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  Equatorial Guinea  
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This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


Map of Equatorial Guinea



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Equatorial Guinea
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle, then President MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely seen as being flawed. The president controls most opposition parties through the judicious use of patronage. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the country's living standards.
   Geography    Equatorial Guinea
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
2 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 28,051 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
296 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
violent windstorms, flash floods
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
insular and continental regions rather widely separated
   People    Equatorial Guinea
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
535,881 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 112,326/female 111,244)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 140,568/female 151,500)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,900/female 11,343) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.83 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.46 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.42% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
36.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 85.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 91.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 55.56 years
male: 53.38 years
female: 57.8 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.62 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,900 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
370 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2004)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7%
male: 93.3%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
   Government    Equatorial Guinea
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
former: Spanish Guinea
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Malabo
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Miguel Abia BITEO BORICO (since 14 June 2004); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 15 June 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, NA 2
note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Teodoro Biyogo NSUE
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea; the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
   Economy    Equatorial Guinea
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been unsuccessfully trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth presumably remained strong in 2004, led by oil.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 3%
industry: 95.7%
services: 1.3% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
50.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $813.2 million
expenditures: $375.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26.69 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
24.82 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
350,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
563.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
68.53 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$-578.6 million (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.771 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 33.2%, Spain 25.4%, China 14.2%, Canada 12.7%, Italy 6.3% (2003)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.167 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 30.6%, UK 16%, France 15%, Cote d''Ivoire 11.9%, Spain 8.2%, Norway 5.9%, Italy 5.3% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$235.2 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$248 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$33.8 million (1995)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
XAF
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.28 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 January - 31 December
   Communications    Equatorial Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
41,500 (2003)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2002)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gq
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3 (2004)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,800 (2002)
   Transportation    Equatorial Guinea
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 2,880 km (1999 est.)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Bata, Luba, Malabo
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,556 GRT/9,704 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Equatorial Guinea
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Army, Navy, Air Force (January 2005)
Military manpower - military age:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 106,571 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 66,379 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$126.2 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.5% (2004)
   Transnational Issues    Equatorial Guinea
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


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