Corisco
| Corisco | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Corisco Bay ( Atlantic Ocean ) | |
| Geographical location | 0 ° 54 '35 " N , 9 ° 19' 19" E | |
|
||
| surface | 14 km² | |
| Highest elevation | 35 m | |
| main place | Gobe | |
Corisco is an African island , part of Equatorial Guinea . It is located 24 kilometers from the mainland in the Bay of Corisco . It has an area of 14 square kilometers, its highest point is 35 meters above the sea. The name Corisco comes from the Portuguese word for "lightning".
The surface of the island is highly structured. In addition to mountains and valleys, rivers, lakes and forests, there are also swamps and meadows. The original inhabitants are Bantu , who are called Benga .
Since the European discovery of the island around 1470 by the Portuguese, the owner has changed several times. In 1778 Spain acquired the island of Corisco from the Portuguese in the Treaty of Pardo in order to establish its own bases for the slave trade in the region. The island could not be settled permanently.
Juan José de Lerena y Barry took Corisco again in 1843 for Spain. American Presbyterian missionaries settled there in 1855 . Since 1858 the island has belonged to the Spanish colony Río Muni , whose affiliation to Spain was recognized by the colonial powers Great Britain, France and Germany in the Treaty of Paris 1900.
In 1956, Río Muni became an overseas province, with representation in the Spanish parliament. Corisco has been part of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea since 1968 . In 1981 interest in the island increased due to oil test drilling by the Elf Aquitaine company . Since 2002 there has been an oil and gas production in the Corisco Bay of the same name.