Independence Day (Equatorial Guinea)

Independence Day is a public holiday in Equatorial Guinea, and it is observed on October 12 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary when Equatorial Guinea gained its independence from Spain on this day in 1968.

Equatorial Guinea is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. In 1471, Portuguese navigator Fernao do Po first saw the island of Fernando Poo, which was renamed Bioko in 1979. Portugal colonized the islands of Bioko and Annobon in 1474. In 1778, Portugal ceded the Bioko island and the commercial rights on the mainland coast to Spain.

However, due to the French expansion, France took over most of the area claimed by Spain and left Spain only the continental enclave of Rio Muni, the continental region of Equatorial Guinea, in 1900. Since 1926, Bioko and Rio Muni were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea, which became a Spanish province in 1959.

In early 1968, Spain decided to grant independence to Equatorial Guinea due to the pressure from the United Nations. A referendum was thus held in August 1968, where 63% of the voters favored independence. As a result, on October 12, 1968, Equatorial Guinea declared its independence, and Francisco Macías Nguema became the first president.

The following is the list of Independence Day in Equatorial Guinea from 2022 to 2026.