Malabo

Malabo
Santa Isabel (before 1973)
Top: Malabo skyline; Middle: Cathedral of Santa Isabel, Presidential Palace; Bottom: Spain Cultural Center, Bata Waterfront
Malabo
Location in Equatorial Guinea
Malabo
Malabo (Africa)
Coordinates: 3°44′44″N 8°46′28″E / 3.74556°N 8.77444°E / 3.74556; 8.77444
Country Equatorial Guinea
ProvinceBioko Norte
RegionInsular Region
Founded1827
Current nameSince 1973
Area
  Total
21 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2018)
  Total
297,000
  Density14,000/km2 (37,000/sq mi)
  Ethnicities
BubiFernandinos
DemonymMalabeño-a
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (WAT)
ClimateAm
HDI (2019)0.710
high

Malabo (/məˈlɑːb/ mə-LAH-boh, Spanish: [maˈlaβo] ; formerly Santa Isabel [ˈsantajsaˈβel] ) is the capital of Equatorial Guinea in the province of Bioko Norte. It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko (Bube: Etulá, and as Fernando Pó by the Europeans). In 2018, the city had a population of approximately 297,000 inhabitants.

Spanish is the official language of the city and of the country as well, but Pichinglis is used as a language of wider communication across Bioko island, including Malabo.

Malabo is the oldest city in Equatorial Guinea. Ciudad de la Paz is a planned community under construction in mainland Equatorial Guinea which was designed to replace Malabo as the capital. The institutions of governance of Equatorial Guinea began the process of locating to Ciudad de la Paz in February 2017.