Map of Equatorial Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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

Coastline: 296 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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: subject to violent windstorms

Geography
Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated


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Population: 409,550 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.59% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)

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: 2.59% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 40.65 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 14.73 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 102.6 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.09 years
Male: 49.97 years
Female: 54.27 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.28 children born/woman (1994 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 est.)
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:
Former: Spanish Guinea

Government type: republic in transition to multiparty democracy

Capital: Malabo

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia; Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

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
Chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979) election last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results - President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was reelected without opposition
Head of government: Prime Minister Silvestre SIALE BILEKA (since 17 January 1992); Vice Prime Minister Anatolio NDONG MBA (since November 1993);

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police
House of Peoples Representatives: (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo) elections last held 21 November 1993; seats - (82 total) PDGE 72, various opposition parties 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John E. BENNETT
From the us chancery: (temporary) 57 Magnolia Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10,553
From the us telephone: [240] (9) 2,185, 2,406, 2,507
From the us fax: (914) 667-6,838
From the us embassy: Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 597, Malabo
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: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for about half of GDP and nearly all exports. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. A number of AID programs sponsored by the World Bank and the international donor community have failed to revitalize export agriculture. There is little industry; businesses for the most part are owned by government officials and their family members. 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 fields will provide a greater share of exports by 1995.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA

Real gdp per capita: $700 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for almost 50% of GDP, cash crops - timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops - rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock

Industries: fishing, sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: -6.5% (1992 est.), accounts for 5% of GDP

Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 66%
By occupation services: 23%
By occupation industry: 11% (1980)
By occupation note: labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population of working age (1985)

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:$32.5 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

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: $52.8 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: coffee, timber, cocoa beans
Partners: Spain 55.2%, Nigeria 11.4%, Cameroon 9.1% (1992)

Imports: $63.6 million (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
Partners: Cameroon 23.1%, Spain 21.8%, France 14.1%, US 4.3%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $260 million (1992 est)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 273,16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948


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Electricity
Capacity: 23,000 kW
Production: 60 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 160 kWh (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,412 GRT/6,699 DWT, cargo 1, passenger-cargo 1

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