, has formed a natural bay.
Malabo is the capital and main city of Equatorial Guinea. It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko, formerly Fernando Póo, near the equator. See population of Equatorial Guinea.
Climate
The climate in Malabo and throughout Bioko Island is tropical, with high levels of humidity, high temperatures and frequent rains in the months of June, July, August and September. In inland areas, such as the Caldera de Luba, rainfall is even more frequent.
Nature
Malabo is the capital of Bioko, an equatorial island, which is covered by a green blanket, it is a volcanic island with incredible places of high ecological value, from its volcanic peaks, its seabed, its forests, its beaches.
The Caldera de Luba, which is located south of Bioko Island, stands out. It is a nature reserve where scientists have been conducting studies for decades. It is a very rainy area, and it is covered by a green blanket. Its top is more than 2,000 meters high.
It is a perfect place for lovers of hiking, nature, and views since from its top you can see the coast of Cameroon.
On the other hand, at sea level, Ureka stands out, another small paradise for lovers of the marine world, since here it is common for turtles to come to spawn, it is an ideal place for watching sea turtles.
Economic development
Malabo is the economic center of the country and the main commercial port of the island of Bioko. Economic activity is focused on commerce, which is one of the most thriving activities thanks to the presence of US oil companies, as well as the presence of citizens of different nationalities attracted by the exploitation of oil wells.
It has a high tonnage port that interconnects the ports of Douala in Cameroon and Bata, in addition to having an international airport. In the city there are more than three hundred hotel beds.
Its main lines of production and export are: cocoa, copra, coffee, wood and those derived from fishing.
Sightseeing
Tourism has also been gaining strength in recent years, especially due to its emblematic buildings and its beaches.
The city of Malabo still preserves buildings from the colonial era that are of great interest to visitors. For tourists, the must-see sites are: The cathedral, the Plaza de la Independencia, the Palace of the Presidency, the City Hall and its gardens, among others. The city is surrounded by mountains that are almost always covered with clouds, which give the city a gloomy appearance.
Beaches
Malabo and Bioko Island have spectacular white sand beaches, golden sand, surrounded by abundant vegetation in most cases and with crystal clear and clean waters, ideal beaches to enjoy your holidays in Malabo, in a different place..
There are several beaches that stand out in Malabo and its surroundings, its surroundings, Bioko Island, beaches such as Aleña Beach, a white sand beach, near the Parrot Island. It is located about 30 kilometers from the city, it is a fishermen’s beach.
Another outstanding beach in this area is La Playa del Seis, a small paradise very close to Malabo, a beach 5 minutes away by car and that is more than 3 kilometers long. It is the quintessential beach of the city of Malabo, so on weekends it is quite crowded. Playa del Quince, which we find on the road that connects Malabo and Luba, is white sand, very popular and we find it in Basupú.
Culture
Malabo has a culture that is a mixture of Western and African culture. It is a city whose culture, like that of the entire island, lies in the different migrations that took place between the 15th and 18th centuries, migrations that before that time were reduced to those that arrived from the coast of Cameroon. After that time they would begin to arrive from other parts of the planet.
The culture of Malabo is the bubi, a culture spread throughout the world, although Bioko Island is the most important in this sense, with almost 50,000 bubies. It is followed by Spain, where some 30,000 reside, and the rest of the world, with another 30,000 approximately.
Malabo Lopelo Melada was the best known and most famous bubi, not in vain is he who gives the island its name. The art of Equatorial Guinea is based on that of the Fang culture, an ethnic group of itinerant farmers that reached its splendor during the Spanish colonization. Among the most outstanding works of this culture are the wood carving of deities and the colored masks that were used in religious rites.
Heritage
In Malabo there are outstanding buildings of Spanish colonial architecture, among which the Hispano-Equatoguinean Cultural Center, the Cathedral of Malabo, the Building of the Court of Malabo, the Church of Ela Enguema, the House of Spain, the colonial houses of Nigeria and Rey Boncoro streets and also the Presidential Palace and Avenida de las Naciones, among others. Many of the colonial buildings were built of wood in the 19th century.
Sports
Malabo has sea, land and above all with abundant spaces surrounded by nature where enjoying various possibilities of practicing sports, diving, hiking, windsurfing are some of the most outstanding.
