- Fernandino
Fernandinos are creole, multi-ethnic or multi-race groups of
Equatorial Guinea and formerSpanish Guinea with distinct social, cultural and linguistic histories.Los Fernandinos
The indigenous group of Fernandinos, also referred to as
Emancipados or "Los Fernandinos", were mixed race descendants of the pre-existing indigenous population of Spanish Guinean originating from the island of Fernando Pó (modern dayBioko Island ). This group consisted ofmulattoes of femaleBubi and white maleSpaniard parentage. Incidentally, many offspring born to this type of union were not claimed by the father; however some couples did marry underRoman Catholic law. It was not uncommon for offspring of such unions to be accepted into the indigenous tribe and identify as such.Native "Fernandinos" spoke a colloquial form of Spanish, French, Bube and a form of
Pidgin that was once native to the island. ThePidgin spoken may have varied slightly per region; and is either extinct, or evolved into a new type of pidgin.During colonial rule and during pre-independence civil uprisings, many native "Fernandinos" settled in places like
Annobón ,Canary Islands , greaterSpain ,São Tomé and Príncipe andCape Verde to avoid social and/or political adversity.Fernandinos
The other
Fernandinos ofEquatorial Guinea descended from English speaking freed slaves ofSierra Leone andLiberia who arrived on the island ofFernando Po in1827 . They maintain their own language, Fernando Poo Creole English, which reflects their main location of "Fernando Poo" more recently known asBioko .Fernando Poo Creole English is derived from the
Krio language ofSierra Leone . This group of Fernandinos are exclusively concentrated aroundMalabo . Although they comprise a distinct ethnic group in Equatorial Guinea, their pidgin dialect is spoken in only six communities (Musola, Las Palmas, Sampaca, Basupu, Fiston and Balveri de Cristo Rey). In 1998 it was estimated that the number of fluent Equatoguinean speakers of this language was at 5,000. For 1,000 of those 5,000 speakers this was their only language. Up to 70,000 EquatoGuineans may currently use it as a trade language.The majority of Fernandinos are
Christian .See also
*
Bubi
*Emancipados
*Freetown
* Ethnic groups in Africa of African American descent
*Spanish Guinea
*Sierra Leone Krio people
*Krio language
*Fernão do Pó
*São Tomé and Príncipe ::formerly part of the island front named "Fernando Pó" or "Fernando Poo" which includedBioko Island .
*Saros External links
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=fpe Fernandinos]
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