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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $47 million expenditures: $43 million, including capital expenditures of $7 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$254 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Farming, forestry, 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.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

5,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

48 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

20 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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

Exports [time series]

total value: $197 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum, timber, cocoa partners: US 34%, Japan 17%, Spain 13%, China 13%, Nigeria

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$660 million (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 46% industry: 33% services: 21% (1995 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$1,500 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

Imports [time series]

total value: $248 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery partners: Cameroon 40%, Spain 18%, France 14%, US 8%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7.4% (1994 est.)

Industries [time series]

fishing, sawmilling

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

6% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

2,000 (1987 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

4,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 28,050 sq km land: 28,050 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate [time series]

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline [time series]

296 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Malabo 3,008 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

tap water is not potable; desertification

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

2 00 N, 10 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

insular and continental regions rather widely separated

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 5% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 46% other: 41% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

violent windstorms

Natural resources [time series]

timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium

Terrain [time series]

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; emended January 1995

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE chancery: Suite 405, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 393-0525

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979) head of government: Prime Minister Serafin Seriche DOUGAN (since April 1996); First Vice Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Miguel OYONO (since January 1998); Second Vice Prime Minister for Internal Affairs Demetrio Elo NDONG NGEFUMU (since 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) election results: President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected without opposition; percent of popular vote-98%

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 393-0348

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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)

Government type [time series]

republic in transition to multiparty democracy

Independence [time series]

12 October 1968 (from Spain)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Tribunal

Legal system [time series]

partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral House of Peoples Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 November 1993 (next to be held NA 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDGE 68, CSDP 6, UDS 5, CLD 1

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Malabo

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

ruling party: Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] opposition parties: Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Santiago OBAMA, president; Placido Miko ABOGO, secretary-general]; Democratic Social Union or UDS [Camelo MODU, general secretary]; Liberal Democratic Convention or CLD [Alfonso Nsue MIFUMU, president]; Liberal Party or PL [Santos PASCUAL]; National Democratic Union or UDENA [Jose MECHEBA Ikaka, president]; National Movement of the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea or MONALIGE [Dr. Aldolfo Obrang BIKO, president]; Party of the Social Democratic Coalition or PCSD [Buenaventura Moswi M'Asumu, general coordinator]; Party of Progress or PP [Mocache MEINGA, interim chairman]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Casiano Masi Edu]; Popular Union or UP [Juan BITUI, president]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Basilio Ava Eworo and Domingo ABUY]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Antonio-Ebang Mbele Abang, president]; Social Democratic and Popular Convergence or CSDP [Secundino Oyono Agueng Ada, general secretary]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Benjamin-Gabriel Balingha Balinga Alene, general secretary]; Socialist Party of Equatorial Guinea or PSGE [Tomas MICHEBE Fernandez, general secretary]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal adult

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$2.5 million (FY93/94)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 98,960 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 50,308 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43% (male 97,993; female 97,470) 15-64 years: 53% (male 114,960; female 126,453) 65 years and over: 4% (male 7,597; female 9,528) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

38.9 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.32 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Infant mortality rate [time series]

93.45 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 53.93 years male: 51.61 years female: 56.31 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.5% male: 89.6% female: 68.1% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

454,001 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.56% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.06 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay; maritime boundary dispute with Nigeria because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea ERITREA Introduction

Historical perspective [time series]

On 29 May 1991, ISAIAS Afworki, secretary general of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served as the country's legislative body, announced the formation of the Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE) in preparation for the 23-25 April 1993 referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea; the referendum resulted in a landslide vote for independence, which was proclaimed on 27 April 1993.

Transportation

Airports [time series]

3 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 2,820 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 2,820 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,766 GRT/84,780 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Bata, Luba, Malabo

Railways [time series]

total: 0 km