Equatorial Guinea

§1. Equatorial Guinea Introduction

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.

§2. Equatorial Guinea Geography

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 km²
  land: 28,051 km²
  water: 0 km²

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 km²

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

§3. Equatorial Guinea People

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.)

§4. Equatorial Guinea Government

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)

§5. Equatorial Guinea Economy

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 - 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 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  1.27 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  36.81 billion m³ (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

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

§6. Equatorial Guinea Communications

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)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2002)

Internet country code:
  .gq

Internet hosts:
  18 (2005)

Internet users:
  5,000 (2005)

§7. Equatorial Guinea Transportation

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

§8. Equatorial Guinea Military

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.)

§9. Equatorial Guinea Transnational Issues

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


<Factbook 2006>
