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 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)
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 NA March 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: opposition parties have refused to take up their seats in the
House to protest widespread irregularities in the 1999 legislative
elections
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, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, 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)