SPAMfighter information about
Equatorial Guinea
| The data on this page is obtained from The World Factbook. |
 Communications information
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| SPAMfighters: | 30 |
| Internet users: | 5,000 (2005) |
| Internet hosts: | 19 (2006) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002) |
| Internet country code: | .gq |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,000 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 96,900 (2005) |
| 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) |
 Geographical information
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| Location: | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon |
| Geographic coordinates: | 2 00 N, 10 00 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: |
total: 28,051 sq km land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land boundaries: |
total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km |
| Coastline: | 296 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; always hot, humid |
| Terrain: | coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay |
| Land use: |
arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | violent windstorms, flash floods |
| Environment - current issues: | tap water is not potable; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | insular and continental regions widely separated |
 People information
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| Population: | 540,109 (July 2006 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989) 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 18.8 years male: 18.2 years female: 19.4 years (2006 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.05% (2006 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Death rate: | 15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 49.54 years male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.55 children born/woman (2006 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.) |
| 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.) |
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Governmental information
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| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale former: Spanish Guinea |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: |
name: Malabo geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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) head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held 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 |
| Legislative branch: |
unicameral House of People´s Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 2 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 [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); 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, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: the United States ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the United States Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; United States Embassy Yaounde, United States Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00 FAX: [237] 220 16 20 |
| 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) |
 Economical information
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| 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 neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. 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. Growth remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $25.69 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $7.644 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 18.6% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $50,200 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3% industry: 90.6% services: 6.2% (2005 est.) |
| Labor force: | NA |
| Unemployment rate: | 30% (1998 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5% (2005 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $1.973 billion expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber |
| Industries: | petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 30% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 29.43 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 94.3% hydro: 5.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 27.37 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Oil - production: | 420,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 1,200 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day |
| Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day |
| Natural gas - production: | 1.27 billion cu m (2003 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 1.27 billion cu m (2003 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $264 million (2005 est.) |
| Exports: | $6.727 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa |
| Exports - partners: | US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005) |
| Imports: | $1.864 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | petroleum sector equipment, other equipment |
| Imports - partners: | US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d´Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $2.103 billion (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $353 million (2005 est.) |
| Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Currency code: | XAF |
| Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per United States dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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Transportations information
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| Airports: | 4 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006) |
| Roadways: | total: 2,880 km (1999) |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
| Ports and terminals: | Malabo |
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Military information
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| Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force (2005) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.) (2004) |
| Manpower available for military service: |
males age 18-49: 104,563 females age 18-49: 109,923 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 56,462 females age 18-49: 59,260 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $152.2 million (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.1% (2005 est.) |
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Information about transnational issues
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| 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 maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay |
