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 OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle then President MACIAS in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991 the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely seen as being flawed. The president controls most opposition parties through the judicious use of patronage. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years there have been few improvements in the country's living standards.

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: 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% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: violent windstorms flash floods

Geography
Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated

Population: 535,881 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 2.42% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

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

Ethnic groups: Bioko (primarily Bubi some Fernandinos) Rio Muni (primarily Fang) Europeans less than 1000 mostly Spanish

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

Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic pagan practices

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 112,326/female 111,244)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 140,568/female 151,500)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,900/female 11,343) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.83 years
Male: 18.2 years
Female: 19.46 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 36.18 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

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, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 85.13 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 91.28 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 78.8 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 49.7 years
Male: 48.01 years
Female: 51.44 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.62 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.4% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 5,900 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 370 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria (2004)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 85.7%
Male: 93.3%
Female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

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

Capital: Malabo

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

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: partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal adult

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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Miguel Abia BITEO BORICO (since 14 June 2004); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 15 June 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held December 2009); 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 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, NA 2
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 MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Teodoro Biyogo NSUE
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: the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea; the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo

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)

Economy overview: The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry farming and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. 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. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues the government has been unsuccessfully trying to agree on a 'shadow' fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. 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. Growth presumably remained strong in 2004 led by oil.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.27 billion (2002 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 20% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 95.7%
Services: 1.3% (2004 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum fishing sawmilling natural gas

Industrial production growth rate: 30% (2002 est.)

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $813.2 million
Expenditures: $375.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 January - 31 December

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.5% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-578.6 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $2.771 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: petroleum methanol timber cocoa
Partners: US 29.3% China 22.8% Spain 16% Taiwan 14.9% Canada 6.8% (2004)

Imports: $1.167 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: petroleum sector equipment other equipment
Partners: US 26.8% Cote d'Ivoire 21.4% Spain 13.6% France 8.8% UK 7.8% Italy 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $235.2 million (2004 est.)

Debt external: $248 million (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003) 696.99 (2002) 733.04 (2001) 711.98 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 26.69 million kWh (2002)
Consumption: 24.82 million kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Natural gas
Production: 20 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 20 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 68.53 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 9,600 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 41,500 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: poor system with adequate government services
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .gq
Hosts: 3 (2004)
Users: 1800 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $126.2 million (2004)
Percent of gdp: 2.5% (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Airports: 4 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,556 GRT/9,704 DWT
By type: cargo 1 (2005)

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 imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay