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. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991 the 1996 presidential elections were widely seen as being flawed.


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Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 28,050 km²
Land: 28,050 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 539 km
Border countries: (2) 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Malabo 3,008 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 5%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 4%
Forests and woodland: 46%
Other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: violent windstorms

Geography
Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated


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Population: 442,516 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.57% (1997 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
0-14 years: 43% (male 95,636; female 95,090)
15-64 years: 53% (male 111,801; female 123,257)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,407; female 9,325) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.57% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 39.33 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 13.67 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tap water is not potable; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 95.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.46 years
Male: 51.2 years
Female: 55.8 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.11 children born/woman (1997 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 78.5%
Male: 89.6%
Female: 68.1% (1995 est.)

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 long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
Local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
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: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979)
Head of government: Prime Minister Serafin Seriche DOUGAN (since April 1996); Vice Prime Minister Francisco Javier Ndongo MBENGONO (since April 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote to a seven-year term; election last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003)
Election results: President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected without opposition; percent of popular vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Peoples Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 21 November 1993 (next to be held November 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 68, CSD 6, UDS 5, CLD 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE
In the us chancery: Suite 405, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 393-0525
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 393-0348
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995; US relations with Equatorial Guinea are handled through the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon

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: Farming, forestry, and fishing account for about half of GDP. 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 IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of the government's gross corruption and mismanagement. 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. Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful and has contributed to Equatorial Guinea's strong growth rates in the early 1990s. The country responded favorably to the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 11.2% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1995 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 50%
Industry: 14%
Services: 36% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts, manioc; livestock; timber

Industries: fishing, sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1994 est.)

Labor force: NA

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: $27 million
Expenditures: $34.1 million, including capital expenditures of $11.2 million (1994)

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
Total value: $83.5 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: timber, petroleum, cocoa
Partners: US 34%, Japan 16%, Spain 15%, China 12%, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria

Imports
Total value: $52.3 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
Partners: Spain 51%, Cameroon 21%, France 6%, US 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $252 million (1995 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992)
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 (1995)
Production: NA kWh
Consumption per capita: NA kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 2,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: poor system with adequate government services
Domestic: NA
International: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.5 million (FY93/94)
Percent of gdp: NA%

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
With paved runways total: 3 (1996 est.)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: total:0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,997 GRT/7,105 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1996 est.)

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