Bata

Bata, port, northwestern Equatorial Guinea, West Africa, lying on the Gulf of Guinea 18 miles (29 km) north of the Río Mbini. One of the deepest seaports in the region, Bata serves as one of the country’s main ports. Because Bata has no natural harbour, a jetty was built to facilitate offshore handling of ships’ cargoes. The principal exports are timber and coffee. The international airport at Bata has flights to several cities, including the Guinean capital, Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel), and to Libreville, Gabon.

After the anti-Spanish riots of 1969, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of resident Europeans in Bata, followed by severe economic stagnation that extended into the early 1980s. The discovery and development of the country’s oil reserves in the 1980s and ’90s led to an increase in business and development in the city. Pop. (2003 est.) 66,800.