Equatorial Guinea
Republic of Equatorial Guinea conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial former: Spanish Guinea
republicIndependence 12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Equatorial Guinea as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 111 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
18 fieldsLand use
arable land: 5% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 46% other: 41% (1993 est.)
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
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(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.)
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.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 53.95 years male: 51.89 years female: 56.07 years (2001 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
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.5% male: 89.6% female: 68.1% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic; 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)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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
Administrative divisions
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
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
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]
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
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
The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years.
31 fieldsElectricity
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.
Budget
revenues: $47 million expenditures: $43 million, including capital expenditures of $7 million (1996 est.)
Agriculture - products
- coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts;
- livestock;
- timber
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
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant 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.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Equatorial Guinea.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/equatorial-guinea/2001.