Map of Equatorial Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by ruthless leaders who have badly mismanaged the economy since independence from 190 years of Spanish rule in 1968. The country has nominally been a constitutional democracy since 1991.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 28,050 km²
Land: 28,050 km²

Land boundaries: total 539 km, Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline: 296 km
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation

Natural resources: timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 4%
Forest and woodland: 51%
Other: 33%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 399,055 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.6% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
Adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups: Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Languages: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.6% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 41.1 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 15.11 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to violent windstorms

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 104.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.63 years
Male: 49.56 years
Female: 53.76 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.33 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 50%
Male: 64%
Female: 37%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
Local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
Former: Spanish Guinea

Government type: republic in transition to multiparty democracy

Capital: Malabo

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution: new constitution 17 November 1991

Legal system: partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives of the People (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo)

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Chief of mission: Ambassador Damaso OBIANG NDONG
Chancery: (temporary) 57 Magnolia Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10,553
Telephone: (914) 667-9,664

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John E. BENNETT
From the us embassy: Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 597, Malabo
From the us telephone: 240 (9) 2,185
From the us fax: 240 (9) 2,164

Flag description: 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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy, devastated during the regime of former President Macias NGUEMA, is based on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which account for about half of GDP and nearly all exports. Subsistence agriculture predominates, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing income, foreign exchange, and government revenues. There is little industry. Commerce accounts for about 8% of GDP and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 38%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful. Increased production from recently discovered natural gas deposits will provide a greater share of exports by 1995.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -1% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products:

Industries: fishing, sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 6.8% (1990 est.)

Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 66%
By occupation services: 23%
By occupation industry: 11% (1980)
Note:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $26 million; expenditures $30 million, including capital expenditures of $3 million (1991 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $37 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: coffee, timber, cocoa beans
Partners: Spain 38.2%, Italy 12.2%, Netherlands 11.4%, FRG 6.9%, Nigeria 12.4% (1988)

Imports
Commodoties: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January 1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 160 kWh per capita (1991)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3
Usable: 3
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs