Why is the capital of Equatorial Guinea located on an island far from Africa?

The capital is the heart of a country. In some countries whose territory spans the mainland and islands, the capital is often chosen in the main part of the mainland.

However, there are some special countries, such as Denmark, half of which are located in jutland on the European continent, and the other half include many islands, but their capital is located on the island of Xilan across the sea from Sweden.

Equatorial Guinea in Africa also built its capital on the island. Of its 28,000 square kilometers of land, 26,000 square kilometers are in the African continent (Mooney River area), and the remaining 2,034 square kilometers are composed of many islands such as Bioko, Annoben and Corisco. The total population of China is about 65438+300,000, most of which are concentrated in Africa.

▲ The capital of Equatorial Guinea is closer to Cameroon and Nigeria.

However, the capital, Malabo, is on the island of Bioko. Malabo is far away from the mainland, nearly 200 kilometers, while Malabo is only 45 kilometers away from foreign Cameroonians and 90 kilometers away from Nigerians.

Why did Equatorial Guinea put its capital on an island so far away from the mainland?

First, Portugal and Spain compete for the Gulf of Guinea.

Before the arrival of European colonists, including sub-Saharan areas along the Gulf of Guinea, it was mainly the sphere of influence of black tribes such as Pygmies and Bantu. Africa north of sub-Saharan Africa mainly belongs to the Moors who believe in Islam (a branch of Arabs).

Due to the blocking of the Sahara desert, the Moors never really conquered sub-Saharan Africa. The trade between black tribes and moors is mainly barter and isolated from each other.

But the Moors once crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to the north and occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula in Europe.

▲ Arabized Moors mainly live in North Africa.

/kloc-in the 0/2nd century, Portugal drove away the Moors. Starting from the15th century, the Portuguese began the process of finding new routes from the ocean. 147 1 year, the Portuguese navigator Fernando discovered an island (today's Bioko Island) near the Gulf of Guinea and named it "Formosa Island", which means beautiful island.

Since then, Portugal has successively occupied colonial strongholds near the Gulf of Guinea, and the Gulf of Guinea has become a Portuguese colony. But Portugal's colonial activities are facing the challenge of Spain, which is also located in Iberian Peninsula.

▲ The Gulf of Guinea painted by the Portuguese

Similarly, in 1492, Spain drove away the last Moorish country on the Iberian Peninsula and completed the national reunification. Immediately, the Spanish royal family sponsored Columbus's fleet to sail westward to the "East", but Columbus's fleet unexpectedly discovered the American continent.

The discovery of the American continent made the competition between Spain and Portugal for colonies increasingly fierce. In order to calm the contradiction between the two countries, the Pope, as the leader of Catholicism at that time, assumed the role of mediator.

1493, Pope Alexander VI divided a meridian from the South Pole to the North Pole, that is, "papal meridian", based on Cape Verde. According to this meridian, Portugal has no territory in America. Portugal strongly opposes this division.

1494, under the auspices of the Pope, the two countries concluded the Treaty of Todd silas, which divided the sphere of influence of America according to another meridian. Portugal owns a small part of the eastern part of the American continent, as well as colonial strongholds in Africa and Asia, while Spain owns most of America.

However, since then, Portugal has crossed papal meridian and continued to occupy the Amazon Plain and the Brazilian Plateau to the west, causing hostility from Spain, and the competition between the two sides in the American continent has become increasingly fierce.

European powers such as Spain and Portugal established tropical cash crop plantations in American colonies and developed tropical plantation economy. Tropical crop growing areas need a lot of labor. However, Europe's struggle in America and the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox led to a large number of deaths of indigenous people. There is a serious shortage of labor in the American continent.

Capturing slaves from the African continent has become the main way to supplement the shortage of labor in the United States. Among them, Portugal, based on the occupied African colonial stronghold, provoked tribal wars and sold black slaves to plantations in America for huge profits.

▲ triangle trade, the Gulf Coast is the core of African slave trade.

Portugal's monopoly on the slave trade made Spain jealous. According to the division of papal meridian, Spain didn't acquire African land, so Spain needed to occupy the colony in the Gulf of Guinea to facilitate the slave trade.

Portugal and Spain launched a new round of competition on the west coast of Africa, especially along the Gulf of Guinea. 1778, the two countries finally reached a compromise, and Portugal ceded Formosa (Bioko Island) to Spain. In exchange, Spain recognized Portugal's occupation of the Amazon Plain and the Brazilian Plateau (Portuguese Brazil).

Second, establish a colony with Bioko Island as the core.

After Spain occupied Formosa Island (Bioko Island), it was named "Fernando Island" after its discoverer. This is the first land established by Spain in Africa, so it is of great significance for Spain to occupy the island.

Spain started the slave trade in Africa based on Bioko Island. However, due to the epidemic of yellow fever in this area, Spain only used this place as a transit point and did not really establish a colonial base on the island.

18 10, the independence movement broke out in Spain and America under the influence of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Although Spain tried its best to suppress the American independence movement, it could not stop the wave of American independence. 1825, Spain was defeated in the battle of Ayacucho. In addition to Cuba, Puerto Rico and Haiti, the western continent of the United States has achieved independence and established independent countries.

With the independence of the western United States, Bioko Island, as a transit point of slave trade, gradually declined. At this time, with the development of the industrial revolution, Britain launched the abolitionist movement.

The coast of the Gulf of Guinea is the "hardest hit" of the slave trade. In order to curb the slave trade in Africa, Britain needs to send troops to supervise the Gulf of Guinea. Due to the epidemic of yellow fever and Spain's independence in American colonies, Spain's plan to colonize Bioko Island failed, and it withdrew from Bioko Island.

1827, Spain leased the island to Britain as the berthing base of the British patrol fleet. Britain established Clarence Port (now Malabo) in the northern part of the island as a port for releasing slaves.

1840, Britain moved the base of the anti-slavery movement from the island to Freetown (now the capital of Sierra Leone) on the west coast of the African continent, and Spain regained control of the island.

1844, Spain named the port of Clarence as the city of Saint Isabella after the then Queen Isabella II.

▲ Britain moved the slave release center to the capital of Sierra Leone.

The area of Bioko Island is only 20 17 square kilometers, which is small and can accommodate a small population. At this time, Spain's colonies in America have been independent and successful, and Spain needs to find land on the African continent along the Gulf of Guinea to expand its influence.

Although Portugal has always claimed that Africa gained its sphere of influence on the basis of papal meridian, with the decline of Portugal's national strength, it has become increasingly unable to manage Africa, and many European powers have also taken a share.

1844, Spanish colonists invaded the banks of the Muni River, which has not been occupied so far. Under the attack of powerful Spanish ships and guns, the chiefs of the Muny River region were forced to sign an agreement with Spain, recognizing that the Muny River region was protected by Spain. 1858, Spain began to send governors to Bioko Island and Muni River area. Spain became the de facto ruler here.

European powers, such as Britain and France, have also set off a frenzy to carve up Africa. Because of the conflict of spheres of influence among the powers, the contradiction between them has become more and more acute.

1884, under the auspices of Germany, they held the Berlin Conference on Re-dividing Africa. Although Britain, France and Germany are in constant conflict, they are unable to monopolize the African continent, including the Gulf of Guinea. Spain's rule in the Gulf of Guinea was recognized by the great powers.

▲ The Berlin Conference recognized the Spanish occupation.

After the establishment of colonial rule, Spain developed tropical cash crops such as coffee and cocoa by using the tropical rain forest climate and abundant rain and heat in the Gulf of Guinea. Bioko Island, which was once prosperous due to the slave trade, has a superior geographical position and is an important supply station. Spain vigorously develops tropical plantation agriculture by introducing contract workers.

After 1879, Spain took advantage of the fact that Bioko Island was far away from the mainland and used it as a place to exile prisoners. The labor force brought by the exile of prisoners makes Bioko island more developed than the Mooney River area on the African continent.

In contrast, there are many ethnic groups in the Muni River area, and the upper reaches of the Muni River are more complex and more difficult to develop. Spain's development in the Muni River area is mainly concentrated in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Guinea, and the level of economic development in the inland areas is low.

1904, Spain included Chinese mainland's Muni River and Bioko Island into Spanish territory. 1926, Spain incorporated this area into "West Guinea".

In the western part of Guinea at that time, Bioko Island was the first place occupied by Spain. In addition, the local residents are mainly indentured laborers and exiled prisoners, with a high degree of development and relatively developed economy. Spain located the Governor's Office in Saint Isabella on the island of Bioko.

However, the population of Bioko Island only accounts for 15% of the population of West Guinea, and most of the population is concentrated in the Muni River area on the mainland. In order to maintain its rule over the Muni River area, Spain set Bata, which is along the Gulf of Guinea, as the seat of the deputy governor and the administrative department.

▲ Bata is currently the most populous city in Equatorial Guinea.

Third, the capital choice of Equatorial Guinea after independence.

After the merger of Bioko Island and Muni River, Spain adopted the policy of divide and rule. The contract workers introduced by Spain from Nigeria mainly develop crops such as rubber and coffee in the local area. The wealth of western Guinea has flowed into Spain's pocket, while the local area is getting poorer and poorer.

Before World War II, Malabo, a local tribal leader, organized an uprising against Spanish colonial rule. But because of the disparity in strength, it was defeated. After World War II, the imperialist countries were severely weakened. The African continent set off a wave of national independence. Great powers such as Britain and France chose the road of "decolonization" and recognized colonial independence.

However, Spain did the opposite and strengthened its control over the colonies. 1959, Spain simply declared that Bioko Island and the Muni River region, like Spain, belong to two overseas provinces of Spain.

▲ Political map of Africa after World War II

This move was opposed by the people of West Guinea, and under the leadership of Marcelle, a vigorous anti-Spanish struggle was launched. Spain's "perverse behavior" has also aroused widespread condemnation from the international community.

Under the double pressure, Spain granted autonomy to Guinea in Spain in 1963. 1968 12. Spain and Guinea became independent from Spain and established the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

After Equatorial Guinea's independence, an important issue is the choice of the capital. During Spanish rule, Saint Isabella on Bioko Island was the seat of the Governor's Office. After the development of Spain, the level of economic development is higher than that of Chinese mainland. Therefore, Saint Isabella has the conditions to become the capital.

Equatorial Guinea's economy is dominated by agriculture, with a low level of industrialization. From 65438 to 0968, in order to consolidate his personal authority, President Masie forced the policy of "nationalization" and expelled Spanish landlords and foreign workers, which made Equatorial Guinea's economy worse after independence. The cost of re-electing the capital of Equatorial Guinea is too high.

▲ Presidential Palace of Malabo

However, Saint Isabella, the former capital of West Guinea, was named after Queen Isabella II of Spain, with a strong colonial color. In order to get rid of the colonial color of Spain, Equatorial Guinea named the city Malabo to commemorate the hero who led the resistance to Spanish colonial rule.

Due to the economic recession caused by the single economic structure and forced nationalization, Equatorial Guinea's domestic economy continued to slump and was once listed as one of the least developed countries. In the 1990s, a large number of oil resources were discovered near Bioko Island, and Equatorial Guinea's economy grew.

▲ The discovery of oil promoted the economic development of Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea put forward the economic policy of "promoting the development of wood processing industry based on agriculture and focusing on oil" from 1996. From 1997 to 200 1, the economic growth rate of Equatorial Guinea reaches 40% every year. In 2008, the country's per capita GDP once reached $22,000, the highest in Africa.

Although oil has promoted the economy of Equatorial Guinea, it has also brought new problems. Because the country's economy is mainly in the hands of political elites, the rapid economic development has benefited those political elites, and the lives of ordinary people have not been fundamentally improved.

▲ Although the per capita GDP is high, there is a big gap between the rich and the poor in Equatorial Guinea.

The high per capita GDP makes the contradiction between the island country and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea more prominent. 80% of Equatorial Guinea's population is concentrated in the mainland, and islands only account for 15%.

The capital is built on Bioko Island, far from the mainland. It can't drive the economic development of the mainland, but the gap between the island and the mainland is getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, Equatorial Guinea has plans to move its capital.

The location of the new capital is concentrated in two cities in Chinese mainland, one is Bata (the largest city in the country), where the former Spanish deputy governor and coastal administrative department were located, and the other is Eurasia. Compared with Bata, which is more economically developed, Equatorial Guinea believes that Eurasia, which is located in the center of the mainland, is more qualified to become the new capital.

Because Europe and Asia can use the status of the capital to promote the economic development of the inland areas of Equatorial Guinea and narrow the regional gap. However, the high cost of moving the capital triggered protests from the opposition.

In addition, the oil resources found near Bioko Island are easily coveted by Cameroon and Nigeria, and the capital Malabo is too close to Cameroon and Nigeria, which threatens the security of Equatorial Guinea, and thus hinders the process of Equatorial Guinea's capital relocation to some extent.

The capital stays in Bioko Island, which means "the emperor protects the country". Moving the capital is bound to balance international and domestic forces. For Equatorial Guinea, moving the capital is still a long process.