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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Composed of a mainland
portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by
ruthless leaders who have badly mismanaged the economy since
independence from 190 years of Spanish rule in 1968. Although nominally
a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 presidential and 1999
legislative elections were widely seen as being flawed. |
| Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the
Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
2 00 N, 10 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 28,051 sq
km
land: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than
Maryland |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 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: Pico Basile 3,008 m |
| Natural
resources: |
oil, petroleum, timber, 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.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
violent windstorms, flash
floods |
| Environment
- current issues: |
tap water is not ......potable;
desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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: |
insular and continental
regions rather widely separated |
| Population: |
486,060 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.56% (male 103,909; female 102,946)
15-64 years: 53.68% (male 124,808; female 136,088)
65 years and over: 3.76% (male 8,178; female 10,131) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.46% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.72 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
13.11 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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 (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
92.9 deaths/1,000 live births
(2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
53.95 years
male: 51.89 years
female: 56.07 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.88 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.51% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
1,100 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
120 (1999 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.) |
| 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 |
| 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 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)
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); prime minister and vice prime ministers appointed by the
president
election results: President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO
reelected with 98% of popular vote in elections marred by widespread
fraud |
| Legislative
branch: |
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 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: |
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, mayor of Malabo]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI
[Daniel OYONO] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC,
CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (applicant) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Teodoro BIYOGO NSUEA
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
FAX: [1] (202) 528-5252 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador John M. YATES; note - 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; the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate
Agency in Malabo |
| 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
- 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 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. Boosts in production and high world oil prices
stimulated growth in 2000, with oil accounting for 90% of greatly
increased exports. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$960 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
12% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$2,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 60%
services: 20% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
30% (1998 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $47
million
expenditures: $43 million, including capital expenditures
of $7 million (1996 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum, fishing,
sawmilling, natural gas |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7.4% (1994 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
21 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
85.71%
hydro: 14.29%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
19.5 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams,
cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber |
| Exports: |
$860 million (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum, timber, cocoa |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 62%, Spain 17%, China 9%,
France 3%, Japan 3%, (1997) |
| Imports: |
$300 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
manufactured goods and
equipment |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 35%, France 15%, Spain
10%, Cameroon 10%, UK 6% (1997) |
| Debt
- external: |
$290 million (1999 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$33.8 million (1995) |
| Currency: |
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 - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98
(2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note
- from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of
655.957 XAF per euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31 March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
4,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone
system: |
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: |
AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 4
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
4,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gq |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 2,880 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 2,880 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bata, Luba, Malabo |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 12 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,035 GRT/27,927 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 7, combination bulk 1,
passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid
Intervention Force, National Police |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
108,973 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
55,347 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$3 million (FY97/98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.6% (FY97/98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
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 |
......
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