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The World Factbook 2002

         
  Equatorial Guinea  
Flag of Equatorial Guinea
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


Map of Equatorial Guinea

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   Introduction    Equatorial Guinea
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea, which gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule, 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 presidential and 1999 legislative elections were widely seen as being flawed.
   Geography    Equatorial Guinea
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
2 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
296 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 3%
other: 92% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
violent windstorms, flash floods
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
insular and continental regions rather widely separated
   People    Equatorial Guinea
Population:
Definition Field Listing
498,144 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
2.45% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
37.33 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
12.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field 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: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing
90.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 54.35 years
female: 56.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 52.26 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
4.81 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.51% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
1,100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
120 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.5%
male: 89.6%
female: 68.1% (1995 est.)
   Government    Equatorial Guinea
Country name:
Definition Field 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:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Malabo
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
Definition Field 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 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected with 98% of the popular vote in 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:
Definition Field 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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field 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:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Teodoro BIYOGO NSUE
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
FAX: [1] (202) 528-5252
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field 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
Economy - overview:
Definition Field 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. Boosts in production and higher world oil prices stimulated growth in 2002, with oil accounting for 90% of increased exports.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $1.04 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 20%
industry: 60%
services: 20% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing
6% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing
30% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $158 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
7.4% (1994 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing
22 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 90.91%
hydro: 9.09%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
20.46 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
China 24%, Japan 7%, US 7%, South Korea 5% (1999)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$736 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum sector equipment, manufactured goods and equipment
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 60%, France 12%, Spain 8%, Italy 6% (1999)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$225 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$33.8 million (1995)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
XAF
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
1 January - 31 December
   Communications    Equatorial Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
4,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Telephone system:
Definition Field 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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
180,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2002)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
4,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gq
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
600 (2000)
   Transportation    Equatorial Guinea
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2,880 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 2,880 km (1996)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Bata, Luba, Malabo
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
   Military    Equatorial Guinea
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 112,664 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 57,194 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing
$27.5 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing
2.5% (FY01)
   Transnational Issues    Equatorial Guinea
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


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