Which African country is the only one with Spanish as an official language?

Equatorial Guinea is the only African country with Spanish as an official language.

Spanish became established because Equatorial Guinea was colonised by Spain and was known as Spanish Guinea before independence. The country became independent on 12 October 1968. Spanish remains an official language alongside French and Portuguese, reflecting later regional and diplomatic ties.

Equatorial Guinea consists of a mainland region, Río Muni, and several islands, including Bioko, where the capital Malabo is located. It is often confused with nearby countries that use French, English or Portuguese as official languages. The phrase “only African country” refers to sovereign states on the African continent, not to every language spoken by African communities or diaspora populations.