Misplaced Pages

Annobón
Province
Annobón circled in red, within Equatorial Guinea (far southwestern corner of the map)
Country	Equatorial Guinea
Capital	San Antonio de Palé
Area
• Total	17 km (7 sq mi)
Highest elevation	598 m (1,962 ft)
Population
• Total	20,741
• Density	1,200/km (3,200/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	GQ-AN

Annobón (Spanish: [anoˈβon] ; Portuguese: Ano-Bom) is a province of Equatorial Guinea. The province consists of the island of Annobón and its associated islets in the Gulf of Guinea. Annobón is the smallest province of Equatorial Guinea in both area and population. According to the 2015 census, Annobón had 5,314 inhabitants, a small population increase from the 5,008 registered by the 2001 census. The official language is Spanish but most of the inhabitants speak a creole form of Portuguese. The island's main industries are fishing and forestry.

Annobón is the only island of the country located in the Southern Hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean. The provincial capital is San Antonio de Palé on the north side of the island; the other town is Mabana, formerly known as San Pedro. The roadstead is relatively safe, and some passing vessels take advantage of it in order to obtain water and fresh provisions, of which Annobón has offered an abundant supply. However, there is no regular shipping service to the rest of Equatorial Guinea, and ships call as infrequently as every few months.

Name

Annobón derives its name from Portuguese ano bom 'good year'. The island was named for the date of its discovery by the Portuguese on New Year's Day in 1473. The province was formerly known as Anno Bom or Annabona.

During the final years of the Francisco Macías Nguema administration, the island was called Pigalu or Pagalu, from the Portuguese papagaio 'parrot'.

History

The island was discovered by the Portuguese on January 1, 1473; it obtained its name from that date ("New Year"). However, Spanish explorer Diego Ramirez de la Diaz first spotted the island in 1470 and named it San Antonio. It was apparently uninhabited until colonized under the Portuguese from 1474, primarily by Africans from Angola via São Tomé Island. These slaves (who the Portuguese called escravos de regate) are considered the first members of Annobonese society.

Beginning in the early sixteenth century, many of these slaves who were now marrying Europeans gave birth to the next generations of Annobonese who were called forros (slaves about to be free). Forros began to develop a distinct identity and socio-economic powers. This period also saw the emergence of the Annobonese Creole language.

The island was passed to Spain by the 1778 Treaty of El Pardo. The treaty granted Spain control of the Portuguese islands of Annobón and Fernando Po (now Bioko) and the Guinea coast between the Niger and the Ogooué in exchange for Spanish acceptance of the Portuguese occupation of territories in Brazil west of the line established by the Treaty of Tordesillas. The Spanish colony thus formed would eventually be known as Spanish Guinea.

The island's populace was opposed to the arrangement and hostile toward the Spaniards. After the handover and when the Spanish flag was hoisted to affirm Spanish sovereignty, the islanders revolted against the newcomers, in part because they were considered heretical for placing dogs on their flag (the actual design represents lions). They expelled them according to a tradition of throwing witches to the sea. A state of anarchy ensued, leading to an arrangement by which the island was administered by a body of five natives, each of whom held the office of governor during the period that elapsed until ten ships landed at the island. This autonomous government continued, with the island claimed by both Spain and Portugal, until the authority of Spain was re-established in the latter part of the 19th century. The island briefly became part of the Elobey, Annobón and Corisco colony until 1909.

The British erected a fort at "St Antony" in 1801, eventually legalized through a lease from the Spanish government in 1827. The base was used by the British to suppress the Atlantic slave trade.

During the final years of the administration of Francisco Macías Nguema, the first president of Equatorial Guinea, the island was called Pigalu or Pagalu. The population felt prejudice against them in Equatorial Guinea and some began advocating separatist movements. In 1993, the central government isolated the island, expelling foreigners including humanitarian organizations. The population rebelled and attacked the governor's residence. The government replied with two extrajudicial executions. International pressure eased hostilities, and political prisoners were released.

It was mostly due to this small island that Equatorial Guinea asked for observer status just after the Community of Portuguese Language Countries was formed in 1996, which led to a visit to Equatorial Guinea, in 1998, by the Portuguese foreign minister, Jaime Gama. Its historic, ethnographic, and religious identity is reflected in its provincial flag. In 2006, Equatorial Guinea achieved observer status with the hand of São Tomé and Príncipe. It kept lobbying to become a full member, contrary to international pressure that wanted to isolate the country due to human rights violations, becoming a full member in 2014 with the very active support of Portuguese-speaking Africa, with the Portuguese language being restored as an official language.

Geography and geology

Annobón is an extinct volcano, part of the Cameroon line, about 220 miles (350 km) west of Cape Lopez in Gabon and 110 miles (180 km) southwest of São Tomé Island. The main island measures about 4 miles (6.4 km) long by 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, with an area of about 6+3⁄4 square miles (17 km), but a number of small rocky islets surround it, including Santarém to the south. Its central crater lake is named Lago A Pot and its highest peak is Quioveo, which rises 598 meters (1,962 ft). The island is characterized by a succession of lush valleys and steep mountains, covered with rich woods and luxuriant vegetation.

Annobón is often described as being "in the Gulf of Guinea", like the neighboring islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, but the formal boundary line for the Gulf of Guinea established by the International Hydrographic Organization actually runs north of it.

Flora and fauna

Originally, this small equatorial island 335 km (208 mi) from the Gabonese coast was uninhabited and had great biological diversity. With colonisation, islanders used rafts or "cayucos" (canoe-like boats) to hunt humpback whales and their calves, and other cetaceans, with harpoons near to the island.

The Annobón white-eye and Annobón paradise flycatcher are endemic songbirds (songbirds), as is the Sao Tome bronze-naped pigeon. There are also breeding black noddies. There are 29 species of bird (e.g. the Annobón scops owl) on the island, which has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

There are also two bat species (one endemic); reptiles (five endemics): one snake, three geckos, two scincid lizards, three marine turtles; river fish: 18 species (one endemic); mosquitoes, scorpions, and huge centipedes. Introduced animals include fish, guineafowl, rats, dogs, and cats. The island has no indigenous mammalian predators. Sharks are found in the surrounding sea.

There are 208 species of vascular plant (of which 15% are endemic) including the "point up" baobab, ceiba (used for cayuco construction), ficus, ferns and tree ferns, and great moss masses.

Administration

The capital of the province is San Antonio de Palé (formerly St Antony). The island has three community councils (Consejos de Poblados): Anganchi, Aual, and Mabana.

Demographics

The island had an estimated population of 3000 through most of the 19th century.

Languages

The island's main language is a Portuguese creole known as Annobonese, Fa d'Ambu, or Falar de Ano Bom (Portuguese for Annobón speech). The Portuguese creole has vigorous use in Annobón. It is common in all domains except government and education where Spanish is used. Spanish is not much spoken in Annobón. Non-creolized Portuguese is used as a liturgical language by local Catholics. In February 2012, Equatorial Guinea's foreign minister signed an agreement with the IILP (Instituto Internacional da Língua Portuguesa) on the promotion of Portuguese in Equatorial Guinea. The adoption of Portuguese followed the announcement on 13 July 2007 by the President of Equatorial Guinea and a 2010 Constitutional Law which established Portuguese as an official language of the Republic.

Ethnicity

The island's inhabitants are of mixed Portuguese and Angolan descent, with some Spanish admixture. The early anti-Spanish sentiment, combined with the isolation from mainland Equatorial Guinea and the proximity of São Tomé and Príncipe—which is just 175 kilometers (109 mi) from the island—has helped preserve the island's cultural ties with Portugal. Its culture is very similar to that of São Tomé and the Afro-Portuguese peoples throughout Africa. The population is Catholic, although with some form of syncretism, and religiosity remains a central feature of local lifestyle.

Religion

Like Equatorial Guinea in general, Annobón has a majority of people who adhere to Christianity, especially Roman Catholics who are strongly influenced by the Portuguese faith. Consequently, places of worship on the island include a mission of the Catholic Church, and an Assemblies of God church.

Economy

Annobón is of strategic importance to Equatorial Guinea as through its ownership the Equatorial Guinean government claims extensive maritime territory to the south of its neighbour, São Tomé and Príncipe (which itself lies to the south of Equatorial Guinea's main land mass). Oil in the Gulf of Guinea represents more than 80% of Equatorial Guinea's economy, though supplies from current reserves were predicted by some sources to run out before 2020. Although no drilling is currently taking place in São Tomé, there are estimated to be 34 billion barrels (5.4×10 m) of oil within its marine borders. Equatorial Guinea claims the right to explore for and produce hydrocarbons in a huge area of sea surrounding Annobón that stretches from 1°N to almost 5°S, and from 2°E to 7°E, an area larger than the entire land and sea borders of the rest of Equatorial Guinea.

The island has a 55 room hotel for tourists travelling in from mainland Equatorial Guinea.

Infrastructure

Annobón Airport and Annobón Port were opened at the northern tip of the island in 2010.

In 2015 a group of companies installed solar panels on the island to provide electricity to towns and the airport as part of the cross Equatorial Guinea development project 'Horizon 2020'. The electricity needs of the island are otherwise supplied by imported diesel fuelling diesel generators.

Environment

According to many different sources, there is evidence of large-scale dumping of toxic waste on the remote island of Annobón, at least during the 1980s and 1990s. The German edition of Der Spiegel on 28 August 2006 reported that the government of Equatorial Guinea sold permits to UK and US companies to bury 10 million metric tons of toxic waste and 7 million metric tons of radioactive waste on the island of Annobón. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea, supposedly receives 200 million US dollars per year for renewed permits, while the population of Annobón lives in extreme poverty. The report also showed evidence that the whole island's ecosystem is about to collapse due to the massive waste dumping.

Separatism

There is a local political movement which made a unilateral declaration of independence as the Republic of Annobón from Equatorial Guinea in 2022. They are an UNPO member.

See also

• Provinces of Equatorial Guinea

Notes

1. As, for example, by the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition.
2. From the 1953 Limits of Oceans and Seas: "(34) A line running south-eastwards from Cape Palmas in Liberia to Cape Lopez (0°38' S, 8°42' E)."

References

1. ^ "Censo de población 2015–República de Guinea Ecuatorial" (PDF) (in Spanish). INEGE. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
2. "Isla de Annobón". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
3. Ogunu, Oseni (2005). 1994–2003. EMI. ISBN 978-88-307-1718-3.
4. II censo de población y II de viviendas 1.994: Análisis demográfico. tema 01. Evaluación y ajuste de datos. tema 02. Estado de población. tema [03]. La fecundidad. tema 04. Análisis de la mortalidad. tema 05. Estudio de la migración. tema 06. Alfabetización, escolarización e instrucción. tema 07. Situación matrimonial y nupcialidad. tema 08. Caracteristicas económicas. tema 09. Análisis de las viviendas. tema 10. Hogares. tema 11. La mujer guineo-ecuatoriana. tema 12. Proyecciones demográficas (12 v.) (in Spanish). La Oficina. 1997.
5. ^ Chisholm (1911).
6. ^ Baynes (1878).
7. ^ Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. Vol. 1. New York: Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 1-57958-468-3.
8. ^ "Ano Bom – A Ilha Esquecida no Meio do Atlântico". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
9. ^ "Ilha de Ano-Bom estabelece ligação da Guiné Equatorial à lusofonia – DW – 05/08/2014". dw.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-01-14.
10. ^ "Assinado termo de cooperação entre IILP e Guiné Equatorial" [Protocol signed on cooperation between IILP and Guinea Equatorial] (in Portuguese). Instituto Internacional de Língua Portuguesa. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
11. "Gulf of Guinea", Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd ed. (PDF), International Hydrographic Organization, 1953, archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011, retrieved 28 December 2020.
12. "Annobón". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
13. Government official website Archived April 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
14. "Fa d'Ambu". Ethnologue. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
15. "Protocolo de Cooperação entre a Guiné-Equatorial e o IILP" [Protocol on cooperation between IILP and Guinea Equatorial] (in Portuguese). CPLP. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012. This note contains a link to the text of the protocol in PDF format.
16. "Equatorial Guinea Adds Portuguese as the Country's Third Official Language". PRNewsWire. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
17. "El portugués será el tercer idioma oficial de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial" (in Spanish). Gobierno de la Republica de Guinea Ecuatoria. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
18. "Proyecto de Ley Constitucional" (PDF). Gobierno de la Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
19. "Hotel Annobon". Hotel Annobon. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
20. Karantzavelou, Vicky (21 October 2010). "New airport and port facilities in Annobon". TravelDailyNews. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
21. Market, Guinea (2014-06-07). "Equatorial Guinea to Install Solar Microgrid System on Annobon Province". guineainfomarket.com. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
22. Goss, Scott. "Wilmington businesses bringing power to African island". The News Journal. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
23. Post, Guest (2015-08-20). "Supplying Power Where Power is Due: Annobon Island Microgrid". Microgrid Knowledge. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
24. Geoffrey Wood (October 2004), "Business and politics in a criminal state: the case of Equatorial Guinea", African Affairs Volume 103, Issue 413 Pp. 547–567. Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine.
25. "The Republic of Annobón celebrates its second anniversary of independence".

Sources

• Baynes, T. S., ed. (1878), "Anno Bom" , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 2 (9th ed.), New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, p. 72
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911), "Annobon" , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 2 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 74

External links

• Gulf of Guinea Conservation Group
• UN VALIOSO RECURSO NATURAL: EL BOSQUE NEBLINOSO DE ANNOBON (in Spanish)
• Ghuty Mamae: La esencia de Annobón (in Spanish)
• La isla de Pagalu o Pagalú(in spanish)

v t e Portuguese Empire
North Africa 15th century 1415–1640 Ceuta 1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662 Tangier 1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487–16th century Ouadane 1488–1541 Safim (Safi) 1489 Graciosa 16th century 1505–1541 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour) 1515–1541 São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)
Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455–1633 Arguim 1462–1975 Cape Verde 1470–1975 São Tomé 1471–1975 Príncipe 1474–1778 Annobón 1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast 1498–1540 Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630 Malindi 1501–1975 Portuguese Mozambique 1502–1659 Saint Helena 1503–1698 Zanzibar 1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511 Socotra 1508–1547 Madagascar 1557–1578 Accra 1575–1975 Portuguese Angola 1588–1974 Cacheu 1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1645–1888 Ziguinchor 1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá, Benin 1687–1974 Bissau 18th century 1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975 Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea 1885–1974 Portuguese Congo Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. Or 1600. A factory (Anosy Region) and small temporary coastal bases. Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Part of Portuguese Angola from the 1920s.
Middle East 16th century 1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507–1643 Sohar 1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648 Quriyat 1515–? Qalhat 1515–1650 Muscat 1515?–? Barka 1515–1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602 Bahrain (Muharraq • Manama) 1521–1529? Qatif 1521?–1551? Tarut Island 1550–1551 Qatif 1588–1648 Matrah 17th century 1620–? Khor Fakkan 1621?–? As Sib 1621–1622 Qeshm 1623–? Khasab 1623–? Libedia 1624–? Kalba 1624–? Madha 1624–1648 Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–? Bandar-e Kong
South Asia 15th century 1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India  • 1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)  • 1501–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)  • 1502–1658  1659–1661 Quilon (Coulão / Kollam)  • 1502–1661 Pallipuram (Cochin de Cima)  • 1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapatnam)  • 1510–1961 Goa  • 1512–1525  1750 Calicut (Kozhikode)  • 1518–1619 Portuguese Paliacate outpost (Pulicat)  • 1521–1740 Chaul   (Portuguese India)  • 1523–1662 Mylapore  • 1528–1666 Chittagong (Porto Grande De Bengala)  • 1531–1571 Chaul  • 1531–1571 Chalé  • 1534–1601 Salsette Island  • 1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)  • 1535 Ponnani  • 1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)  • 1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)  • 1540–1612 Surat  • 1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)  • 1559–1961 Daman and Diu  • 1568–1659 Mangalore   (Portuguese India)  • 1579–1632 Hugli  • 1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521 Maldives 1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573 Maldives 17th century Portuguese India  • 1687–1749 Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India  • 1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli
East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621 Maluku  • 1522–1575  Ternate  • 1576–1605  Ambon  • 1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665 Makassar 1515–1859 Larantuka 1557–1999 Macau 1580–1586 Nagasaki 17th century 1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor) 19th century Portuguese Macau  • 1864–1999 Coloane  • 1851–1999 Taipa  • 1890–1999 Ilha Verde 20th century Portuguese Macau  • 1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.
North America and North Atlantic 15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500–1579? Labrador 1516–1579? Nova Scotia
South America and Caribbean 16th century 1500–1822 Brazil  • 1534–1549  Captaincy Colonies of Brazil  • 1549–1572  Brazil  • 1572–1578  Bahia  • 1572–1578  Rio de Janeiro  • 1578–1607  Brazil  • 1621–1815  Brazil 1536–1620 Barbados 17th century 1621–1751 Maranhão 1680–1777 Nova Colónia do Sacramento 18th century 1751–1772 Grão-Pará and Maranhão 1772–1775 Grão-Pará and Rio Negro 1772–1775 Maranhão and Piauí 19th century 1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay) 1809–1817 Portuguese Guiana (Amapá) 1822 Upper Peru (Bolivia)
Armorial of Portuguese colonies Evolution of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonization of the Americas Portuguese Empire in the Indonesian Archipelago Portuguese India Theory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia

v t e Provinces of Equatorial Guinea
Insular Region	Annobón Bioko Norte Bioko Sur
Río Muni	Centro Sur Djibloho Kié-Ntem Litoral Wele-Nzas

01°26′06″S 05°38′15″E / 1.43500°S 5.63750°E / -1.43500; 5.63750

• Annobón
• Gulf of Guinea
• Islands of Equatorial Guinea
• Provinces of Equatorial Guinea
• Volcanoes of Equatorial Guinea
• Former colonies in Africa
• Former Portuguese colonies
• Former Spanish colonies
• Portuguese colonisation in Africa
• Spanish Africa
• States and territories established in 1474
• 15th-century establishments in Africa
• Important Bird Areas of Equatorial Guinea
• Ramsar sites in Equatorial Guinea
• Proposed countries