Equatorial Guinea (2006) | Coral Sea Islands (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber | - |
Airports | 4 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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Area | total: 28,051 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
less than 3 sq km land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 1 million sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | NA |
Background | 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. | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on Willis Island. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. |
Birth rate | 35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $1.973 billion
expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
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Capital | name: Malabo
geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical; always hot, humid | tropical |
Coastline | 296 km | 3,095 km |
Constitution | approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 | - |
Country name | 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 |
conventional long form:
Coral Sea Islands Territory conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
Death rate | 15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $353 million (2005 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea
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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | 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, imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $33.8 million $NA | - |
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 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. 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. Growth remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg. | no economic activity |
Electricity - consumption | 27.37 million kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 29.43 million kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
Environment - current issues | tap water is not potable; deforestation | no permanent fresh water resources |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Ethnic groups | Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish | - |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | - |
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 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 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 |
administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa | - |
Exports - partners | US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
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) | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 90.6% services: 6.2% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 18.6% (2005 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 2 00 N, 10 00 E | 18 00 S, 152 00 E |
Geography - note | insular and continental regions widely separated | important nesting area for birds and turtles |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | petroleum sector equipment, other equipment | - |
Imports - partners | US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005) | - |
Independence | 12 October 1968 (from Spain) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | 30% (2002 est.) | - |
Industries | petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5% (2005 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, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer) | - |
Irrigated land | NA | 0 sq km (1993) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Tribunal | - |
Labor force | NA | - |
Land boundaries | total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) |
Languages | Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo | - |
Legal system | partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply |
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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 49.54 years
male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7% male: 93.3% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
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Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force (2005) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $152.2 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.1% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 12 October (1968) | - |
Nationality | noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean |
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Natural hazards | violent windstorms, flash floods | occasional tropical cyclones |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); 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 | NA | - |
Population | 540,109 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 2.05% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002) | - |
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: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal adult | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 96,900 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | - |
Terrain | coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) |
Total fertility rate | 4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 30% (1998 est.) | - |
Waterways | - | none |