Location: The home of the Bantu is officially called the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and is located on the west coast of equatorial Africa. This area covers almost 10,830 square miles, including the Island of Bioko. North of Equatorial Guinea is Cameroon and to the southeast is Gabon. The continental region of Equatorial Guinea is called Rio Muni. This area, along with the island of Bioko to the northwest, are separated by the Bight of Biafra, which is the innermost bay of the Gulf of Guinea. The capital city of Malabo is located on Bioko. The island of Bioko and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea have a humid tropical climate and a reticent dry season. The average rainfall is between 100 to 180 inches a year and the average temperature is around 80° F. The dense tropical rain forest vegetation stretches across the region and consists of African walnut, okume, and several mahoganies. The area's animal life has been decimated by poaching and over hunting. Many primate species such as gorilla, chimpanzee, and monkeys are becoming scarce along with other animals such as elephant, crocodile, and leopard. The island of Bioko consists of mostly swamps and hosts no large animals.
Language: Close to 90% of the mainland population are Bantu-speaking Fang people. They are growing in number on Bioko.
History: Originally, Bantu migrants from the mainland inhabited the island. The first inhabitants of the mainland were assumed to be Pygmies but the Fang and Bubi peoples settled there during the 17th century migrations of the Bantu. In the late 18th century, the Portuguese surrendered the land to Spain who was assisted by the British, Dutch, French, and the Germans to colonize and strip the land. During the 20th century, the Spanish government and the Roman Catholic Church administer the area. The aid of outside workers helped the colony become important in the cocoa and timber productions.
Daily Life: The Equatorial Bantu believed that their ancestors could wield power in the afterlife as they did as living leaders of the community. They kept the skulls and long bones of these ancestors believing that they retained the power to control the well being of the family. It was forbidden for women and outside uninitiated people to see or touch these relics. Abstract wooden statues of the deceased individual where made and attached to the boxes where the bones where stored. They were to guard and protect the knowledge, which came with the bones. The Bantu villages were led by a man who was a direct descendent of the founding family of that particular village. As a village leader, he was the arbitrator, judge, and spiritual specialist for the community. This gave him the power to associate himself with the ancestors of the village. The villages mainly consisted of bark houses arranged along a single street. The sizes of these villages varied due to the resources available.
Resources
“Encyclopedia Britannica.com” Equatorial Guinea http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=33414 4-10-01
“UIOWA.com” Art & Life of Africa http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people.html 4-5-01
Written by Matthew Berglund