October 12, 2018

Today, October 12, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence in 1968. Equatorial Guinea consists of a territory on the west coast of Africa, plus five offshore islands. Most of the nation’s people live in the mainland territory, Río Muni, which lies between Cameroon and Gabon. The largest island, Bioko, is in the Gulf of Guinea, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Río Muni. The other islands—Corisco, Elobey Chico, Elobey Grande, and Annobón—are southwest of Río Muni. Prior to independence, Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish territory and colony.

The flag of Equatorial Guinea includes a crest with a silk-cotton tree, six stars representing the nation’s mainland and five islands, and a banner reading Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Unity, Peace, Justice). Credit: © Loveshop/Shutterstock

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo led golden jubilee celebrations in Malabo, the nation’s capital on Bioko. (A new capital called Ciudad de la Paz—City of Peace—is under construction in Río Muni, and parts of the government already operate from there.) Celebrations also took place in Bata, the nation’s largest city, and other cities and towns freshly “cleaned and smartened” for the anniversary.

Click to view larger image
Equatorial Guinea. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Portuguese sailors landed on Annobón in 1471 and later claimed Annobón, Bioko, and part of the nearby mainland. Spain took control of these territories in the mid-1800’s and made them a colony in 1959. In 1968, shortly after Equatorial Guinea gained independence, Francisco Macías Nguema seized power as president and dictator. After a decade of violent rule, a group of army officers led by Obiang Nguema overthrew Macías in 1979. The group established a military government with Obiang Nguema as president. He has since been reelected numerous times against little opposition.

Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, lies on Venus Bay on the island of Bioko. Credit: Ipisking (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

About 80 percent of Equatorial Guinea’s people live in Río Muni. Most of the people in Río Muni are members of the Fang ethnic group. The Fang are closely related to the people of neighboring Cameroon and Gabon. Most of the people of Bioko belong to the Fernandino or Bubi ethnic groups.

September 6, 2018

Today, the small southern African nation of Swaziland celebrates its golden jubilee, the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence on Sept. 6, 1968. Swaziland, nestled between Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa, was formerly a British protectorate. It became independent in 1968 as the Kingdom of Swaziland, and the nation remains a monarchy. Today in Mbabane, the Swazi capital, anniversary celebrations were muted amid an ongoing economic crisis in the country.

Swaziland’s flag has five horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are blue (for peace). The wide center stripe is red (for past battles) with a black and white shield, spears, and staff. Between the blue and red stripes are yellow stripes (for natural resources). Credit: © Loveshop/Shutterstock

Despite the crisis, Swaziland’s King Mswati III began celebrating the nation’s 50th anniversary with his own 50th birthday party on April 19, 2018. Mswati’s “50/50 Celebrations” showcased Swazi culture and traditions, as well as the king’s own immense personal wealth. During the party, he suggested renaming the kingdom eSwatini, the nation’s original name before it was anglicized to Swaziland. The name eSwatini means land of the Swazis in the local siSwati language.

Protests and criticism of the king’s lavish lifestyle led him to cancel expensive anniversary celebrations planned for September. Most Swazi people are poor, surviving almost entirely on what they can grow or raise through subsistence agriculture.

Click to view larger image
Swaziland. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

The vast majority of Swaziland’s people belong to the Swazi ethnic group. According to the legends of the Swazi, their ancestors once lived near what is now Maputo, Mozambique. In the late 1700′s, the Swazi chief Ngwane II led a small band of people over the mountains to what is now southeastern Swaziland. There the Swazi found other African peoples. Ngwane II and the chiefs who ruled after him united several of these peoples with the Swazi.

Mbabane, the administrative capital of Swaziland, lies in the country’s western highlands. Most of the people of Swaziland live in rural areas. Credit: SuperStock

British traders and Boers (chiefly Dutch farmers from South Africa) first came to Swaziland in the 1830′s. In the 1880′s, the settlers discovered gold. Hundreds of prospectors rushed into the region. They asked the Swazi chief and his advisers to sign documents granting them rights to mine minerals and to use land for farming and grazing. The Swazi leaders could not read and did not realize that they were giving up control of the land.

In 1894, the British and Boers agreed that the South African Republic, a Boer state, would govern Swaziland. But in 1902, the Boers lost a war with the British, and the United Kingdom took control of Swaziland. The United Kingdom ruled Swaziland until the mid-1960′s. In 1967, Swaziland gained control over its internal matters. It received full independence on Sept. 6, 1968. On Sept. 24, 1968, Swaziland became a member of the United Nations.