Equatorial Guinea has officially moved its capital from Malabo on Bioko Island to Ciudad de la Paz on the mainland in Djibloho Province.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the decree ordered all government offices to move to the new capital within a year. He has been in office since 1979.
The change aims to make administration easier, unite the country, and solve challenges from Malabo’s island location.
Ciudad de la Paz, formerly Oyala, was planned as the new government center, while Malabo remains a very important commercial city.
The economy of Africa’s only Spanish-speaking nation, Equatorial Guinea is heavily dependent on oil and gas, being a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).