Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO has ruled the tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands and one of the smallest countries on the African continent, 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:

42.2% (male 108,179; female 107,164)

15-64 years:

54% (male 132,342; female 143,509)

65 years and over:

3.8% (male 8,576; female 10,703) (2003 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:

0.8 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2003 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 Teodoro Biyogo NSUE

chancery:

2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

FAX:

[1] (202) 518-5252

telephone:

[1] (202) 518-5700

• 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

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)

• in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but states have not yet agreed to abide by the decision;
• creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Gabon is hampered by dispute over small islets on Mbane/Mbagne bank, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s