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; it is one of the smallest countries in Africa consisting of a mainland territory and five inhabited islands. The capital of Malabo is located on the island of Bioko, approximately 25 km from the Cameroonian coastline in the Gulf of Guinea. Between 1968 and 1979, autocratic President Francisco MACIAS NGUEMA virtually destroyed all of the country's political, economic, and social institutions before being deposed by his nephew Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO in a violent coup. President OBIANG has ruled since October 1979 and has been elected several times, most recently in 2016. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, presidential and legislative elections since 1996 have been considered flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has placed legal and bureaucratic barriers that hinder political opposition. Equatorial Guinea experienced rapid economic growth in the early years of the 21st century due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves in 1996. Production peaked in late 2004 and has slowly declined since, although aggressive searches for new oilfields continue. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in massive increases in government revenue in past years, generally lower global oil prices since 2014 and depreciating oil fields have placed significant strain on the state budget. While oil revenues have mainly been used for the development of infrastructure, corruption has hindered socio-economic development and there have been limited improvements in the population's living standards. Equatorial Guinea continues to seek to diversify its economy and to increase foreign investment. The country hosts major regional and international conferences and continues to seek a greater role in international affairs, and leadership in the sub-region.


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Location: Central 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
Land: 28,051 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 528 km
Border countries: (2) Cameroon 183 km; Gabon 345 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
Highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 577 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 57.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 32.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 15.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: violent windstorms; flash floods

Geography
Note: insular and continental regions widely separated; despite its name, no part of the Equator passes through Equatorial Guinea; the mainland part of the country is located just north of the Equator


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Population
Distribution: only two large cities over 30,000 people (Bata on the mainland, and the capital Malabo on the island of Bioko); small communities are scattered throughout the mainland and the five inhabited islands : 1,679,172 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 3.5% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 44% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
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 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official) 67.6%, other (includes Fang, Bubi, Portuguese (official), French (official), Portuguese-based Creoles spoken in Ano Bom) 32.4% (1994 est.)
Major language samples:

Religions: Roman Catholic 88%, Protestant 5%, Muslim 2%, other 5% (animist, Baha'i, Jewish) (2015 est.)

Demographic profile: Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest and least populated countries in continental Africa and is the only independent African country where Spanish is an official language. Despite a boom in oil production in the 1990s, authoritarianism, corruption, and resource mismanagement have concentrated the benefits among a small elite. These practices have perpetuated income inequality and unbalanced development, such as low public spending on education and health care. Unemployment remains problematic because the oil-dominated economy employs a small labor force dependent on skilled foreign workers. The agricultural sector, Equatorial Guinea’s main employer, continues to deteriorate because of a lack of investment and the migration of rural workers to urban areas. About three-quarters of the population lives below the poverty line.

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.73% (male 164,417/female 159,400)
15-24 years: 19.94% (male 84,820/female 81,880)
25-54 years: 32.72% (male 137,632/female 135,973)
55-64 years: 4.69% (male 17,252/female 22,006)
65 years and over: 3.92% (male 13,464/female 19,334) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 72.2
Youth dependency ratio: 66.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.4
Potential support ratio: 18.5 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.3 years
Male: 19.9 years
Female: 20.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.5% (2022 est.)

Birth rate: 29.95 births/1000 population (2022 est.)

Death rate: 8.95 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.96 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 est.)

Population distribution: only two large cities over 30,000 people (Bata on the mainland, and the capital Malabo on the island of Bioko); small communities are scattered throughout the mainland and the five inhabited islands

Urbanization
Urban population: 74.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.62% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 297,000 MALABO (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation (forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and grazing); desertification; water pollution (tap water is non-potable); wildlife preservation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 45.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 5.65 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 11.21 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.21 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.21 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.15 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 301 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 78.33 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 84.23 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 72.25 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.7 years
Male: 61.44 years
Female: 66.03 years (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved:
Unimproved:

Current health expenditure: 3.1% of GDP (2019)

Physicians density: 0.4 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.9% (2021 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Animalcontactdiseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 6.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 1.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.6% (2011)

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.3%
Male: 97.4%
Female: 93% (2015)

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 (Spanish)/ Republique de Guinee Equatoriale (French)
Local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial (Spanish)/ Guinee Equatoriale (French)
Former: Spanish Guinea
Etymology: the country is named for the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; the "equatorial" refers to the fact that the country lies just north of the Equator

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Malabo; note - Malabo is on the island of Bioko; in 2017, some governmental offices began to move to a new capital of Ciudad de la Paz (formerly referred to as Oyala) on the mainland near Djibloho, but a lack of funds has halted progress on construction 
Geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after King MALABO (Malabo Lopelo Melaka) (1837-1937), the last king of the Bubi, the ethnic group indigenous to the island of Bioko; the name of the new capital, Ciudad de la Paz, translates to "City of Peace" in Spanish

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Djibloho, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution
History: previous 1968, 1973, 1982; approved by referendum 17 November 1991
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by three fourths of the membership in either house of the National Assembly; passage requires three-fourths majority vote by both houses of the Assembly and approval in a referendum if requested by the president; amended several times, last in 2012

Legal system: mixed system of civil and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Equatorial Guinea
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup); Vice President Teodoro Nguema OBIANG Mangue (since 2012)
Head of government: Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Eyegue OBAMA Asue (since 23 June 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Clemente Engonga NGUEMA Onguene (since 23 June 2016); Second Deputy Prime Minister Angel MESIE Mibuy (since 5 February 2018); Third Deputy Prime Minister Alfonso Nsue MOKUY (since 23 June 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and overseen by the prime minister
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 April 2016 (next to be held in 2023); 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 (PDGE) 93.5%, other 6.5% (2016)

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral National Assembly or Asemblea Nacional consists of:
Senate or Senado (70 seats statutory, 72 seats for current term; 55 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote, 15 appointed by the president, and 2 ex-officio)
Chamber of Deputies or Camara de los Diputados (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 12 November 2017 (next to be held in 2022/2023)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 12 November 2017 (next to be held in 2022/2023)
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice - who is also chief of state - and 9 judges organized into civil, criminal, commercial, labor, administrative, and customary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 4 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president, 2 of whom are nominated by the Chamber of Deputies; note - judges subject to dismissal by the president at any time
Subordinate courts: Court of Guarantees; military courts; Courts of Appeal; first instance tribunals; district and county tribunals

Political parties and leaders: Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Andres ESONO ONDO]
Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO]
Juntos Podemos (coalition includes CPDS, FDR, UDC)
National Congress of Equatorial Guinea [Agustin MASOKO ABEGUE]
National Democratic Party [Benedicto OBIANG MANGUE]
National Union for Democracy [Thomas MBA MONABANG]
Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Carmelo MBA BACALE]
Popular Union or UP [Daniel MARTINEZ AYECABA]
Center Right Union or UCD [Avelino MOCACHE MEHENGA]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP, FAO, Francophonie, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, 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 Miguel Ntutumu EVUNA Andeme (since 23 February 2015)
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
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David R. GILMOUR (since 24 May 2022)
From the us embassy: Malabo II Highway (between the Headquarters of Sonagas and the offices of the United Nations), Malabo
From the us mailing address: 2,320 Malabo Place, Washington, DC 20,521-2,520
From the us telephone: [240] 333 09-57-41
From the us email address and website:

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 colors: green, white, red, blue

National anthem
Name: "Caminemos pisando la senda" (Let Us Tread the Path)
Lyrics and music: Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed)
Note: adopted 1968

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 50% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 21.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 10.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 56.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -39% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.5% (2017 est.)
Industry: 54.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 42.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sweet potatoes, cassava, roots/tubers nes, plantains, oil palm fruit, bananas, coconuts, coffee, cocoa, eggs

Industries: petroleum, natural gas, sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: -6.9% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 195,200 (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 44% (2011 est.)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.114 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $2.523 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-3.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 16.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 1.52% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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:
Partners: China 34%, India 19%, Spain 11%, United States 7% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, industrial alcohols, lumber, veneer sheeting (2019)

Imports:
Partners: United States 22%, Spain 19%, China 12%, United Kingdom 6%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)
Commodities: gas turbines, beer, ships, industrial machinery, excavation machinery (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 67% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 75% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 45% (2019)
Installed generating capacity: 349,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 1,002,960,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 183 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 89.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 142,600 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 22,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 184,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 1.1 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 5,094 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 4,569,369,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 1,080,003,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 3,568,030,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 139.007 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 4.528 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 2.409 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 2.119 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 57.596 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 11,000 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 645,000 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 46 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: the state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station, 1 private TV station owned by the president's eldest son (who is the Vice President), 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 generally accessible (2019)

Internet
Country code: .gq
Users total: 352,555 (2019 est.)
Users percent of population: 26% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Equatorial Guinea Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Equatorial Guinea - Transportation 2022