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| Equatorial Guinea |

Introduction | Equatorial Guinea

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 for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle, then President Francisco MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea also 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, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.

Geography | Equatorial Guinea

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 land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 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: | 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 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 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | insular and continental regions widely separated

People | Equatorial Guinea

Population: | 540,109 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989) 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 18.8 years male: 18.2 years female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.05% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.54 years male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 5,900 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - 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 (2005)
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: 85.7% male: 93.3% female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Government | Equatorial Guinea

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:

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 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
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), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea
embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 220 15 00
FAX: [237] 220 16 20

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 | Equatorial Guinea

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 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 remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $25.69 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $7.644 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 18.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $50,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2.4% industry: 95.5% services: 2.2% (2005 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%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 46.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $1.973 billion expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 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.)
Electricity - production: | 29.43 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 94.3% hydro: 5.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 27.37 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 420,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1,200 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves: | 563.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: | 1.27 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 1.27 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance: | $1.364 billion (2005 est.)
Exports: | $6.727 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners: | US 29.3%, China 22.8%, Spain 16%, Taiwan 14.9%, Canada 6.8% (2004)
Imports: | $1.864 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - 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: | $1.078 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $248 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA
Currency (code): | 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 - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Equatorial Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use: | 9,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 55,500 (2004)
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)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Radios: | 180,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2002)
Televisions: | 4,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .gq
Internet hosts: | 18 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002)
Internet users: | 5,000 (2005)

Transportation | Equatorial Guinea

Airports: | 4 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2005)
Pipelines: | condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004)
Roadways: | total: 2,880 km (1999)
Merchant marine: | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,409 GRT/5,000 DWT by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Malabo

Military | Equatorial Guinea

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 106,571 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 66,379 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $152.2 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Equatorial Guinea

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

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006