Equatorial Guinea

Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cameroon and Gabon

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 28,050 sq km
land area: 28,050 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries: total 539 km, Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline: 296 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Climate: tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Natural resources: timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 51%
other: 33%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: tap water is not potable; desertification
natural hazards: violent windstorms
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated

People

Population: 420,293 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (female 90,404; male 90,997)
15-64 years: 53% (female 117,124; male 105,724)
65 years and over: 4% (female 8,969; male 7,075) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.59% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 40.22 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 14.36 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 100.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.56 years
male: 50.39 years
female: 54.79 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.23 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic divisions: 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), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
total population: 62%
male: 77%
female: 48%

Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980)
note: labor shortages on plantations

Government

Names:
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

Digraph: EK

Type: republic in transition to multiparty democracy

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: new constitution 17 November 1991

Legal system: partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979); election last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results - President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was reelected without opposition
head of government: Prime Minister Silvestre SIALE BILEKA (since 17 January 1992); Vice Prime Minister Anatolio NDONG MBA (since November 1993)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of People's Representatives: (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo) elections last held 21 November 1993; seats - (82 total) PDGE 72, various opposition parties 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, party leader
opposition parties: Progressive Democratic Alliance (ADP), Antonio-Ebang Mbele Abang, president; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea (APGE),Casiano Masi Edu, leader; Liberal Democratic Convention (CLD), Alfonso Nsue MOKUY, president; Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS),Santiago Obama Ndong, president; Social Democratic and Popular Convergence (CSDP), Secundino Oyono Agueng Ada, general secretary; Party of the Social Democratic Coalition (PCSD), Buenaventura Moswi M'Asumu, general coordinater; Liberal Party (PL), leaders unknown; Party of Progress (PP), Severo MOTO Nsa, president; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Benjamin-Gabriel Balingha Balinga Alene, general secretary; Socialist Party of Equatorial Guinea (PSGE), Tomas MICHEBE Fernandez, general secretary; National Democratic Union (UDENA), Jose MECHEBA Ikaka, president; Democratic Social Union (UDS), Jesus Nze Obama Avomo, general secretary; Popular Union (UP), Juan Bitui, president

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Teodoro Biyogo NSUE
chancery: (temporary) 57 Magnolia Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10553
telephone: [1] (914) 738-9584, 667-6913
FAX: [1] (914) 667-6838

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Joseph P. O'NEILL
embassy: Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo
mailing address: P.O. Box 597, Malabo
telephone: [240] (9) 21-85, 24-06, 25-07
FAX: [240] (9) 21-64

Flag: 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

Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for about half of GDP and nearly all exports. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the international donor community have failed to revitalize export agriculture. Businesses for the most part are owned by government officials and their family members. Commerce accounts for about 8% of GDP and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 38%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful. Increased production from recently discovered natural gas fields will provide a greater share of exports in 1995.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $280 million (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 7.3% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $700 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $32.5 million
expenditures: $35.9 million, including capital expenditures of $3 million (1992 est.)

Exports: $56 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee, timber, cocoa beans
partners: Spain 55.2%, Nigeria 11.4%, Cameroon 9.1% (1992)

Imports: $62 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
partners: Cameroon 23.1%, Spain 21.8%, France 14.1%, US 4.3% (1992)

External debt: $260 million (1992 est)

Industrial production: growth rate 11.3% (1993 est.)

Electricity:
capacity: 23,000 kW
production: 20 million kWh
consumption per capita: 50 kWh (1993)

Industries: fishing, sawmilling

Agriculture: accounts for almost 50% of GDP, cash crops - timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops - rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-89), $14 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $130 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $55 million

Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 273,16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)
note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 0 km

Highways:
total: 2,760 km (2,460 km on Rio Muni and 300 km on Bioko)
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports: Bata, Luba, Malabo

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,412 GRT/6,699 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger-cargo 1

Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 2,000 telephones; poor system with adequate government services
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

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

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 89,752; males fit for military service 45,611 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $2.5 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)