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| Introduction | Equatorial Guinea |
| Background: | Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO has ruled the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle, then President MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. 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. The president controls most opposition parties through the judicious use of patronage. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the country's living standards. |
| People | Equatorial Guinea |
| Population: | 523,051 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42% (male 110,268; female 109,222) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 136,370; female 147,431) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,745; female 11,015) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.7 years male: 18.1 years female: 19.4 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.43% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 36.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 87.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 93.27 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 55.15 years male: 53 years female: 57.36 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.68 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.4% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 5,900 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 370 (2001 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| 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 |
| Religions: | nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices |
| Languages: | Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.7% male: 93.3% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Equatorial Guinea |
| Country name: | 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 |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Malabo |
| Administrative divisions: | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas |
| Independence: | 12 October 1968 (from Spain) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 12 October (1968) |
| Constitution: | approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 |
| Legal system: | partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal adult |
| 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) 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 Miguel Abia BITEO BORICO (since 14 June 2004); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO NDONG (since NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio Elo NDONG NZE FUMU (since NA January 1998) |
| 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 24 April 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: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Tribunal |
| 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]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | 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 |
| 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) |
| Communications | Equatorial Guinea |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 9,600 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 41,500 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: poor system with adequate government services domestic: NA international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002) |
| Radios: | 180,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2002) |
| Televisions: | 4,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .gq |
| Internet hosts: | 3 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002) |
| Internet users: | 1,800 (2002) |
| Transportation | Equatorial Guinea |
| Highways: | total: 2,880 km (1999 est.) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Bata, Luba, Malabo |
| Merchant marine: | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,556 GRT/9,704 DWT by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 3 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Equatorial Guinea |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 120,463 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 61,084 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $75.1 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.5% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Equatorial Guinea |
| Disputes - international: | in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Gabon is hampered by dispute over Mbane Island, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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