Equatorial Guinea
From Higher Intellect Documents
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: 28,050 sq km
land: 28,050 sq km
water: 0 sq km
AreaŃcomparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline: 296 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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: Mount Malabo 3,008 m
Natural resources: timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold,
manganese, uranium
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: violent windstorms
EnvironmentŃcurrent issues: tap water is not potable; desertification
EnvironmentŃinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
GeographyŃnote: insular and continental regions rather widely separated
People
Population: 454,001 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 97,993; female 97,470)
15-64 years: 53% (male 114,960; female 126,453)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,597; female 9,528) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.56% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 38.9 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 13.32 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 93.45 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.93 years
male: 51.61 years
female: 56.31 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.06 children born/woman (1998 est.)
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: 78.5%
male: 89.6%
female: 68.1% (1995 est.)
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
Data code: EK
Government type: republic in transition to multiparty democracy
National capital: Malabo
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singularŃprovincia);
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; emended
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Serafin Seriche DOUGAN (since April
1996); First Vice Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Miguel OYONO (since
January 1998); Second Vice Prime Minister for Internal Affairs Demetrio Elo
NDONG NGEFUMU (since January 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote to a seven-year term; election
last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003)
election results: President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected without
opposition; percent of popular voteŃ98%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Peoples Representatives or Camara de
Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members are directly elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 November 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
election results: percent of vote by partyŃNA; seats by partyŃPDGE 68, CSDP
6, UDS 5, CLD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Brig. Gen.
(Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]
opposition parties: Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Santiago
OBAMA, president; Placido Miko ABOGO, secretary-general]; Democratic Social
Union or UDS [Camelo MODU, general secretary]; Liberal Democratic Convention
or CLD [Alfonso Nsue MIFUMU, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Santos
PASCUAL]; National Democratic Union or UDENA [Jose MECHEBA Ikaka,
president]; National Movement of the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea or
MONALIGE [Dr. Aldolfo Obrang BIKO, president]; Party of the Social
Democratic Coalition or PCSD [Buenaventura Moswi M'Asumu, general
coordinator]; Party of Progress or PP [Mocache MEINGA, interim chairman];
Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Casiano Masi Edu]; Popular
Union or UP [Juan BITUI, president]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea
or PPGE [Basilio Ava Eworo and Domingo ABUY]; Progressive Democratic
Alliance or ADP [Antonio-Ebang Mbele Abang, president]; Social Democratic
and Popular Convergence or CSDP [Secundino Oyono Agueng Ada, general
secretary]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Benjamin-Gabriel Balingha
Balinga Alene, general secretary]; Socialist Party of Equatorial Guinea or
PSGE [Tomas MICHEBE Fernandez, general secretary]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC,
ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE
chancery: Suite 405, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 393-0525
FAX: [1] (202) 393-0348
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in
Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); US relations with
Equatorial Guinea are handled through the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
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
EconomyŃoverview: The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have
contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Farming, forestry,
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 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 IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of the government's gross
corruption and mismanagement. 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. The
country responded favorably to the devaluation of the CFA franc in January
1994.
GDP: purchasing power parityŃ$660 million (1997 est.)
GDPŃreal growth rate: NA%
GDPŃper capita: purchasing power parityŃ$1,500 (1997 est.)
GDPŃcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 46%
industry: 33%
services: 21% (1995 est.)
Inflation rateŃconsumer price index: 6% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $43 million, including capital expenditures of $7 million
(1996 est.)
Industries: fishing, sawmilling
Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1994 est.)
ElectricityŃcapacity: 5,000 kW (1995)
ElectricityŃproduction: 20 million kWh (1995)
ElectricityŃconsumption per capita: 48 kWh (1995)
AgricultureŃproducts: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas,
palm oil nuts, manioc; livestock; timber
Exports:
total value: $197 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: petroleum, timber, cocoa
partners: US 34%, Japan 17%, Spain 13%, China 13%, Nigeria
Imports:
total value: $248 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
partners: Cameroon 40%, Spain 18%, France 14%, US 8%
DebtŃexternal: $254 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1Ń608.36 (January 1998), 583.67
(1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993)
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 AprilŃ31 March
Communications
Telephones: 2,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA
international: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African
and European countries; satellite earth stationŃ1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 4,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,820 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 2,820 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Bata, Luba, Malabo
Merchant marine:
total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,766 GRT/84,780 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 3 (1997 est.)
AirportsŃwith paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
AirportsŃwith unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National
Police
Military manpowerŃavailability:
males age 15-49: 98,960 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerŃfit for military service:
males: 50,308 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresŃdollar figure: $2.5 million (FY93/94)
Military expendituresŃpercent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
DisputesŃinternational: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of
disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay; maritime boundary dispute
with Nigeria because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the
Gulf of Guinea
