Equatorial Guinea

Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. The tiny country, one of the smallest on the African continent, has been ruled by President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO since he seized power in a coup in 1979. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely seen as being flawed.

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

0-14 years:

42.4% (male 106,061; female 105,071)

15-64 years:

53.8% (male 128,489; female 139,732)

65 years and over:

3.8% (male 8,385; female 10,406) (2002 est.)

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 (2002 est.)

noun:

Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)

adjective:

Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

conventional long form:

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

conventional short form:

Equatorial Guinea

local short form:

Guinea Ecuatorial

local long form:

Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial

former:

Spanish Guinea

chief of state:

President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
• election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA 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

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

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)

• 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];
• Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE

chancery:

2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

FAX:

[1] (202) 528-5252

telephone:

[1] (202) 518-5700

chief of mission:

• Ambassador George McDade STAPLES;
• note - the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995);
• the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea;
• the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo

• 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)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts;
• livestock;
• timber

• Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997);
• note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

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)

total:

2,880 km

paved:

0 km

unpaved:

2,880 km (1996)

• 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