Legend:
Definition of Term
 Arranged
by Countries Field Listing
| Background: |
Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial
Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish
rule. The tiny country, one of the smallest on the African continent,
has been ruled by President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO since he seized
power in a coup in 1979. 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. |
| Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon
and Gabon |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
2 00 N, 10 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Africa |
| Area: |
total: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 539 km
border countries: 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
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m |
| Natural
resources: |
oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese,
uranium |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
NA sq km |
| Natural
hazards: |
violent windstorms, flash floods |
| Environment
- current issues: |
tap water is not potable; deforestation |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
| Geography
- note: |
insular and continental regions rather widely separated
|
| Population: |
498,144 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 106,061; female 105,071)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 128,489; female 139,732)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,385; female 10,406) (2002
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.45% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.33 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
12.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
90.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 54.35 years
female: 56.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 52.26 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.81 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.51% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
1,100 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
120 (1999 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 |
| Religions: |
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
|
| Languages: |
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi,
Ibo |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.5%
male: 89.6%
female: 68.1% (1995 est.)
|
| Country
name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
local long form: Republica de 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)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA
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
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
head of government: Prime Minister Candido Muatetema RIVAS
(since 26 February 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO
NDONG (since NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio
Elo NDONG NZE FUMU (since NA January 1998) |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes
del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDGE 80%,
UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1
note: opposition parties have refused to take up their
seats in the House to protest widespread irregularities in the
1999 legislative elections |
| 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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (applicant) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
FAX: [1] (202) 528-5252
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES;
note - 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. Boosts in production
and higher world oil prices stimulated growth in 2002, with oil
accounting for 90% of increased exports. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $1.04 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 60%
services: 20% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (2001 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| Unemployment
rate: |
30% (1998 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $158 million, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7.4% (1994 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
22 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 91%
hydro: 9%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
20.46 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil
nuts; livestock; timber |
| Exports: |
$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum, timber, cocoa |
| Exports
- partners: |
China 24%, Japan 7%, US 7%, South Korea 5% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$736 million f.o.b. (2001) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
petroleum sector equipment, manufactured goods and equipment |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 60%, France 12%, Spain 8%, Italy 6% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$225 million (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$33.8 million (1995) (1995) |
| Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Currency
code: |
XAF |
| Exchange
rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79
(January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95
(1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is
pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 January - 31 December
|
| Railways: |
total: 0 km |
| Highways: |
total: 2,880 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 2,880 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bata, Luba, Malabo |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,413
GRT/16,251 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
1 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
3 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
|
| Disputes
- international: |
tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone dispute with Cameroon
and Nigeria is currently before the ICJ; maritime boundary dispute
with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco
Bay | |
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