Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Malabo_waterfront.jpg

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These photos look like Malabo is a terrible and disgusting shithole! Absolutely inexcusably awful:down: , considering the country´s small population and huge wealth! :ohno: It doesn´t cost a lot of money to clean streets. I cannot understand the inhabitants of that country. Malabo is a city of just 200 000 people and not of millions!...However, I have read a dossier in Jeune Afrique lately with some photos attached about Malabo II u/c, new highways u/c, a stadium completed, the new airport, social housing built by the Chinese etc.!
When were those pics taken, it looks like before the oil came to the country!:nuts:

Sorry, but these photos make me pretty angry, how can it be that Malabo still looks like that?

My God, Africa when will you EVER CHANGE???????

:badnews:

some of the cars look pretty new

Matt, I have a feeling that the photos are recent. The set had been uploaded on the December 10, 2006. Most likely these photos were taken around that period. I had been wanting to create a Malabo thread for sometime now and there were only a few photos available of the quality that I enjoy to post. In fact, the set above is the newest that I'm aware about.

Matt, I have a feeling that the photos are recent. The set had been uploaded on the December 10, 2006. Most likely these photos were taken around that period. I had been wanting to create a Malabo thread for sometime now and there were only a few photos available of the quality that I enjoy to post. In fact, the set above is the newest that I'm aware about.

Stormshadow, It is simply unbelievable..I am at a loss for words.:ohno: I wonder what my Dad´s friend been telling him about Malabo. This place looks really A-W-F-U-L, to put it mildly (given the country´s small population and its newly found wealth).

I too am disappointed by the appearance of Malabo. I have been hearing about all the recent construction and infrastructure developments but these pics show a city that has severely been neglected.

I'm a bit disappointed.

With their small population, and large resources, I'd think they'd be having cranes in the sky now. :ohno:

I went there last year and it is indeed an utter dump. It makes me SOOOOOOOO BLOOODY ANGRY that governments on our continent cant seem to get the simple things like street cleaning and filling in potholes done. If you do that then the other things fall into place but you cannot develop a country without taking pride in its cities.

My God, Africa when will you EVER CHANGE???????

africa will neva change...not even south africa...not anymore...

Hotel Paraiso
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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/387026230_458baefdef_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/387026226_3e1de663c8_o.jpg

Stadium
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/387049087_d5fe7c0538_o.jpg

Chinese Embassy
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/387069891_495a91f925_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/387049076_053129a134_o.jpg

I too am very saddened by the state of Equatorial guinea right now. in reality, it should be looking more like Katar or Kuwait right now-we should see lots of construction, and lots of improvement.

Malabo looks like such...such a disappointment.

I believe the chief reason fort his lies in the leadership-Obian's regime is full of corruption, and it's basically an oligrachy. He's one of the 10 richest leaders on Earth, mostly because of all the money he's taken off into swiss bank accounts.

This country has so much potential to become a strong, economically powerful nation in Africa. i want to see this nation with clean streets, modern buildings, new cars, well fed people, and with a higher living standard.
What I'm seeing right now is just plain bad, and it really is saddening. It's not even just anger, it just makes me sad.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6366/malabo1tm6.jpg

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/3358/malabo2rm2.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7378/malabo3yf0.jpg

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/4350/malabo4eh7.jpg

Entire Malabo is a SHAME (considering the country´s massive wealth and ultra-tiny population). Tear that city down! Even the new pics look like ....!

The last photo set above, with the residential area don't look bad. In fact, I've located it on GoogleEarth I'm sure.

I'm sure that's the area where those photos were taken. The city is very small. I'm sure we can walk and see most of the city in a single day. :)
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/856/35493205il2.th.jpg (http://img79.imageshack.us/my.php?image=35493205il2.jpg)

Frankly, it doesnt surprise me that Malabo and Equatorial Guinea are in the sorry state they currently find themselves in. I dont know if you guys know this, but Obiang's uncle, Francisco Macia Nguema, used to be the president of Eq. Guinea. Here are some facts about him that will probably shock/disgust/anger you, and explain the neglected state of Malabo and the rest of Eq. Guinea.

1) Franciso Nguema was a politician of limited education and low mental ability;

2) After Eq Guinea's independence in 1968, he noticed that Spanish flags were still flying in Bata, and lashed out at all the Spaniards still living in Guinea, which forced them to leave all their businesses and livelihoods behind (which caused economy to plummet). His foreign minister tried to diffuse the crisis, and as a result was beaten with rifle butts, hauled off to prison with broken legs, and brutally murdered.

3) 10 of the 12 ministers in the first government were executed. In their place Nguema installed members of his own family and fellow tribesmen from his clan in the Mongomo region. One of his nephews simultaneously held the portfolios of finance, trade, information, security, and state enterprises.

4) Nguema's security forces were given unlimited powers to arrest, torture, rape, and murder the country's educated class who opposed the government. Any hint of opposition resulted in torture or death or both. 2/3 of national assembly deputies and most senior civil servants were killed, imprisoned, or driven into exile. Many were killed on a whim.

5) Nguema was responsible for many atrocities. When the director of statistics published a demographic estimate taht Nguema considered too low, the director was dismembered "to help him learn how to count". He also ordered the execution of all former lovers of his mistresses or other women he wanted.

6) The remaining civil servants, 114 of them, signed a petition asking for Nguema to relax the country's total isolationsim. They did this because they believed in strength in numbers. All 114 were killed.

7) Nguema aboslutely hated all forms of education and purged the country of intellectuals. He closed all libraries in the country, prohibited newspapers and printing presses, banned the use of the word "intellectual", banned religion, ordering churches to proclaim instead that "there was no God but Macias", and eventually got tired of that and decided to lock up all churches and convert them to warehouses or weapon storages. The only people to b paid in all Eq Guinea were himself, the army, the police, and the militia. Most ministries had no budgets and were thus shut down, as was teh central bank, with all the country's wealth was kept by Nguema in his various palaces.

8) Industry and commerce ceased to exist. Instead, Guineans had to rely on barter.

9) Out of a population of 300,000, at least 50000 had been killed and 125,000 fled into exile. Almost no intellectuals remained in the country. Fewere than 12 tech school graduates survived.

10) Nguema exhibited many signs of overt madness. His conversation and ideas were increasingly disjointed, his moods swung suddenly and violently, and he carried out lengthy monologues with former colleagues he had executed. He consumed large quantities of drugs, such as local drugs like bhang and iboga.

11) In September 1979 Nguema was finally put on trial by his nephew, Colonel Obiang Nguema, who is Eq. Guineas current president. Nguema the psycho was sentenced to death - no soldiers in Eq Guinea wanted to shoot him cuz they believed he had supernatural powers. Morrocan soldiers had to be called in to do the deed.

This, my friends, is Africa at its worst.All this information was taken from a book im currently reading, called "The Fate of Africa", written by Martin Meredith. Its a REALLY good book, you guys should try it out. It talks about other psychos such as Bokassa and Idi Amin. But anywas, based on the info detailed above, its no surprise Malabo is the slum it is.

Malabo has a very nice backdrop :)

this is sad :ohno: . they need a Mauritania like coup.

Frankly, it doesnt surprise me that Malabo and Equatorial Guinea are in the sorry state they currently find themselves in. I dont know if you guys know this, but Obiang's uncle, Francisco Macia Nguema, used to be the president of Eq. Guinea. Here are some facts about him that will probably shock/disgust/anger you, and explain the neglected state of Malabo and the rest of Eq. Guinea.

1) Franciso Nguema was a politician of limited education and low mental ability;

2) After Eq Guinea's independence in 1968, he noticed that Spanish flags were still flying in Bata, and lashed out at all the Spaniards still living in Guinea, which forced them to leave all their businesses and livelihoods behind (which caused economy to plummet). His foreign minister tried to diffuse the crisis, and as a result was beaten with rifle butts, hauled off to prison with broken legs, and brutally murdered.

3) 10 of the 12 ministers in the first government were executed. In their place Nguema installed members of his own family and fellow tribesmen from his clan in the Mongomo region. One of his nephews simultaneously held the portfolios of finance, trade, information, security, and state enterprises.

4) Nguema's security forces were given unlimited powers to arrest, torture, rape, and murder the country's educated class who opposed the government. Any hint of opposition resulted in torture or death or both. 2/3 of national assembly deputies and most senior civil servants were killed, imprisoned, or driven into exile. Many were killed on a whim.

5) Nguema was responsible for many atrocities. When the director of statistics published a demographic estimate taht Nguema considered too low, the director was dismembered "to help him learn how to count". He also ordered the execution of all former lovers of his mistresses or other women he wanted.

6) The remaining civil servants, 114 of them, signed a petition asking for Nguema to relax the country's total isolationsim. They did this because they believed in strength in numbers. All 114 were killed.

7) Nguema aboslutely hated all forms of education and purged the country of intellectuals. He closed all libraries in the country, prohibited newspapers and printing presses, banned the use of the word "intellectual", banned religion, ordering churches to proclaim instead that "there was no God but Macias", and eventually got tired of that and decided to lock up all churches and convert them to warehouses or weapon storages. The only people to b paid in all Eq Guinea were himself, the army, the police, and the militia. Most ministries had no budgets and were thus shut down, as was teh central bank, with all the country's wealth was kept by Nguema in his various palaces.

8) Industry and commerce ceased to exist. Instead, Guineans had to rely on barter.

9) Out of a population of 300,000, at least 50000 had been killed and 125,000 fled into exile. Almost no intellectuals remained in the country. Fewere than 12 tech school graduates survived.

10) Nguema exhibited many signs of overt madness. His conversation and ideas were increasingly disjointed, his moods swung suddenly and violently, and he carried out lengthy monologues with former colleagues he had executed. He consumed large quantities of drugs, such as local drugs like bhang and iboga.

11) In September 1979 Nguema was finally put on trial by his nephew, Colonel Obiang Nguema, who is Eq. Guineas current president. Nguema the psycho was sentenced to death - no soldiers in Eq Guinea wanted to shoot him cuz they believed he had supernatural powers. Morrocan soldiers had to be called in to do the deed.

This, my friends, is Africa at its worst.All this information was taken from a book im currently reading, called "The Fate of Africa", written by Martin Meredith. Its a REALLY good book, you guys should try it out. It talks about other psychos such as Bokassa and Idi Amin. But anywas, based on the info detailed above, its no surprise Malabo is the slum it is.

And it doesn't even end there. Obiang is still running an oligarchy and members of that same ethnic group(Mongomo) still hold all the power. 10% of the profits coming from the oil are going straight into mismanagement, primarily into Obiang's pockets. He's running one of the most corrupt oligarchies around, and this is helping to keep Eq. Guinea from reaching it's full potential.

Were it not for the first guy, EQ could be just like Botswana or Gabon right now.

http://www.fotopaises.com/imagenes/GQ/1128264212.jpg

http://www.fotopaises.com/imagenes/GQ/1128356010.jpg

http://www.fotopaises.com/imagenes/GQ/1128355925.jpg

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These new pics depict the city in better light :pepper: :cucumber: :banana:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/390397766_189c66bd5c_b.jpg

what happend there! is there a war ?

I had pictured a prosperous country before I saw this pics.
Its really depressing especially if you compare Gabon down south to what these pics represent.

Something must be done...FAST!!!!!

It is just unbelievable how disgustingly run down Malabo is...I will try to look for new construction pics

Here is at least a pic of the new stadium

http://www.indalux.es/portal/fotografias/mostrar_imagen.asp?photoid=343&phototype=2&ext=.jpg

http://www.indalux.es/portal/fotografias/mostrar_imagen.asp?photoid=344&phototype=2&ext=.jpg

http://www.indalux.es/portal/fotografias/mostrar_imagen.asp?photoid=346&phototype=2&ext=.jpg

Mmm... maybe the location of Malabo explains why it looks a bit rundown.
Malabo is located in an island.

By contrast, Eq Guinean second largest city Bata is very modern and impressive. There are many nice shops and attractive cafes , footpaths are all well-maintained, and the facilities look strikingly new.
Bata is located on the mainland.

Geographical reasons could explain this ? :)

Finding recent photos is on Malabo´s construction is next to impossible....

New road on Bioko Island

http://p.vtourist.com/1045240-Malabo_airport_motorway-Equatorial_Guinea.jpg

A restaurant

http://p.vtourist.com/1069738-Restaurante_Mesa_Verde-Ciudad_de_Malabo.jpg

cathedral of Malabo at night

http://p.vtourist.com/1066160-Malabo_cathedral-Equatorial_Guinea.jpg

picture taken in 2006

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10368/boloko%20carretera.jpg

this is on isla Annóbon

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10242/An2.JPG

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10275/Hollando_nov_06.jpg

this is nothing new, but the area looks nice and well-preserved

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10151/L-MALABO%20Plaza%20de%20Espa%F1a%282002%29%200.JPG

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10151/L-MALABO%20ciudad%20%282002%29.JPG

inside the beautiful catedral

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10151/L-MALABO%20Catedral%20interior%20%282003%29.JPG

http://www.nuestra-guinea.com/Galeria/albums/userpics/10368/normal_DSCN0163.jpg

Mmm... maybe the location of Malabo explains why it looks a bit rundown.
Malabo is located in an island.

By contrast, Eq Guinean second largest city Bata is very modern and impressive. There are many nice shops and attractive cafes , footpaths are all well-maintained, and the facilities look strikingly new.
Bata is located on the mainland.

Geographical reasons could explain this ?

No, I don´t think that this could be explained with geography alone, we have many island nations in the world that are performing very well like Mauritius, Seychelles, Singapore, smaller Pacific Islands, Cape Verde etc.

It is due to neglect, an absence of a competent and intelligent governing mayor, a lot of institutionalized corruption and the lack of responsability/discipline of the citizens of the island who seem to give a damn for keeping things neat and clean.

Another factor may be climatical conditions, in the tropics houses rot away very rapidly, but that´s not an excuse to me neither ´cos Sigapore and your beautiful country Malaysia are both lying on the equator and absolutely everything is very well-maintained and spotlessly clean.:) It makes fun to go there.

With regard to Bata, yes, you are right it looks nicer than Malabo but is far from being a modern city as you say. I haven´t spotted any attractive cafés, no malls, no entertainement facilities like a cineplex, bowling alley, ice-skating rink, futuristic public library etc.. Equatorial Guinea is not a poor African country. This year it will even increase its oil production to more than 500 000 barrels of oil a day for a population of around 500 000 people. Apart from all social infrastructures like decent schools, hospitals, a university etc, all the above-mentioned facilities like office towers, malls, hypermarkets and the like should be standard for a country like Equatorial Guinea. Where are all those facilities, at least I cannot find them on the net. Equatorial Guinea´s benchmark should be countries like Oman, Brunei, Malaysia or Qatar! The country is tiny and extremely wealthy. and there was no war, so there are absolutely no excuses!

That´s my opinion:)

Magnificient Nature on the Bioko Island where the capital Malabo is located


Mount Malabo (called "Pico Basilé" 3008 m)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/300396908_c7115b4312_o.jpg

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http://members.cox.net/jwstar03/picoperspective.jpg

http://www.jcmcrhp.net/images/Fotos/Moca/Moka48.JPG

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http://www.jcmcrhp.net/images/Fotos/Moca/Moka23.JPG

http://www.bioko.org/images/400s/picobeyondforest.jpg

http://www.bioko.org/images/400s/moca_cascades.jpg

http://www.bioko.org/images/400s/jencaldera.jpg

http://www.bioko.org/images/400s/urekafallsnov2000.jpg

http://www.bioko.org/images/400s/gorge.jpg

No, I don´t think that this could be explained with geography alone, we have many island nations in the world that are performing very well like Mauritius, Seychelles, Singapore, smaller Pacific Islands, Cape Verde etc.

It is due to neglect, an absence of a competent and intelligent governing mayor, a lot of institutionalized corruption and the lack of responsability/discipline of the citizens of the island who seem to give a damn for keeping things neat and clean.

Another factor may be climatical conditions, in the tropics houses rot away very rapidly, but that´s not an excuse to me neither ´cos Sigapore and your beautiful country Malaysia are both lying on the equator and absolutely everything is very well-maintained and spotlessly clean. It makes fun to go there.

With regard to Bata, yes, you are right it looks nicer than Malabo but is far from being a modern city as you say. I haven´t spotted any attractive cafés, no malls, no entertainement facilities like a cineplex, bowling alley, ice-skating rink, futuristic public library etc.. Equatorial Guinea is not a poor African country. This year it will even increase its oil production to more than 500 000 barrels of oil a day for a population of around 500 000 people. Apart from all social infrastructures like decent schools, hospitals, a university etc, all the above-mentioned facilities like office towers, malls, hypermarkets and the like should be standard for a country like Equatorial Guinea. Where are all those facilities, at least I cannot find them on the net. Equatorial Guinea´s benchmark should be countries like Oman, Brunei, Malaysia or Qatar! The country is tiny and extremely wealthy. and there was no war, so there are absolutely no excuses!

That´s my opinion


1) I dont understand about one thing , Equatorial Guinean GDP per head ( in terms of PPP ) hovers around $ 16 000 to $ 17 000 ( even some estimates as high as $ 54 000 ) that means its economic/infrastructure standards must be similar to Oman or Hungary.

2) I traveled to Europe several times with my dad and sister, I was very shocked during my first visit to Europe in one European country ( which claimed itself to be a World Power ). It has 10 times income per-head than Malasya ( in terms of US$ ) and 3 times in terms of PPP per head at that time ( in 2005 ), but i found that their highways, housing, city orderliness, transportation system, malls etc are less developed compared to us.
Come on, this is a country wih per-capita income of above $ 30 000 but how come everything seems to be old, chaotic and disorderly ?

So Matt/everyone do you have explanations for these two issues that have absolutely occupied my mind ? :)


Anyway , the latter pictures have clearly shown the bright sides of Malabo. It is very unique indeed that the capital is situated in Bioko Island which is far from the mainland :)

I think the landscape is absolutely beautiful.

Well, here are some more pics of Malabo..showing construction

Its newly built airport terminal, nothing spectaluar, but lightyears away from the former airport

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/319014832_3fa3d6e0bf_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/319015178_53a1531e8d_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/319015364_2c7037562d_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/319014055_9f94cc18a2_o.jpg

Good pictures Matt. Well, it looks like construction is going on. The row-homes don't look bad at all, if that's what it is. Malabo has a small population but so does the whole nation, I'm sure these constructions are very noticeable in the city, do to it's land size and population. With desire I feel they can turn that city around with good speed.

The first set is really sad pics.

I think that we need to visit Eq. Guinea to judge its progress. We cannot say anything by just looking at the pictures, maybe they are old or intentinally taken at the darkest corners of the city to potray it bad...

Anyone has been to Malabo ? Please tell us what did you see there :)

Anyway, the latest pics look great ! I like the airport structure-- look very simple and efficient. The 3rd pic -- is that housing project ?

[QUOTE=Skyprince;12384550]1) I dont understand about one thing , Equatorial Guinean GDP per head ( in terms of PPP ) hovers around $ 16 000 to $ 17 000 ( even some estimates as high as $ 54 000 ) that means its economic/infrastructure standards must be similar to Oman or Hungary.

OK. A quick laymans guide to GDP. GDP does not directly relate to infrastructure/development though its a rough approximation.

There is "pure" GDP (= Nominal GDP) and there is PPP GDP (which is adjusted to the purchasing power of a country- eg. Ghana's real GDP per head is about $400 but adjusted for the lower cost of things in Ghana you get the PPP GDP which is about $1800 I think). Many countries have very high GDPs but a lot of which is "taken" out of the country e.g. many Carribean nation's tourist industry is owned by foreign companies who repatriate their profits- so in fact the actual GDP that remains in the country is considerably less than you would think. Many small tax-exile islands have "artificially" high GDPs because off-shore companies may simply be registered there without actually contributing much to the economy.

Brazil has the same GDP per head as Argentina but because the former is a much more inequal society, I consider Argentina to be the richer country, its infrastructure seems better too. Angola has a higher GDP per head than many other African countries but is ranked very low in standard of living. Conversely, communist Cuba has a living standard for higher than its GDP would suggest.

I find the HDI method used by the UN a FAR better measure of a countries wealth.

Which European country are you referring to??? I found the major trunk roads in Malaysia to be good but I cant think of any rich European countries whose infrastructure or housing is in anyway beneath that of Malaysia. You wouldnt expect to see many spectacular malls in Europe btw, Europeans prefer high street shopping.

[QUOTE=Skyprince;12384550]1) I dont understand about one thing , Equatorial Guinean GDP per head ( in terms of PPP ) hovers around $ 16 000 to $ 17 000 ( even some estimates as high as $ 54 000 ) that means its economic/infrastructure standards must be similar to Oman or Hungary.

OK. A quick laymans guide to GDP. GDP does not directly relate to infrastructure/development though its a rough approximation.

There is "pure" GDP (= Nominal GDP) and there is PPP GDP (which is adjusted to the purchasing power of a country- eg. Ghana's real GDP per head is about $400 but adjusted for the lower cost of things in Ghana you get the PPP GDP which is about $1800 I think). Many countries have very high GDPs but a lot of which is "taken" out of the country e.g. many Carribean nation's tourist industry is owned by foreign companies who repatriate their profits- so in fact the actual GDP that remains in the country is considerably less than you would think. Many small tax-exile islands have "artificially" high GDPs because off-shore companies may simply be registered there without actually contributing much to the economy.

Brazil has the same GDP per head as Argentina but because the former is a much more inequal society, I consider Argentina to be the richer country, its infrastructure seems better too. Angola has a higher GDP per head than many other African countries but is ranked very low in standard of living. Conversely, communist Cuba has a living standard for higher than its GDP would suggest.

I find the HDI method used by the UN a FAR better measure of a countries wealth.


Dead on with this analysis. Using the human development index is, overall, a much better method for judging different nations and their living standards. GDP just isnt all that accurate overall.

Here it is for those folks who haven't seen it so much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

Mods, can we change the title of this thread to "Malabo, Equatorial Guinea - Gallery" ? This way it would be easier to locate if some one decided to run a search for it, thanks.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1113/528374737_5994c3a630_b.jpg

the stadium and the lake is absolute beautiful,lol.

There seems to be an improvement here, I guess the first set of pics were taken 2 or 3 years ago. Still, the massive wealth generated by oil revenues will take a few more years to translate itself into infrastructure, architecture, etc... Malabo has the potential to be one of those idyllic tropical settings.

I do want to make an objective statement with regards to Equatorial Guinea and it's corruption. So far, after seeing those poor pics earlier on, we(myself included) have stated how disappointed we are with Eq. Guinea as a country and the like. Naturally, it seems that for the most part we've been somewhat pessimistic about it.

But I recently took a look at the HDI stats for Eq. Guinea. The country ranks at 120. Now, that isn't great, but that ranking also puts it ahead of places like India or Pakistan, both of which are considered modern "asian tigers"(or something close to that) today. Then you must consider where Eq. Guinea used to be with regards to HDI:

Human development index, 1985 0.484
Human development index, 1990 0.501
Human development index, 1995 0.519
Human development index, 2000 0.643
Human development index, 2004 0.653

1995: .519
2007: .653

That is A LOT of imnprovement in just about a decade! Clearly, a lot of good actually has been done there after all.

I think we can be somewhat more optimisitic about the country from now on. I know I will be.

I do want to make an objective statement with regards to Equatorial Guinea and it's corruption. So far, after seeing those poor pics earlier on, we(myself included) have stated how disappointed we are with Eq. Guinea as a country and the like. Naturally, it seems that for the most part we've been somewhat pessimistic about it.

But I recently took a look at the HDI stats for Eq. Guinea. The country ranks at 120. Now, that isn't great, but that ranking also puts it ahead of places like India or Pakistan, both of which are considered modern "asian tigers"(or something close to that) today. Then you must consider where Eq. Guinea used to be with regards to HDI:

Human development index, 1985 0.484
Human development index, 1990 0.501
Human development index, 1995 0.519
Human development index, 2000 0.643
Human development index, 2004 0.653

1995: .519
2007: .653

That is A LOT of imnprovement in just about a decade! Clearly, a lot of good actually has been done there after all.

I think we can be somewhat more optimisitic about the country from now on. I know I will be.

Dantexavier, Thanks for looking it up for us!:) Ii have also read that EQG didn´t receive a lot of money from its oil exports the first years after the exploration because most of the money went to the oil companies but its slice has become bigger in the past years and it has also founded a national petroleum company! Let´s wait and se what the future holds! It is only a pity that the country is doing nothing to improve its image in the outside world by staging massive PR campaigns!

Dantexavier, Thanks for looking it up for us!:) Ii have also read that EQG didn´t receive a lot of money from its oil exports the first years after the exploration because most of the money went to the oil companies but its slice has become bigger in the past years and it has also founded a national petroleum company! Let´s wait and se what the future holds! It is only a pity that the country is doing nothing to improve its image in the outside world by staging massive PR campaigns!

Yeah, that is too bad, because then the tourism industry could really heat up for the country.

But in anycase, we should all keep in mind that that 17 year increase in the HDi is one of the biggest improvements in the world-I am not sure of any other developing nations who have improved so quickly, although there may be one or two.
People are bound to discover this soon enough.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1177/530910725_8d58057443_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1119/530802424_c11275e94a_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1251/530910095_54274d0ca5_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1165/530909663_07d07d4a40_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/530908549_2070a618de_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1236/530800230_99230dd487_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1428/530908351_5eb882ccf3_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/530799966_f6d6ba1dcf_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1125/530908037_1576ae7815_o.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7627/37053515sj7.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7720/28220452yt1.jpg

stormshadow, you move like lightining man...I was seriously just about to upload and post those!:lol:

Anyway, here are a couple more:

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/8931/equatorialguineainfrontfa7.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/478/equatorialguineamalabopbm7.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/530799966_f6d6ba1dcf_o.jpg
Something major is going on here. I think they're building a new street along the water (like Luanda) or maybe a new port or a waterfront for tourism & leisure.

Something major is going on here. I think they're building a new street along the water (like Luanda) or maybe a new port or a waterfront for tourism & leisure.

Perhaps some new, stylish leisure establishments to complement those pretty decent looking buildings already up on the hill.

The waterfront below the natural palisade has been like that for a long time now. I've seen old images of Malabo and it is similar to the waterfront we see on that image today.

That particular area is very small to construct anything robust there. I could imagine some waterfront mansions there or smaller hotels if anything.

the buildings are more like "portuguese" style,i love them!

Beautiful

the buildings are more like "portuguese" style,i love them!

No, they are not. Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique are by far more beautiful and just imcomparable to those Spanish remnants left in EQG!:)

We nned to get some pics of Malabo II!!!

Portuguese and Spanish architecture and design are quite similar, it's Iberian so to speak. Matt is right though, the Portuguese left their influence in the regions he mentioned much more than the Spanish in EG. For the most part, if you don't mind me saying, EG reminds me of the Guyanas to a degree.

Portuguese and Spanish architecture and design are quite similar, it's Iberian so to speak. Matt is right though, the Portuguese left their influence in the regions he mentioned much more than the Spanish in EG. For the most part, if you don't mind me saying, EG reminds me of the Guyanas to a degree.


Well, you are right but don´t say this to a Portuguese, try to speak Spanish in Portugal, you will be suprised what reactions you get:lol: . As for me, I prefer Portugal to Spain. I also adore all other lusophone countries ... (Angola and Brazil and Cape Verde in particular) but Macao, sao Tome and Mozambique are also nice. Lusophone countries have something pretty unique, all have their distinct character but also share many similarities, it is different from hsipanophone countries which are also nice but personally haven´t captured my fancy as much as the lusophone countries.
Yes, you are right EQG looks in parts like the Guyanas.:)

Matt, the languages are also similar, if as long someone who speaks Portuguese don't use big words or speak rapidly, I'll make it out 85%. :lol:

Ibero-Romance languages share it's similarities, minus Basque which is a language isolate.

In Africa, the nations that captured my attention the most are Morocco, Angola, Namibia, Cape Verde and Sudan. In Mozambique, only the Maputo area.

Good bad & Ugly

Long way from getting any tourist attention though

Matt, the languages are also similar, if as long someone who speaks Portuguese don't use big words or speak rapidly, I'll make it out 85%.

Yes, I know, of course, but nevertheless Portuguese people are not too fond of Spainards and vicersa, it is strange but it is like that as a whole due to the long historic disputes between the two nation!

Ibero-Romance languages share it's similarities, minus Basque which is a language isolate.

In Africa, the nations that captured my attention the most are Morocco, Angola, Namibia, Cape Verde and Sudan. In Mozambique, only the Maputo area.

Leaving Nigeria aside (´cos that´s where I come from), my favourite sub-saharan African countries are Angola, Cape Verde, Côte d´ivoire (before the mad man took over), Senegal, Mozambique, Gabon, Mauritius & Réunion, Mali, Ghana and Kenya. :)

Perhaps, but that's Europe if that's the case, I don't think it would be that bad because most of that relation has passed. "Latams" are another story. I've met a few people of half Cubans/Brazilian and Peruvian/Brazilian descent and ect.

Honestly, my preference fluctuates and I guess that's part of being eclectic. :)

I've been in a EG mood but that mood is soon to diminish.
One thing that I'm already aware of is that Equatorial Guinea and Botswana are by far the hardest to find decent and recent images from which is killing it for me, Sao Tome too. :lol:

Good bad & Ugly

Long way from getting any tourist attention though
Dude,those are money makers.though,"Zombies" from "United states" would have to pay to watch sizzling architectures in Africa.:lol: :lol: :lol:

are very interesting the pics


alguien habla español ???

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1037/753593740_991fcb5ad2_b.jpg

photos of a highway construction

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/387049079_fb64d14c60_o.jpg

massive highway construction through tropical rain forest outside Malabo on Island Bioko (photo Februar 2007)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/387074371_cfb5c88477_o.jpg

more road construction

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/72/387074375_ec64d94cca_o.jpg

erosion control system

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/387076928_20e8ae9cea_o.jpg


still incomparable to Bata, side streets in old quarters of Malabo look shabby and dirty

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1109/762130880_c15bdd061b_o.jpg

however this is a brand new pic of Malabo (July 2007), the old part of town seems to get a revamp: construction, houses look repainted , traffic lights have been installed and new street light (although the colour doesn´t match at all)is in place

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/785165145_434e30d7fb_b.jpg

Anton, this is for you. A spanish company is doing the work! So please stop wheening around about "horror-like" EG!:)

Presentado el Plan Local de Urbanismo en Malabo (Guinea Ecuatorial)

Se ha presentado en Malabo (capital de Guinea Ecuatorial) el Plan Local de Urbanismo de Malabo II, que planificará los desarrollos urbanísticos en los próximos años.




Los principales objetivos que se han planteado en la realización de los trabajos son:

1. Definir un modelo territorial que se adecue a la situación actual del municipio de Malabo, proponiendo una división de suelo que garantice por un lado un desarrollo equilibrado y por otro la protección de aquellos suelos que deban ser preservados por sus valores específicos.
2. Generar nuevos equipamientos públicos, que den servicio tanto a los nuevos crecimientos como al tejido urbano existente, de manera que se ponga fin a la situación deficitaria actual. Estos equipamientos serán localizados de manera estratégica en el territorio, para garantizar una buena accesibilidad.
3. Mejora de la calidad de vida de los habitantes y planificar los desarrollos para absorber la demanda de vivienda, por la población local y la inmigración.
4. Reestructuración y revisión de la actual estructura viaria y creación de una circunvalación que sirva de variante interior del tráfico, para desviarlo del centro de la capital.
5. Protección de los espacios naturales con mayor valor ambiental y de las zonas con elevado riesgo de inundaciones, debido a las intensas precipitaciones del clima ecuatorial.
6. Gestionar y planificar las infraestructuras necesarias para dotar a la población de los servicios básicos de abastecimiento de agua, energía eléctrica, saneamiento y tratamiento de residuos.

El Plan Local de Urbanismo de Malabo, realizado por Arnaiz Consultores en colaboración con Atland Global, se ha planificado para el desarrollo de la capital de Guinea Ecuatorial en los próximos 15-20 años y pretende convertir Malabo en un referente de desarrollo y modernidad a nivel mundial.

http://www.arnaizconsultores.es/web/index.jsp?id=874

The article concerns thenew capital of Malabo that is currently being built from scratch (called Malabo II)

Anton, this is for you. A spanish company is doing the work! So please stop wheening around about "horror-like" EG!:)

You make it sound like I enjoy that people in EG live under such difficult circumstances.. *sigh* Anyway, thanks for the article, it's great news for Malabo and EG, I can't wait to see it happening.

Anton and others, maybe this is of (slight) interest to you, too...it concerns Malabo II!




Finally I have found something with quite pictures attached but I cannot post it directly. So I give the link

So scroll down to the following pages:

1.) Adminitrative Buildings (page 15)

2.) Social Housing project in Malabo II (page 16)

3.) Bank Construction (page 17)

4.) Malabo II u/c , you will also see the Gepetrol Tower going up which was shown on a previous render here (page 18)

5.) Gepetrol (page 19)

6.) Creation of a new National Institute of Technology (page 21)


Check out pics on link

http://www.africacncl.org/Events/downloads/Hon.%20Gabriel%20Nguema%20Lima,%20Vice%20Minister%20of%20Mines,%20Industry%20&%20Energy,%20Equatorial%20Guinea.pdf

On Bioko Island pics taken in 2006

http://bp2.blogger.com/_6zEmhRGzBfI/RmUpE-VcLQI/AAAAAAAAAIs/5AnBgtdZ85I/s1600/DCP_1419.JPG

http://bp0.blogger.com/_6zEmhRGzBfI/RmUsJeVcLUI/AAAAAAAAAJM/BqXGC2AiMCU/s1600/DCP_1293.JPG

^^
The pdf file looks promising, and apparently the construction started already!

This ugly thread been dormant for a while..so let´s rewake it with some new images


Malabo II pics....

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/792401877_808d4e842c_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/792419427_e33bebf96f_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/792411873_c89806c1ea_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/792443031_b6308b9efa_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1408/670590172_4a31d196f8_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1265/793315662_8751941a0f_o.jpg

Good to see new pics! :) Matthias, do you have other pics of Malabo II?

Good to see new pics! Matthias, do you have other pics of Malabo II?

Thanks Anton, the problem is that there are only few pics avaible about Malabo II, I will do my best to look for pics every now and then, it´s promised!:)

No te preocupes amigo, aqui tienes el link dedicado a Guinea Ecuatorial en español:

Pincha-----> AQUI (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=525202)

BANCO DE GUINEA ECUATORIAL

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2525975.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1510471.jpg

Thanks Stomshadow for the new pics!:)

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/c_ciudad_s.jpg

some new hotel it is said

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/h_3agosto_s.jpg

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/ayuntam_s.jpg

new radio broadcasting centre

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/emisora_s.jpg

new conference centre

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/cc_banapa_s.jpg

new health ministry building

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/m_sanidad_s.jpg

this street is named after Marocco´s King Hassan II

http://www.bisila.com/DATOS/malabo/new/avd_hasan_ii_s.jpg

new bank building

http://www.bisila.com/gif/Malabo/bsgm.jpg

Good pictures Matt. Malabo is looking better and better.

Few more images -

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2051/2043064443_6be69e4377_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2106/2043064435_db53872da8_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1320/1478221721_2c9f01c986_o.jpg

Great new pics Matthias and Shadow!

Good pictures Matt. Malabo is looking better and better.

We need to get more pictures of Malabo II:), that´s where most of the activity is taking place...I wonder why African government don´t see the need to invest into public relations, country (re-)branding like their Asian counterparts are doing it, don´t they have counselors and/or (political) analysts who are telling this to the presidents...sometimes I think that the presidents like it when the world treats them like shit and thinks they are shit! otherwise they would have pushed frontiers to deconstruct the bad images that have been created. It so damn frustrating!

I was expecting beautiful clean city in this oil rich country. Where is oil money been spend?

I was expecting beautiful clean city in this oil rich country. Where is oil money been spend?

In Europe buying large houses, fast cars, and attractive women for government officials.

Things have been getting better, though. Living standards in EQ Guinea have risen significantly in the last decade or so.

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/148/13738239bn0.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4278/44878166pz0.jpg

Sad to see Africa still sufferring the effects of the European colonizations. All the best wishes to Africa.

Nice pics!

Sad to see Africa still sufferring the effects of the European colonizations. All the best wishes to Africa.

Nice pics!

Sorry but in the case of tiny and ultra-rich Equatorial Guinea this is absolutely NOT true.

I uploaded tons of old personal pictures about EQG on my PC but they are a stark contrast to what Malabo looks like today.

EGQ ´s messed up situation is neither the result of Spanish colonialism nor war. So there is no excuse for it.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1394/1452108252_86a6825b35_b.jpg

Malabo Stadium
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1280/792409883_e629c2defc_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1054/793292550_ea25aaf5fb_o.jpg

1st picture, you know, it's the same old same old, about Malabo..
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2097/malabo1tm5.jpg






Now with these.. It's a whole different story.. ;)

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/7936/malabo2qd1.jpg

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6185/malabo3td1.jpg

The last two pics are showing Malabo II, great catch!, Stormshadow!:cheers:

Thanks Matt. I gather by early 2009 this city will appear to be more attractive compared to when this thread first opened.

I once heard that the son of Equatorial Guinea slashed money in Cape Town buying Lambos and expensive houses. It was said that he also orgnised huge parties by his house while people are suffering back home, sometimes I wish that these people should burn in hell. That country's got wealth and a very small population.

But as per Storms's last post I hope things are changing for good.

Malabo is one of the most difficult cities to make a thread about that I had previously encountered. I gather since there aren't many images of the city, some are quite old too and most of the recent images depict oil refineries and shacks along the country side.

Yes, EG got the resources and a micro population. The nation isn't large but for it's population a lot of large areas remain sparse.

And it doesn't even end there. Obiang is still running an oligarchy and members of that same ethnic group(Mongomo) still hold all the power. 10% of the profits coming from the oil are going straight into mismanagement, primarily into Obiang's pockets. He's running one of the most corrupt oligarchies around, and this is helping to keep Eq. Guinea from reaching it's full potential.

Were it not for the first guy, EQ could be just like Botswana or Gabon right now.


19 79 is such a long time i would have imagined with oil the country shud have recovered from all that shit.....they r still in it.....b4 they know it population will increse n they wont b able to manage it!

19 79 is such a long time i would have imagined with oil the country shud have recovered from all that shit.....they r still in it.....b4 they know it population will increse n they wont b able to manage it!

What is 1979, please??? The last time you have been there...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2322020620_4682960450_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2321216115_17940a2176_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2347253471_fbc7266625_b.jpg

http://spanish.malabo.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/OEkqB_cj6GjYQl-6HMTnvw/embassyview1.jpg
http://spanish.malabo.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/imLPhXqZbJp-lCuDOlEF-w/embassyview2.jpg

here Stormshadow, I have got a couple of additional pics :)all from Nov/Dec. 2007

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo1.jpg?t=1206467316

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo2.jpg?t=1206467360

road construction (?)

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo3.jpg?t=1206467397

new hotel it is said

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo4.jpg?t=1206467436

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo5.jpg?t=1206467481

somewhere in Malabo II, it is said, the new city which is u/c

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo6.jpg?t=1206467514

Thanks, Matt. If only more people who are interested would visit EG more frequently we'll have a larger selection of images to choose from. Also, it appears to me that recent visitors aren't interested with the recent structures that are being erected in Malabo. It's always the same pictures they take, IE the colonial sector of the city and the impoverished areas.

so true ...but this is not just limited to Malabo but applies to almost all of Africa, unfortunately!

Photos taken in March 2008 showing the new city Malabo II built from scratch under construction

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo10.jpg?t=1207939551

This group is also active in Nigeria, btw

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo11.jpg?t=1207939597

Look at the massive new highway that cuts through the wilderness, it has not been inaugurated yet, construction is still ongoing:cheers:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo12.jpg?t=1207939646

construction pics

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo13.jpg?t=1207940131

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj56/morgenstille/xmalabo14.jpg?t=1207940078

Excellent! Much much better and it places Malabo in better light, so to speak. A nation with a population that small should be able to kick off in rapid pace and it appears it is doing so. Nice apartments too!

Stormshadow, my dream is really to see at least one (small) country in Africa absorbed in an endless sea of oil like Kuwait (pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil a day and just having a local population of less than 1 million) with a good leader and so much money that the leader doesn´t know anywhere to put it than to build and build and build and build like mad and make poverty ENTIRELY history.....and transform one African city into a second Hong Kong or Singapore with all the glitz and pomp entertainment and shopping and museaum and theatres ...where the ill people get pampered in Swiss like health clinics and all the slums entirely erased and where people move into mega homes built by the state and where African students study in the best univeristies and labs like Biotec City in Singapore...this might sound hugely funny but these are what dreams are for.

Novemeber 2007

that´s a great shot! A new house gets built or an old one brought back to life

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/2043112683_b3af553a22_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2106/2043112671_b3af553a22_b.jpg


new town

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2317/2043112697_fa4672236d_b.jpg

airport of Malabo

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/1341391744_52c0b20b9d_b.jpg

road construction

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/198/444707592_febd61556d_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/492695160_3d820b74c8_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1384/792445621_0da1068cee_o.jpg

New Pics from Malabo

Sofitel Hotel

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2423800710_1bb6755ab9_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2423799558_2ba6bbe8ee_b.jpg

I'm a bit disappointed.

With their small population, and large resources, I'd think they'd be having cranes in the sky now.

Let's say thank you to mr. fascist president of EG, disciple of mr. Bush. :ohno:

By the way, beautiful landscapes and churches! I don't like modern buildings but rustique towns and old arquitecture... Those churches don't look to old, but they still look pretty.

^ The development is quite displaying now with the images from the recent months compared to when I first opened this thread. On the recent images Matt recently posted we can see some older structures are being refurbished.

Villa Mercedes
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/6065203.jpg

http://photo.ringo.com/145/145091522O846888391.jpg
Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Sierra Leone

http://photo.ringo.com/145/145091522O846888391.jpg:banana:

http://panoramio.com/photos/original/5864788.jpg

Malabo 2008

http://static3.bareka.com/photos/medium/13140158.jpg

http://static3.bareka.com/photos/medium/13139782.jpg

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7460530.jpg

very low class. but some building look nice.

Malabo 2008
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7460530.jpg

:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

i think ist the most small capital in the world...

I love the pictures! Thanks!

Some time ago I was looking at the list of HDI's, and saw that Equatorial Guinea has a good HDI, which improved greatly in recent years, I do not know why, I know after the discovery of oil, most of the city Malabo, and is very degrading, dirty, and does not seem to have a very high standard of living, very sad that

http://img5.travelblog.org/Photos/36056/243660/f/1944088-In-Malabo-2.jpg


Hilton

http://img5.travelblog.org/Photos/36056/243660/f/1944091-The-Hilton-Hotel-1.jpg

^^^ Has the construction of the Hilton in Malabo been completed?

as a whole, the old part of Malabo still looks disgusting but they seem to have started renovating some of the old magnificent buildings and tarring the roads

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuPOXfcTmI/AAAAAAAAAvo/C9o8d48uktU/s576/IMG_2225.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuPKaRvoSI/AAAAAAAAAvk/4FIlDZiU7ts/s576/IMG_2224.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuPDhO44hI/AAAAAAAAAvc/2Djc91FJIvU/s576/IMG_2223.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuOwMMguHI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nUo-pORPogI/s400/IMG_2219.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuQFGmUK2I/AAAAAAAAAwY/ItuJjUfixyQ/s576/IMG_2236.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aTNPHbBbFwA/SNuQO02IVaI/AAAAAAAAAwg/T5kfGdBoB_g/s576/IMG_2238.JPG

nice.

new public library in Malabo, very nice just like in a European, modern Asian or Gulf Arabian country.:cheers:

http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/imgdb/2009/high_1251364515.jpg


http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/imgdb/2009/high_1253200576.jpg


http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/imgdb/2009/high_1253200775.jpg

Se inaugura en Malabo la primera Biblioteca Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial
Guinea Ecuatorial ya cuenta con una nueva e importante Biblioteca Nacional, cuya sede oficial ha sido inaugurada en Malabo. La joven escritora Guillermina Mekuy, autora de dos novelas de gran éxito en España, es la primera Directora con la que cuenta esta institución, cuyo nacimiento ha sido completamente supervisado por ella.


En un acto al que acudió el Jefe del Estado Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, acompañado de la Primera Dama, Constancia Mangue de Obama, ha quedado inaugurada en Malabo la primera Biblioteca Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (BnGE) que actuará además como cabecera del sistema Bibliotecario Guineano. Ubicada en el antiguo edificio del famoso escultor ecuatoguineano, Leandro Mbomio Nsue, que fue rehabilitado entre los años 2007 y 2008, la BnGE contará con un fondo Bibliográfico de 60.000 unidades.

Guillermina-Mekuy Mba Obono, Licenciada en Derecho y en Ciencias Políticas por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, es la primera persona que regenta la gestión de la biblioteca, responsabilidad que forma parte de sus atribuciones como Directora de Bibliotecas y Museos de Guinea Ecuatorial.

Con tan sólo 26 años de edad, Guillermina-Mekuy es también una de las más importantes figuras del panorama literario actual de las letras hispano-africanas: a los 21 años publicó en España su primera novela, “El llanto de la perra”, que obtuvo un gran éxito tanto de crítica como de público y a la cual le siguió “Las Tres Vírgenes de Santo Tomás”.

Pero para Guillermina, su obra más importante hasta el momento es, precisamente, la creación de esta biblioteca que ha sido gestada en todo momento por ella. Desde el análisis de los fondos necesarios hasta la organización administrativa, pasando por la decoración o el uniforme de los empleados: todo ha sido supervisado por la joven escritora.

La política del centro parte de recopilar todos los títulos escritos por los autores nativos, e igualmente, aquellos reconocidos internacionalmente que hagan mención a Guinea Ecuatorial. Otra de las prioridades de la dirección es la de reconstruir la historia de Guinea Ecuatorial a través de escritos y fotografías. Además de las clásicas prestaciones de una biblioteca abierta a todo tipo de usuarios, la BnGE pretende reunir las obras manuscritas de autores antiguos y modernos, así como la totalidad de impresos publicados por autores guineanos, sea por compra, donativo o canje y participar de una forma definitiva en el desarrollo de la cultura en Guinea. Por ello, la dirección del centro ha establecido un enorme y amplio programa cultural con numerosos proyectos a corto y medio plazo, entre los cuales se encuentra:


· Finalizar la construcción del antiguo Centro Cultural Hispanoaguineano para albergar los numerosos fondos de la antigua Biblioteca de Santa Isabel.

· Culminar la restauración de La Casa Verde y ponerla en funcionamiento como museo en el que se reunirá toda la obra cultural guineana relacionada especialmente con pintura, escultura y fotografía.

· Gestionar la adquisición de Bibliobuses para difundir la lectura por todos los rincones del país.

· Construir y distribuir quioscos de prensa y libros en todo el país.

Asimismo, la Biblioteca Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial ha establecido un programa de actos culturales y certámenes de muy distintas materias:

· Premios en diferentes modalidades de arte: literatura, escultura, pintura…
· Certamen de Cuento Guineano.
· Concurso de Cuentacuentos.
· Creación de la nueva Compañía Teatral de Guinea Ecuatorial.
· Concurso de Cine y Cortometrajes.
· Programas infantiles, etc.

El edificio de la Biblioteca cuenta además con una colección propia de obras de arte, entre las que figuran pinturas del artista Ghutty Mamae y esculturas de Leandro Mbomio Nsue.

Por otra parte, diferentes instituciones españolas (Ministerio de Cultura, Presidencia del Gobierno, Ministerio de Exteriores y Cortes Españolas) han donado una colección de facsímiles, obras y colecciones escritas. Estas donaciones son fruto de las gestiones emprendidas por D. Carlos Narbona Hierro.

Actualmente, la Biblioteca es un organismo estatal y sus empleados han sido contratados como funcionarios de diferentes niveles, según su correspondiente cualificación. No obstante, la previsión es convertirla en una institución pública e independiente para finales del año 2009, cuando contará con sus propios estatutos y con autonomía financiera que dependerá orgánicamente del Ministerio de Cultura.

Para entrar en contacto con la Biblioteca Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial se puede consultar con su página web





Visist the website of the library

http://www.bibliotecanacionalge.org.

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Its seems like the President is living in luxury here while his capital is in filth, shame on him.

You probably might need to edit the name of this thread

Its seems like the President is living in luxury here while his capital is in filth, shame on him.

this was true for Malabo ten years back - where American oil companies grabbed 98% of the oil money (do you want me to post the sources?) but applies less and less to present day Malabo and Malabo II or Bata. I doubt that you have taken an effort to look at pics. Bata makes most African cities look like Third World Backwaters. . No offense!

(do you want me to post the sources?)
I am curious can you post the source so I can share share it, Thanks!