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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) - Equatorial Guinea (2007)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) z Equatorial Guinea (2007)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)Equatorial Guinea (2007)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryEquatorial Guinea
Administrative divisions - 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Age structure - 0-14 years: 41.5% (male 114,816/female 113,688)


15-64 years: 54.8% (male 145,740/female 156,097)


65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,957/female 11,903) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products - coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Airports 1 (2007) 5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
total: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area total: 54,400 sq km


land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km


water: 54,340 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
total: 28,051 sq km


land: 28,051 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. 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 since 1979 when he seized power in a 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 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.
Birth rate - 35.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $3.546 billion


expenditures: $1.516 billion (2006 est.)
Capital - name: Malabo


geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline 698 km 296 km
Constitution - approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea


conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea


local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale


local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale


former: Spanish Guinea
Death rate - 15.01 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $229 million (2006 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON


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, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520


telephone: [237] 220 15 00


FAX: [237] 220 16 20
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) 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
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain 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 and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delay final delimitation; UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Economic aid - recipient - $NA (2005)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. 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. Government officials and their family members own most businesses. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2006, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the fourth highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg, Bermuda, and Jersey.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 26.04 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 28 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Environment - current issues NA 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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other 1.4% (1994 census)
Exchange rates - Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
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 Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held in 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
Exports - NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities - petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners - China 30.9%, US 22.3%, Spain 12.7%, Taiwan 10.6%, Portugal 6.1% (2006)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the 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)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 3.1%


industry: 92%


services: 4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 18.6% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E 2 00 N, 10 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility insular and continental regions widely separated
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports - NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities - petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners - US 37.8%, Spain 9.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.9%, France 6.1%, South Korea 6.1%, UK 5.8%, Italy 5% (2006)
Independence - 12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate - 30% (2002 est.)
Industries - petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Infant mortality rate - total: 87.15 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 93.17 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 80.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 5% (2006 est.)
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, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land 0 sq km NA
Judicial branch - Supreme Tribunal
Labor force - NA
Land boundaries 0 km total: 539 km


border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land: 4.63%


permanent crops: 3.57%


other: 91.8% (2005)
Languages - Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
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
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 49.51 years


male: 48.11 years


female: 50.95 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 85.7%


male: 93.3%


female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Map references Political Map of the World Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - National Guard (Army, with Coast Guard (Navy) and Air Wing) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.1% (2006 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Nationality - noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)


adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Natural hazards NA violent windstorms, flash floods
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006)
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
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
551,201 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 2.015% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2001)
Religions - nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.934 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.752 male(s)/female


total population: 0.957 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and good mobile coverage


domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2005 stood at about 20 percent of the population


international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 10,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 96,900 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 1 (2001)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Total fertility rate - 4.48 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 30% (1998 est.)
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