Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶
Equatorial Guinea is a country in Africa with a population of 1,674,908. Its capital is Malabo. The official currency is XAF, and the main languages are Spanish, French, Portuguese.
Quick facts
- Capital: Malabo
- Continent: Africa
- Population: 1,674,908
- Area: 28,051 km²
- Density: 59.7 people per km²
- Currency: XAF
- Languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese
- ISO code: GQ
Where Equatorial Guinea sits
Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶 is one of 54 countries in Africa, with its capital at Malabo. It covers 28,051 square kilometres — 142nd in the world — and is home to about 1,674,908 people, 151st globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Equatorial Guinea compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Equatorial Guinea sits closest to Kosovo and Trinidad and Tobago. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Burundi and Haiti.
At 59.7 people per square kilometre it is close to the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Spanish is an official language in 20 countries here, among them Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, and 15 others. The XAF is shared with 5 other countries, including Cameroon, Central African Republic and Chad, and 2 others.
To see Equatorial Guinea next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Equatorial Guinea
Watch out: the capital is changing. For years it was Malabo, on Bioko Island, and most quizzes still say Malabo. Since January 2026 the official capital has been Ciudad de la Paz, a new city built on the mainland.
The flag of Equatorial Guinea: green, white, red and blue
🇬🇶 The flag is three horizontal stripes of green, white and red, with a blue triangle at the hoist and the coat of arms on the white stripe. Green stands for the jungle and natural resources, blue for the sea, white for peace and red for the fight for independence. The six stars on the coat of arms stand for the mainland and five islands.
Region and neighbours
Equatorial Guinea is a small country in Central Africa made of a mainland region between Cameroon and Gabon plus islands in the Gulf of Guinea, the largest being Bioko. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Cameroon and Gabon.
- Cameroon 🇨🇲 — capital Yaoundé
- Gabon 🇬🇦 — capital Libreville
Three facts about Equatorial Guinea
- Spanish is an official language, and it is the main language of the country.
- Pico Basilé on Bioko Island, about 3,008 m high, is the highest point in the country.
- Bata, on the mainland, is the largest city.
Sources: Wikipedia: Equatorial Guinea, Wikipedia: Flag of Equatorial Guinea, Wikipedia: Malabo, Wikipedia: Ciudad de la Paz, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Equatorial Guinea
- African capitals quiz — match Equatorial Guinea to Malabo
- African flags quiz — spot the Equatorial Guinea flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Equatorial Guinea
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Equatorial Guinea those are:
- Africa map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Africa flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Africa capitals quiz — match it to Malabo
- Equatorial Guinea capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Equatorial Guinea
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Equatorial Guinea
- Capital of Equatorial Guinea: Malabo — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 54 countries of Africa
Nearby countries
- Algeria 🇩🇿 — capital Algiers
- Angola 🇦🇴 — capital Luanda
- Benin 🇧🇯 — capital Porto-Novo
- Botswana 🇧🇼 — capital Gaborone
- Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 — capital Ouagadougou
- Burundi 🇧🇮 — capital Gitega
- Cabo Verde 🇨🇻 — capital Praia
- Cameroon 🇨🇲 — capital Yaoundé
- Central African Republic 🇨🇫 — capital Bangui
- Chad 🇹🇩 — capital N'Djamena
- Comoros 🇰🇲 — capital Moroni
- Congo 🇨🇬 — capital Brazzaville
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Equatorial Guinea flag?
The flag of Equatorial Guinea is three horizontal stripes of green, white and red, with a blue triangle at the hoist and the coat of arms on the white stripe. Green stands for the jungle and natural resources, blue for the sea, white for peace and red for the fight for independence. The six stars on the coat of arms stand for the mainland and five islands.
Which countries border Equatorial Guinea?
Equatorial Guinea shares land borders with Cameroon and Gabon.
How can I remember the capital of Equatorial Guinea?
Watch out: the capital is changing. For years it was Malabo, on Bioko Island, and most quizzes still say Malabo. Since January 2026 the official capital has been Ciudad de la Paz, a new city built on the mainland.