MalaboCapital
Equatorial Guinea · Country profile
Malabo is the small, atmospheric capital of Equatorial Guinea, the island city of the Bioko that climbs the green ridge of the volcanic north above the great bay. It is the strangest and among the smallest of the African capitals, a town of the Spanish colonial streets, the crumbling gingerbread houses and the newly painted towers of the oil wealth of the country. The cathedral of the colonial era, the president's palaces of the modern state and the bustling market of the city anchor the centre, while the volcanic beaches and the crater of the island lie beyond the town. Quiet, formal and wholly singular, Malabo is the improbable seat of one of the smallest nations of the continent.
About Malabo
Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea. The city's documented population is around 297,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF) and Spanish and French are spoken; the dialling code is +240.
The Island Capital of the Ridge and the Volcano
Malabo is a half-day town of the colonial grid and the wide avenues, where the cathedral, the plaza of the independence and the presidential quarter anchor the historic route of the centre. The market of the city, with its produce of the island and its cloths of the country, and the museum of the town, with its masks and its drums, fill the slower hours of the day. The views over the bay and the volcano, the southern beaches and the crater trails of the island lie a short drive beyond. It is small, sedate and surprisingly green, and the diplomatic silence of the capital runs through its quiet, palm-flanked streets.
The Wet Seasons, the Humidity and the Quiet of the Palace Quarter
The island climate is hot and very humid, with the heavy rains of the two wet seasons and the pace of the life slowed by the sticky days of the year. The franc of the region is the currency, the Spanish the official language, with the French and the local Fang filling the streets and the markets of the town. The cathedral, the plaza and the market make the core circuit, and the movement of the country requires the patience with its sparse infrastructure. Light clothing, the rain protection of the wet seasons and a discreet respect for the formalities of the state complete the preparation for Malabo.
The Cathedral, the Market and the Beaches of the South
The cathedral of the Malabo, the pale neo-Gothic church with its red towers that the Spanish missionaries raised above the colonial heart of the town, is the proud landmark of the capital. The plaza of the independence and the ministries of the modern state, together with the palace of the president and the hotels of the bay, carry the formal, oil-rich face of the little nation. The crater of the old volcano of the island, now a lake and a lush garden of the caldera, and the southern beaches with their forests and their nesting turtles lie beyond the town, and the extraordinary forest of the near mountains of the island completes the incomparable natural setting of this enigmatic colonial capital.
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- Country
- Equatorial Guinea
- Population
- 297,000
- Capital
- Malabo
- Region
- Africa
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc (XAF)
- Languages
- Spanish, French
- Calling code
- +240
- Country code
- GQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Malabo the capital of Equatorial Guinea?
Yes — Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea.
What currency do I need in Malabo?
The local currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF). Languages spoken in Equatorial Guinea include Spanish and French.
What is the dialling code for Equatorial Guinea?
The international dialling code for Equatorial Guinea is +240.
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