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This page was last updated on 19 June 2008
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| Introduction | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

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 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 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 | Top of Page

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
Total renewable water resources: | 26 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 0.11 cu km/yr (83%/16%/1%) per capita: 220 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | insular and continental regions widely separated

| People | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

Population: | 616,459 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42% (male 131,696/female 127,253) 15-64 years: 53.8% (male 162,458/female 169,445) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 11,394/female 14,213) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 18.9 years male: 18.3 years female: 19.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.732% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 37.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | NA
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 83.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 82.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 61.23 years male: 60.36 years female: 62.13 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 5.16 children born/woman (2008 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 and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
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 census)
Religions: | nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages: | Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
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 | Top of Page

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
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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) head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004) 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 15 December 2002 (next to be held in 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 4 May 2008) 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 MICO 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 [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union or UP
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, 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 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: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON 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, US 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 | Top of Page

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. Government officials and their family members own most businesses. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2007, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the fourth highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg, Bermuda, and Jersey.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $15.54 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $10.49 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 12.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $12,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2.9% industry: 92.2% services: 4.8% (2007 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): | 4.6% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 38% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $4.963 billion expenditures: $2.494 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt: | 3.7% of GDP (2007 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: | 10.1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production: | 28 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption: | 26.04 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 396,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 371,700 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: | 1,026 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves: | 563.5 million bbl (1 January 2002 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 1.247 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 1.247 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 35.31 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | $188 million (2007 est.)
Exports: | $9.915 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities: | petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners: | China 30.9%, US 22.2%, Spain 12.6%, Taiwan 10.6%, Portugal 6.1% (2006)
Imports: | $3.098 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities: | petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners: | US 37.7%, Spain 9.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.9%, France 6.1%, South Korea 6.1%, UK 5.8%, Italy 5% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | $39 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $3.837 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external: | $341 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 96,900 (2005)
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 2005 stood at about 20 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)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2001)
Internet country code: | .gq
Internet hosts: | 81 (2007)
Internet users: | 8,000 (2006)

| Transportation | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

Airports: | 5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Pipelines: | condensate 42 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 80 km; oil 54 km (2007)
Roadways: | total: 2,880 km (2000)
Merchant marine: | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals: | Bata, Malabo

| Military | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

Military branches: | National Guard (Guardia Nacional (Army), with Coast Guard (Navy) and Air Wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.) for compulsory military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 136,725 females age 16-49: 138,018 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 101,712 females age 16-49: 104,381 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.1% (2006 est.)

| Transnational Issues | Equatorial Guinea | Top of Page

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
Trafficking in persons: | current situation: Equatorial Guinea is mainly a destination country for children trafficked for forced labor, involuntary domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation from surrounding countries - primarily Benin, Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon; victims work in the agricultural and commercial sectors of Malabo and Bata, where demand is high due to a booming oil sector and a flourishing expatriate business community; children work as farmhands, street vendors, or household servants; girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - failed to demonstrate the political commitment to address its human trafficking problem; despite efforts to raise awareness of trafficking problems, in 2006 the government failed to investigate and prosecute traffickers or protect victims

This page was last updated on 19 June 2008