Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial GuineaRepublica de Guinea Ecuatorial

republic in transition to multiparty democracyIndependence 12 October 1968 (from Spain)

Equatorial Guinea as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMalabo

Area28,050 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between

1995

Every edition of Equatorial Guinea

Populationas each edition published it

420,293 people July 1995 est. · 368,935 in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.59% 1995 est. · 2.6% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

52.56 years 1995 est. · 51.63 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.23 children per woman 1995 est. · 5.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

100.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 118 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$700 1993 est. · $380 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.3% 1993 est. · -1% in 1993

Geography

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

14 fields

Area

28,050sq km

land area: 28,050 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Coastline

296km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

539km

total · Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Location

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

International disputes

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

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%

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

15 fields

Population

420,293

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.59% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

40.22Death

14.36Net migration

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years52.56

50.39 · 54.79

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy62%

77% · 48%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1983)

Labor force

172,000

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

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.)

Infant mortality rate

100.2 deaths/1,000 live births (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

Government

Republic in transition to multiparty democracy; President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979); Prime Minister Silvestre SIALE BILEKA (since 17 January 1992)

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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

Type

republic in transition to multiparty democracy

Administrative divisions

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Legal system

partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

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

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

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

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for about half of | GDP and nearly all exports.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$700

(1993 est.)

Real growth rate

7.3%

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

Inflation, consumer prices

1.6%

(1992 est.)

External debt

$260million

(1992 est)

Budget

Revenues

$32.5 millionExpenditures

$35.9 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $3 million

Installed generating capacity, 23,000 kW

Electricity production

20 millionElectricity consumption per capita

50 (1993)

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.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

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)

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

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 3 in all

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

2,760Railroads

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

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

Communications

3 fields

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

Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National | Police