Spanish Equatoguineans
Encyclopedia
Spanish Equatoguinean is a person of Spanish
descent who are residents born or living in the Central Africa
n country of Equatorial Guinea
, as well as indigenous Equatoguinean descendants living in or born in Spain. The population living in Equatorial Guinea numbers an estimated 16,000. Many Spanish Equatoquineans are of mulatto
, or multiracial
, ancestry.
and above all Valencian
landowners, whose cultural level was considerably above that of the Spaniards that continued to emigrate to the Americas, and since Guinea was never an attractive place for massive immigration, those Spaniards that chose to live in Guinea generally made this choice in view of superior salaries or perquisites, available only for the middle and professional classes.
Spaniards in Equatorial Guinea did not generally immigrate with the intent of permanently establishing themselves, but rather of working for a given time period, and nearly always returned to Spain. The result was a reduced sense of permanency, and a greater bilateral contact between Spain and expatriate Spaniards in Guinea. Even though a number of Spaniards were born in Guinea, few considered themselves as anything other than Spaniards, similar to their countrymen in the Canary Islands
or Ifni, and there were few families that had lived continuously in Spanish Guinea for more than a single generation.
The amount of miscegenation was also considerably less in Guinea than in the Americas, as Spanish settlers brought a higher proportion of Spanish women, a fact visibly evident in the small number of mulatto
Guineans (Fernandino
), as opposed to the Caribbean region of Latin America. However, during the 1940s and 1950s an increased number of mulatto
offspring were born to indigenous women and Spaniard men, mostly out of wedlock. These mulatto offspring were usually left be cared for by their mother and maternal family, and were more likely to identify as the tribe they were born into. Most married or procreated with other indigenous Africans. As a result of this era, as well as further interracial unions post-independence, a considerable amount of white Spaniard ancestry persists in the country, even among those with a black, or indigenous, phenotype. It's believed that some of the mixed ancestry resulted from rape, as forced servitude/slavery did, in fact, exist in the country through the course of Spanish domination there. It's further believed that some of the non-consent occurred through the corruption and coercion methods used by various Christian missionary organizations posted there, including those belonging to the Roman Catholic church, during the Spanish colonial era in the country.
From the earliest days of Spanish colonization, Santa Isabel contained numerous Europeans of various nations, as well as Kru
, Mende
, Ibo
, Calabar
, Hausa
, Krio, Angolans
, and Sao Tomenses, and even a small contingent of Asians. Furthermore, the island experienced small numbers of repatriated indentured slave-servants from Cuba
and Brazil
during the 17th century and 19th century. Most Spanish settlers left after Spanish Guinea became independent in 1968. Many more Spanish Equatoguineans stepped out of the nation after 'brutal' rule of Masie Nguema Biyogo to them, but then, their numbers increased quite greatly.
, and any of the 2 main Bantu languages
, Fang
and Bubi
. Indirect evidence of the cultural and educational level of the Spanish colonizers in Guinea is found in the particulars of Equatorial Guinean Spanish, which while containing a number of significant differences from peninsular Spanish, contains virtually no elements typical of uneducated Spanish usage, such as abound in Latin American Spanish. Analogical forms such as haiga, losotros, etc., are not found in Equatoguinean Spanish
, nor are non-etymological prefixes such as arrecordar, entodavía, etc. The only consistent phonetic deformations are those characteristic of middle-class Spaniards from central Spain: reduction of -ado to -ao, luego to logo, etc. Also of importance is the fact that, unlike in the Americas
. In religion, most of them are Christians
, mostly Roman Catholics
and a few Protestants
. Their ancestors brought Christianity to the nation and made it one of the largest Christian countries in Africa
.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent who are residents born or living in the Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
n country of Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
, as well as indigenous Equatoguinean descendants living in or born in Spain. The population living in Equatorial Guinea numbers an estimated 16,000. Many Spanish Equatoquineans are of mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, or multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, ancestry.
Settlement
A group of prosperous plantations was set up by CastilianCastilian people
The Castilian people are the inhabitants of those regions in Spain where most people identify themselves as Castilian. They include Castile-La Mancha, Madrid, and the major part of Castile and León. However, not all regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile think of themselves as Castilian...
and above all Valencian
Valencian people
The Valencians are an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community, which is a historical region in eastern Spain. The official languages of Valencia are Catalan , and Spanish ....
landowners, whose cultural level was considerably above that of the Spaniards that continued to emigrate to the Americas, and since Guinea was never an attractive place for massive immigration, those Spaniards that chose to live in Guinea generally made this choice in view of superior salaries or perquisites, available only for the middle and professional classes.
Spaniards in Equatorial Guinea did not generally immigrate with the intent of permanently establishing themselves, but rather of working for a given time period, and nearly always returned to Spain. The result was a reduced sense of permanency, and a greater bilateral contact between Spain and expatriate Spaniards in Guinea. Even though a number of Spaniards were born in Guinea, few considered themselves as anything other than Spaniards, similar to their countrymen in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
or Ifni, and there were few families that had lived continuously in Spanish Guinea for more than a single generation.
The amount of miscegenation was also considerably less in Guinea than in the Americas, as Spanish settlers brought a higher proportion of Spanish women, a fact visibly evident in the small number of mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
Guineans (Fernandino
Fernandino
Named in reverence of the Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó who is given credit for discovering their indigenous and adopted homelands, Fernandinos are creole, multi-ethnic or multi-race populations of Equatorial Guinea and former Spanish Guinea. Each population hails from a distinct ethnic, social,...
), as opposed to the Caribbean region of Latin America. However, during the 1940s and 1950s an increased number of mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
offspring were born to indigenous women and Spaniard men, mostly out of wedlock. These mulatto offspring were usually left be cared for by their mother and maternal family, and were more likely to identify as the tribe they were born into. Most married or procreated with other indigenous Africans. As a result of this era, as well as further interracial unions post-independence, a considerable amount of white Spaniard ancestry persists in the country, even among those with a black, or indigenous, phenotype. It's believed that some of the mixed ancestry resulted from rape, as forced servitude/slavery did, in fact, exist in the country through the course of Spanish domination there. It's further believed that some of the non-consent occurred through the corruption and coercion methods used by various Christian missionary organizations posted there, including those belonging to the Roman Catholic church, during the Spanish colonial era in the country.
From the earliest days of Spanish colonization, Santa Isabel contained numerous Europeans of various nations, as well as Kru
Kru
The Kru are an ethnic group who live in interior of Liberia. Their history is one marked by a strong sense of ethnicity and resistance to occupation. In 1856 when part of Liberia was still known as the independent Republic of Maryland, the Kru along with the Grebo resisted Maryland settlers'...
, Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
, Ibo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
, Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
, Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
, Krio, Angolans
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, and Sao Tomenses, and even a small contingent of Asians. Furthermore, the island experienced small numbers of repatriated indentured slave-servants from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
during the 17th century and 19th century. Most Spanish settlers left after Spanish Guinea became independent in 1968. Many more Spanish Equatoguineans stepped out of the nation after 'brutal' rule of Masie Nguema Biyogo to them, but then, their numbers increased quite greatly.
Language and Religion
Since their ancestors ruled the country, they made Spanish the first national official language. They also speak the country’s second official language, FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and any of the 2 main Bantu languages
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
, Fang
Fang language
Fang is the dominant Bantu language of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It is related to the Bulu and Ewondo languages of southern Cameroon. Fang is spoken in northern Gabon, southern Cameroon, and throughout Equatorial Guinea. Shakira used this language in her song, "Waka Waka .".There are many...
and Bubi
Bubi language
Bube, Bohobé, or Bube–Benga, is a Bantu or Bantoid language spoken by the Bubi, a Bantu people native to, and once the primary inhabitants of, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea...
. Indirect evidence of the cultural and educational level of the Spanish colonizers in Guinea is found in the particulars of Equatorial Guinean Spanish, which while containing a number of significant differences from peninsular Spanish, contains virtually no elements typical of uneducated Spanish usage, such as abound in Latin American Spanish. Analogical forms such as haiga, losotros, etc., are not found in Equatoguinean Spanish
Equatoguinean Spanish
Equatoguinean Spanish is the variety of Spanish spoken in Equatorial Guinea. This is the only Spanish variety that is official in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is spoken by about 90% of the population, estimated at 1,170,308 for the year 2010 , all of them second-language speakers...
, nor are non-etymological prefixes such as arrecordar, entodavía, etc. The only consistent phonetic deformations are those characteristic of middle-class Spaniards from central Spain: reduction of -ado to -ao, luego to logo, etc. Also of importance is the fact that, unlike in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. In religion, most of them are Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, mostly Roman Catholics
Roman Catholicism in Equatorial Guinea
The Roman Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....
and a few Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. Their ancestors brought Christianity to the nation and made it one of the largest Christian countries in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Prominent Spanish Equatoguineans
- Juan Tomás Ávila LaurelJuan Tomás Ávila LaurelJuan Tomás Ávila Laurel is an Annobonese writer from Equatorial Guinea.-Background and early life:...
- Concha BuikaConcha BuikaConcha Buika is a Spanish singer. Her album Niña de Fuego was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year.Buika's family is originally from Equatorial Guinea...
- Emilio BualeEmilio BualeEmilio Buale Coka is an Equatorial Guinean-Spanish actor of Bubi descent.-Early Life & Career:Born in Equatorial Guinea, he moved to Spain, with his parents and brothers, when he was six years old. He had no intention of becoming an actor until one day, in 1995, when casting director Paco Pino...
- Hijas del SolHijas del SolHijas del Sol , respectively Piruchi Apo Botupá and Paloma Loribo Apo, are an aunt and niece duo from the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea who write, sing and perform songs in both Bubi and Spanish....
- Virginia BuikaVirginia BuikaVirginia Buika is an Afro-Spanish musician, producer and actress of Spanish and Equatoguinean descent.-External links:* * * *...
- David Álvarez AguirreDavid Álvarez AguirreDavid Álvarez Aguirre , better known as Kily, is a naturalized Equatoguinean football defender. He currently plays for Langreo in the Spanish Tercera División .-External links:* at Facebook.com* *...
- Sergio BarilaSergio BarilaSergio Javier Barila Martínez is a retired Spanish-born Equatoguinean footballer who played as a defender.-Club career:Barila was born in Valencia, Spain, the capital of the namesake community...
- Rodolfo BodipoRodolfo BodipoRodolfo Bodipo Díaz is a naturalized Equatoguinean footballer who plays for Deportivo de La Coruña in the Spanish second division, as a striker.-Club career:...
- Juan Epitié DyoweJuan Epitié DyoweJuan Ramón Epitié Dyowe Roig , known as Epitié, is a naturalized Equatoguinean footballer who plays for Gimnàstic de Manresa in the Spanish ninth division, as a forward.-Club career:...
- Rubén Epitié DyoweRubén Epitié DyoweRubén Epitié Dyowe Roig , known as Epitié, is a Spanish-born Equatoguinean footballer who plays for UE Rubí in Tercera División, as a forward.-Club career:...
- Alberto EdjogoAlberto EdjogoAlberto Edjogo Owono Montalbán, known as Edjogo , is a naturalized Equatoguinean footballer who plays for UD Vista Alegre in the Spanish fifth division, as a forward.-Club career:...
- Juvenal Edjogo
- José Luis RondoJosé Luis RondoJosé Luis Rondo is a retired Spanish-born Equatoguinean footballer.He started his career as a forward, subsequently moving to right winger and finally right defender.-Club career:...
- Francisco Salvador ElàFrancisco Salvador ElàFrancisco Salvador Elà , known as Chupe, is an Equatoguinean football striker, who plays for the Noja in the Spanish Tercera División ....
- Gregorio Salvador ElàGregorio Salvador ElàGregorio Manuel Salvador Elá , also known as Gregorio, is an Equatoguinean football defender, who plays for the Los Molinos in the Group 4 of the Andalusian First Division .-Personal:...
- Daniel Vázquez EvuyDaniel Vázquez EvuyDaniel Vázquez Evuy , known as Evuy, is a naturalized Equatoguinean football defender. He currently plays for the Villaviciosa de Odón in the Spanish Tercera División .-Career:...
- Benjamín ZarandonaBenjamín ZarandonaBenjamín Zarandona Esono , simply Benjamín, is an Equatoguinean footballer who plays for CD Íscar in Tercera División, as a midfielder....
- Iván ZarandonaIván ZarandonaIván Zarandona Esono is a Spanish-born Equatoguinean footballer who plays for CD Lugo in Segunda División B...