Equatorial Guinea




                                 Geography


Location:
     Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Cameroon
     and Gabon
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     28,050 sq km
land area:
     28,050 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
     total 539 km, Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline:
     296 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty
     over islands in Corisco Bay
Climate:
     tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain:
     coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Natural resources:
     timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese,
     uranium
Land use:
arable land:
     8%
permanent crops:
     4%
meadows and pastures:
     4%
forest and woodland:
     51%
other:
     33%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     desertification
natural hazards:
     subject to violent windstorms
international agreements:
     party to - Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea




Note:
     insular and continental regions rather widely separated


                                  People


Population:
     409,550 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.59% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     40.65 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     14.73 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     102.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     52.09 years
male:
     49.97 years
female:
     54.27 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     5.28 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective:
     Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic divisions:
     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), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     50%
male:
     64%
female:
     37%
Labor force:
     172,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation:
     agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980)
note:
     labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population of working age
     (1985)




                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
local short form:
     Guinea Ecuatorial
former:
     Spanish Guinea
Digraph:
     EK
Type:
     republic in transition to multiparty democracy
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:
     new constitution 17 November 1991
Legal system:
     partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
Suffrage:
     universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3
     August 1979) election last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June
     1996); results - President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
     MBASOGO was reelected without opposition
head of government:
     Prime Minister Silvestre SIALE BILEKA (since 17 January 1992); Vice
     Prime Minister Anatolio NDONG MBA (since November 1993);
cabinet:
      Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
House of People's Representatives:
      (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo) elections last held 21 November
     1993; seats - (82 total) PDGE 72, various opposition parties 10
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Tribunal




Political parties and leaders:
     ruling - Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen.
     (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, party leader; Progressive
     Democratic Alliance (ADP), Antonio-Ebang Mbele Abang, president;
     Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea (APGE),Casiano Masi Edu, leader;
     Liberal Democratic Convention (CLD), Alfonso Nsue MOKUY, president;
     Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS),Santiago Obama Ndong,
     president; Social Democratic and Popular Convergence (CSDP), Secundino
     Oyono Agueng Ada, general secretary; Party of the Social Democratic
     Coalition (PCSD), Buenaventura Moswi M'Asumu, general coordinater;
     Liberal Party (PL), leaders unknown; Party of Progress (PP), Severo
     MOTO Nsa, president; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Benjamin-Gabriel
     Balingha Balinga Alene, general secretary; Socialist Party of
     Equatorial Guinea (PSGE), Tomas MICHEBE Fernandez, general secretary;
     National Democratic Union (UDENA), Jose MECHEBA Ikaka, president;
     Democratic Social Union (UDS), Jesus Nze Obama Avomo, general
     secretary; Popular Union (UP), Juan Bitui, president
Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
     IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC,
     ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD,
     UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador DAMASO Obiang Ndong
chancery:
     (temporary) 57 Magnolia Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10553
telephone:
     (914) 738-9584 or 667-6913
FAX:
     (914) 667-6838
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador John E. BENNETT
embassy:
     Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo
mailing address:
     P.O. Box 597, Malabo
telephone:
     [240] (9) 2185, 2406, 2507
FAX:
     [240] (9) 2164
Flag:
     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)


                                  Economy




Overview:
     Agriculture, forestry, and fishing account for about half of GDP and
     nearly all exports. 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
     international donor community have failed to revitalize export
     agriculture. There is little industry; businesses for the most part
     are owned by government officials and their family members. Commerce
     accounts for about 8% of GDP and the construction, public works, and
     service sectors for about 38%. Undeveloped natural resources include
     titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil
     exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and
     Spanish firms, has been moderately successful. Increased production
     from recently discovered natural gas fields will provide a greater
     share of exports by 1995.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $280 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA
National product per capita:
     $700 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     1.6% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $32.5 million
expenditures:
     $35.9 million, including capital expenditures of $3 million (1992
     est.)
Exports:
     $52.8 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     coffee, timber, cocoa beans
partners:
     Spain 55.2%, Nigeria 11.4%, Cameroon 9.1% (1992)
Imports:
     $63.6 million (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
     petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
partners:
     Cameroon 23.1%, Spain 21.8%, France 14.1%, US 4.3%
External debt:
     $260 million (1992 est)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -6.5% (1992 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     23,000 kW
production:
     60 million kWh




consumption per capita:
     160 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     fishing, sawmilling
Agriculture:
     accounts for almost 50% of GDP, cash crops - timber and coffee from
     Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops - rice, yams, cassava, bananas,
     oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-89), $14 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $130
     million; Communist countries (1970-89), $55 million
Currency:
     1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
     (January 1994), 273,16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
     (1990), 319.01 (1989)
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
Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     2,760 km (2,460 km on Rio Muni and 300 km on Bioko)
paved:
     NA
unpaved:
     NA
Ports:
     Malabo, Bata
Merchant marine:
     2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,412 GRT/6,699 DWT, cargo 1,
     passenger-cargo 1
Airports:
total:
     3
usable:
     3
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1




Telecommunications:
     poor system with adequate government services; international
     communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries;
     2,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian
     Ocean INTELSAT earth station


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 86,957; fit for military service 44,174
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP