Map of Equatorial Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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 Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991 the 1996 2002 and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 2004 and 2008 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years improvements in the population's living standards have been slow to develop.


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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: 28,051 km²
Rank: 146
Land: 28,051 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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas timber gold bauxite diamonds tantalum sand and gravel clay

Land use
Arable land: 4.63%
Permanent crops: 3.57%
Other: 91.8% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 26 km³ (2001)

Natural hazards: violent windstorms; flash floods
Volcanism: Santa Isabel (elev. 3,007 m) which last erupted in 1923 is the country's only historically active volcano; Santa Isabel along with two dormant volcanoes forms Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea

Geography
Note: insular and continental regions widely separated


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Population: 668,225 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 166
Growth rate: 2.641% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 23
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups: Fang 85.7% Bubi 6.5% Mdowe 3.6% Annobon 1.6% Bujeba 1.1% other 1.4% (1994 census)

Languages: Spanish (official) 67.6% other (includes French (official) Fang Bubi) 32.4% (1994 census)

Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic pagan practices

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.5%
15-64 years: 54.4% (male 179,141/female 184,358)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 11,880/female 15,606) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.1 years
Male: 18.5 years
Female: 19.7 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.641% (2011 est.)
Rank: 23

Birth rate: 35.43 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 69

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 85

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 40% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tap water is not potable; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 77.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 16
Male: 78.37 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 76.19 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.37 years
Rank: 180
Male: 61.4 years
Female: 63.36 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.91 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 22

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.3 physicians/1000 population (2004)
Rank: 136

Hospital bed density: 1.92 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 102

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 15
People living with hivaids: 20,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 76
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 76

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.6% (2004)
Rank: 65

Education expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2003)
Rank: 163

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 87%
Male: 93.4%
Female: 80.5% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 7 years (2002)

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/Republique de Guinee equatoriale
Local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale
Former: Spanish Guinea

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Malabo
Geographic coordinates: 3 45 N 8 47 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995

Legal system: mixed system of civil and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Brig. Gen. Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ignacio MILAM Tang (since 8 July 2008)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in 2016); 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 95.8% Placido Mico ABOGO 3.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 4 May 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 89 EC 10 CPDS 1
Note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders: Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MICO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Electoral Coalition or EC; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union or UP [Daniel MARTINEZ Ayecaba]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU BDEAC CEMAC CPLP (associate) FAO FZ G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ITSO ITU MIGA NAM OAS (observer) OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WHO WIPO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
In the us chancery: 2020 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 518-5,700
In the us fax: [1] (202) 518-5,252
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alberto M. FERNANDEZ
From the us embassy: KM-3 Carreterade de Aeropuerto (El Paraiso) Apartado 95 Malabo note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde Cameroon
From the us mailing address: B.P. 817 Yaounde Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde US Department of State Washington DC 20,521-2,520
From the us telephone: [237] 2,220-1500
From the us fax: [237] 2,220-1572

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); green symbolizes the jungle and natural resources blue represents the sea that connects the mainland to the islands white stands for peace and red recalls the fight for independence

National symbols: silk cotton tree

National anthem
Name: 'Caminemos pisando la senda'
Lyricsmusic: Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed)
Note: adopted 1968

National heritage


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Economy overview: The discovery and exploitation of large oil and gas reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth but fluctuating oil prices have produced huge swings in GDP growth in recent years. Forestry and farming are also minor components of GDP. Subsistence farming is the dominate form of livelihood. 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. The government has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and misuse of oil revenues; however in 2010 under Equatorial Guinea's candidacy in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative the government published oil revenue figures for the first time. Undeveloped natural resources include gold zinc diamonds columbite-tantalite and other base metals. Growth remained strong in 2008 when oil production peaked but slowed in 2009-10 as the price of oil and the production level fell.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 116
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 195

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 29
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars; population figures are uncertain for Equatorial Guinea; these per capita income figures are based on a estimated population of less than 700,000; some estimates put the figure as high as 1.2 million people; if true the per capita GDP figures would be significantly lower

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.2%
Industry: 93.9%
Services: 3.8% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum natural gas sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (2010 est.)
Rank: 135

Labor force: 195,200 (2007)
Rank: 171

Unemployment rate: 22.3% (2009 est.)
Rank: 171

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $6.598 billion
Expenditures: $6.851 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 70

Taxes and other revenues: 45.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 24

Public debt: 5.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 131

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 191

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 86

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 53

Stock of narrow money: $1.342 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 121

Stock of broad money: $1.527 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 144

Stock of domestic credit: $1.534 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 179

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$1.95 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 147

Exports: $8.495 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 87
Commodities: petroleum products timber
Partners: US 24.3% Italy 10.3% Spain 10.1% South Korea 8.3% Canada 7.6% China 6.3% Netherlands 6.1% Brazil 5.9% (2010)

Imports: $5.258 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 108
Commodities: petroleum sector equipment other equipment construction materials vehicles
Partners: China 21.4% Spain 13.8% US 12.7% France 10.9% Cote dIvoire 6.7% UK 6.3% Italy 5.2% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.252 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 110

Debt external: $757.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 157

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 92 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 195
Consumption: 85.56 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 195
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 6.27 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 1.55 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 85
Exports: 4.72 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 28
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 115
Proven reserves: 36.81 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 68

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 13,500 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 199
Mobile cellular: 399,300 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 169

Telephone system
General assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and good mobile coverage
Domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2009 stood at about 70 percent of the population
International: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)

Broadcast media: state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station 1 state-owned radio station and 1 private radio station owned by the president's eldest son; satellite TV service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible (2007)

Internet
Country code: .gq
Hosts: 9 (2010)
Hosts rank: 222
Users: 14,400 (2009)
Users rank: 199

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.1% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 171

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; women hold only administrative positions in the Coast Guard (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 7 (2010)
Rank: 167
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 37 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,880 km
Rank: 168

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 4
Rank: 131
By type: cargo 1 chemical tanker 1 petroleum tanker 2
Foreign owned: 1 (Norway 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Bata Luba Malabo (2010)


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Disputes international: 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 and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delay final delimitation; UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs