Introduction

   Equatorial Guinea

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Background:

DefinitionField Listing
Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO has ruled the tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands and one of the smallest countries on the African continent, 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.

 

  

Geography

   Equatorial Guinea

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Location:

DefinitionField Listing
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates:

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2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:

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Africa

Area:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
total: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km

Area - comparative:

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slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

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total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline:

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296 km

Maritime claims:

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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:

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tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain:

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coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes:

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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources:

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oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium, titanium, iron ore

Land use:

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arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:

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NA sq km

Natural hazards:

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violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues:

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tap water is not potable; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:

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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:

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insular and continental regions rather widely separated

 

  

People

   Equatorial Guinea

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Population:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
510,473 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:

DefinitionField Listing
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 108,179; female 107,164)
15-64 years: 54% (male 132,342; female 143,509)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,576; female 10,703) (2003 est.)

Median age:

DefinitionField Listing
total: 18.7 years
male: 18 years
female: 19.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:

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2.44% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
36.94 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:

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12.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:

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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:

DefinitionField Listing
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: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
total: 89.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 82.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 95.25 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
total population: 54.75 years
male: 52.63 years
female: 56.93 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
4.75 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
3.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
5,900 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

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370 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

DefinitionField Listing
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups:

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Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Religions:

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nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Languages:

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Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Literacy:

DefinitionField Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7%
male: 93.3%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

 

  

Government

   Equatorial Guinea

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Country name:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
republic

Capital:

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Malabo

Administrative divisions:

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

Independence:

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12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National holiday:

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Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution:

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approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995

Legal system:

DefinitionField Listing
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Suffrage:

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18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
NA

International organization participation:

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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 (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
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:

DefinitionField Listing
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

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Economy - overview:

DefinitionField Listing
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 will remain strong in 2003, led by oil.

GDP:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
20% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

DefinitionField Listing
agriculture: 20%
industry: 60%
services: 20% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:

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NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

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6% (2002 est.)

Labor force:

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NA

Unemployment rate:

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30% (1998 est.)

Budget:

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revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $158 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Industries:

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petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas

Industrial production growth rate:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
30% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
23.56 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:

DefinitionField Listing
fossil fuel: 94.3%
hydro: 5.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
21.91 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:

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0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:

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0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
181,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:

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NA (2001)

Oil - imports:

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NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
563.5 million bbl (2002 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
68.53 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products:

DefinitionField Listing
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber

Exports:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:

DefinitionField Listing
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa

Exports - partners:

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Spain 53%, China 26%, US 13%, Japan 4% (2000)

Imports:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
$562 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:

DefinitionField Listing
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment

Imports - partners:

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US 33%, UK 15%, Spain 12%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%

Debt - external:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
$248 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:

DefinitionField Listing
$33.8 million (1995)

Currency:

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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code:

DefinitionField Listing
XAF

Exchange rates:

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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999), 589.952 (1998)

Fiscal year:

DefinitionField Listing
1 January - 31 December

 

  

Communications

   Equatorial Guinea

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Telephones - main lines in use:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
6,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
300 (1998)

Telephone system:

DefinitionField Listing
general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA
international: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

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AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)

Television broadcast stations:

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1 (2002)

Internet country code:

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.gq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

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1 (2002)

Internet users:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
900 (2002)

 

  

Transportation

   Equatorial Guinea

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Railways:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
0 km

Highways:

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total: 2,880 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 2,880 km (1996)

Waterways:

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none

Ports and harbors:

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Bata, Luba, Malabo

Merchant marine:

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total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,571 GRT/9,670 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:

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3 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:

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total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

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total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

 

  

Military

   Equatorial Guinea

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Military branches:

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Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police

Military manpower - availability:

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males age 15-49: 116,496 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:

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males age 15-49: 59,110 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
$30 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

DefinitionField ListingRank Order
2.5% (FY02)

 

  

Transnational Issues

   Equatorial Guinea

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Disputes - international:

DefinitionField Listing
in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but states have not yet agreed to abide by the decision; creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Gabon is hampered by dispute over small islets on Mbane/Mbagne bank, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s