Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco
Encyclopedia
Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco was a colonial administration of Spanish
Africa, consisting of the small islands of Elobey Grande
, Elobey Chico
, Annobón
, and Corisco
, located in the Gulf of Guinea
. Its total area was under 36 km², and the estimated population in 1910 was 2,950 people. The capital was Santa Isabel
. The islands are presently part of Equatorial Guinea
. Elobey Grande, Elobey Chico and Corisco now part part of the Litoral Province
within the Continental Region
of Equatorial Guinea, while Annobón constitutes a province in its own right within the Insular Region
.
wrote a short vignette entitled Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco, about his time as a young Marine officer during World War II. His childhood memories of stamp collecting (including stamps from the Guinean islands) are a welcome distraction from the dread and fear he feels when he thinks of the approaching Battle of Okinawa
. Although written in 1985, the vignette was not published until 2009, in the collection of Marine-related short stories The Suicide Run (Random House 2009).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Africa, consisting of the small islands of Elobey Grande
Elobey Grande
Elobey Grande or Great Elobey is an island of Equatorial Guinea, lying at the mouth of the Mitémélé River. It is sparsely inhabited. Elobey Chico is a smaller island offshore, now uninhabited but once the colonial capital of the Rio Muni....
, Elobey Chico
Elobey Chico
Elobey Chico or Little Elobey is a small island offshore the coast of Equatorial Guinea, lying near the mouth of the Mitémélé River. The island is now uninhabited but was once de facto colonial capital of the Spanish territory of Rio Muni....
, Annobón
Annobón
Annobón may refer to:* Annobón Province* Annobonese language* Annobon people...
, and Corisco
Corisco
Corisco, or Mandj, is a small island of Equatorial Guinea, located 29 km southwest of the Rio Muni estuary that defines the border with Gabon...
, located in the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
. Its total area was under 36 km², and the estimated population in 1910 was 2,950 people. The capital was Santa Isabel
Malabo
Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea, located on the northern coast of Bioko Island on the rim of a sunken volcano....
. The islands are presently part of Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
. Elobey Grande, Elobey Chico and Corisco now part part of the Litoral Province
Litoral Province (Equatorial Guinea)
Litoral Province is a province of Equatorial Guinea. Its capital is Bata the other two cities are Mbini and Kogo. The Littoral Province has the largest population of Equatorial Guinea....
within the Continental Region
Río Muni
Río Muni is the Continental Region of Equatorial Guinea, and comprises the mainland geographical region, covering 26,017 km².-History:Río Muni was ceded by Portugal to Spain in 1778 in the Treaty of El Pardo...
of Equatorial Guinea, while Annobón constitutes a province in its own right within the Insular Region
Islands of Equatorial Guinea
The Insular Region of Equatorial Guinea comprises the former Spanish territory of Fernando Poo, together with Annobón island, the latter formerly part of the Spanish territory of Elobey, Annobón and Corisco, which was located in the Gulf of Guinea and in the Corisco Bay.The region covers 2,052 km²...
.
Postage stamps and fiction
The American author William StyronWilliam Styron
William Clark Styron, Jr. was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work.For much of his career, Styron was best known for his novels, which included...
wrote a short vignette entitled Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco, about his time as a young Marine officer during World War II. His childhood memories of stamp collecting (including stamps from the Guinean islands) are a welcome distraction from the dread and fear he feels when he thinks of the approaching Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. Although written in 1985, the vignette was not published until 2009, in the collection of Marine-related short stories The Suicide Run (Random House 2009).