Malabo

Malabo
Venus Bay
Malabo Location in Bioko Malabo Malabo (Equatorial Guinea)
Coordinates: 3°45′7.43″N 8°46′25.32″E
Kintra	Equatorial Guinea
Province	Bioko Norte
Foondit	1827
Current name	Syne 1973
Area
• Total	21 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2012)
• Total	187,302
• Density	8,900/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Malabeño-a
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Climate	Am

Malabo (pronounced /məˈlɑːboʊ/ ^{(deprecatit template)}) is the caipital an the lairgest ceety o Equatorial Guinea, locatit on the northren coast o Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Pó) on the rim o a sunken volcano.

History

The ceety wis first foondit bi the Breetish in 1827, who leased the island frae Spain durin the colonial period. Named Port Clarence, it wis uised as a naval station in the effort tae suppress the slave trade. Mony newly freed slaves wur an aa settled thare, prior tae the establishment o Liberie as a colony for freed slaves. While mony o them later relocatit tae Sierra Leone, some o thair descendants, cawed Fernandinos, can still be foond in Malabo an the surroondin aurie, whaur thay constitute a distinct ethnic group, speakin thair awn Afro-Portuguese pidgin dialect.

When the island revertit tae complete Spaingie control, Malabo wis renamed Santa Isabel. It wis chosen tae replace the mainland toun o Bata as the caipital o the kintra in 1969, an wis renamed Malabo in 1973 as pairt o Preses Francisco Macías Nguema's campaign tae replace European place names wi "authentic" African anes.