Annobon Republic

Annobon is part of the Commonwealth Verde

Annobon Republic
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Verde Commonwealth
Capital	Crescent Point
Population	8,302
Area	17 km²
Languages	English, Annobonese Creole, Principence
Vekllei Accession	1945, as part of the British Atlantic Territories

The Annobon Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Gulf of Guinea, southwest of Java. It lies 560km off the coast of Latin Africa, and comprises the main island of Annobon as well as a handful of littoral rocks and islets.

Prior to its accession in Vekllei, very little was documented about Annobon or its history. It was almost certainly discovered by the Portuguese in the late-18th Century, when it was uninhabited. Annobonese today are descendants of slaves brought there to work cash crop plantations like sugar cane and cotton. Its geographic isolation means that Annobonese speak their own creole, and have a cultural identity seperate from the rest of the Commonwealth Verde equatorial islands.

The island itself is an extinct volcano, the peak of which now houses a large and water-filled crater called ‘Pot Lake.’ Thick and impassable forests made up of tropical broadleaf trees and mosses flow down its slopes, and much of its interior is unexplored. A few settlements dot the coast, the largest of which is the capital, Crescent. The island is famous for its unique songbirds, and the sharks that patrol surrounding waters.

When Annobon acceded to Vekllei, it was undeveloped and stricken with poverty. At its peak, the island had maybe 12,000 people, but over a third had left for neighbouring islands looking for work. As part of the process of federalisation, substantial civic materiel has been poured into the island, and the construction of new government buildings in the capital is well underway. A simple tram line now connects the north and south via the east coast, and another that will link the hillside towns and villages is under construction. Annobonese are deeply religious, mostly syncretic Catholics in the Portuguese colonial tradition, and the construction of a modern church in the capital in 2026 delighted local residents.

The local economy almost completely collapsed during federalisation, as aid flowed in and the island was connected to the rest of Vekllei. Nearly half of the population are currently enrolled in schools to raise literacy and prepare the republic for new kinds of work as the gradual transition to the commons begins. Fishing and timber make up almost all remaining employment.

New developments include a small auxiliary campus of the University of the Equator, headquartered in Java, as well as a redeveloped port area able to accomodate hydrofoils. New homes are being built in the capital and mountain towns in the style of the rest of the equatorial republics.