country comparison to the world: 145
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
Total renewable water resources:
26 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.11 cu km/yr (83%/16%/1%)
per capita: 220 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
insular and continental regions widely separated
People ::Equatorial Guinea
Population:
633,441 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.9% (male 134,823/female 130,308)
15-64 years: 54% (male 167,820/female 174,238)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 11,574/female 14,678) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 19.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.703% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Birth rate:
36.52 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Death rate:
9.49 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 39% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 81.58 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 18
male: 82.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 80.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.61 years
country comparison to the world: 180
male: 60.71 years
female: 62.54 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.08 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.4% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
370 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic groups:
Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other
1.4% (1994 census)
Religions:
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages:
Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official),
Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87%
male: 93.4%
female: 80.5% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2000)
Education expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2003)
country comparison to the world: 181
Government ::Equatorial Guinea
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; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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 Ignacio Milan TANG (since 8 July
2008);
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 in 2010); 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 4 May 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PDGE 89, EC 10, 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 MICO Abogo];
Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party)
[Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Electoral Coalition or EC; Party
for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular
Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union
or UP
Political pressure groups and leaders:
ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); Global
Witness (anti-corruption)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP (associate), FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, 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: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: K-3, Carreterade Aeropuerto, al lado de Restaurante El
Paraiso, Malabo; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited
functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US
Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 2220-1500
FAX: [237] 2220-1572
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)
Economy ::Equatorial Guinea
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. Government
officials and their family members own most businesses. Undeveloped
natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium,
and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2008, led by oil.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$23 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
$20.8 billion (2007 est.)
$16.98 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$18.53 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
10.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
22.5% (2007 est.)
1.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,300 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
$34,700 (2007 est.)
$29,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 93.7%
services: 3.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Unemployment rate:
30% (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
31.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Budget:
revenues: $6.599 billion
expenditures: $3.601 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
0.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
1.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.75% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 84
5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 44
15% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$835.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$174.5 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil
nuts; livestock; timber
Industries:
petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate:
11.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Electricity - production:
28 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - consumption:
26.04 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
359,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Oil - exports:
362,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - imports:
1,114 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - production:
6.67 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - consumption:
1.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - exports:
5.17 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas - proved reserves:
36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Current account balance:
$1.42 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$540.9 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$13.03 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
$10.25 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners:
US 22.7%, Spain 18.2%, China 14.7%, France 7.9%, Italy 6%, South
Korea 5.4% (2008)
Imports:
$3.114 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
$2.365 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners:
China 17.7%, Spain 13.3%, US 11.8%, France 10.9%, Cote d'Ivoire
10.4%, Italy 5.5%, UK 5.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.431 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$3.846 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$190 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
$338 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US
dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has
been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro;
Central African CFA franc (XAF) coins and banknotes are not accepted
in countries using West African CFA francs (XOF), and vice versa,
even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Equatorial Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 204
Telephones - mobile cellular:
346,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 165
Telephone system:
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban
areas and good mobile coverage
domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2008 stood
at about 55 percent of the population
international: country code - 240; international communications from
Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Internet country code:
.gq
Internet hosts:
9 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 221
Internet users:
12,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 198
Transportation ::Equatorial Guinea
Airports:
7 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 166
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 38 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 2,880 km (2000)
country comparison to the world: 167
Merchant marine:
total: 1
country comparison to the world: 158
by type: cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bata, Malabo
Military ::Equatorial Guinea
Military branches:
National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Guinea Ecuatoria, GNGE (Army),
with Coast Guard (Navy) and Air Wing) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for compulsory military service; women hold
only administrative positions in the Coast Guard (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 136,725
females age 16-49: 138,018 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 105,468
females age 16-49: 107,919 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 6,983
female: 6,726 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.1% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
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 and imprecisely defined
maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delay final delimitation;
UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty
dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a
maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Equatorial Guinea is primarily a destination
country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and
possibly for the purpose of sexual exploitation; children have been
trafficked from nearby countries for domestic servitude, market
labor, ambulant vending, and possibly sexual exploitation; women may
also be trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from Cameroon, Benin, other
neighboring countries, and China for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to eliminate trafficking, particularly in the areas of prosecuting
and convicting trafficking offenders and failing to formalize
mechanisms to provide assistance to victims; although the government
made some effort to enforce laws against child labor exploitation,
it failed to report any trafficking prosecutions or convictions in
2007; the government continued to lack shelters or formal procedures
for providing care to victims (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Eritrea (Africa)
Introduction ::Eritrea
Background:
Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation.
Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later
sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with
Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was
overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year
border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN
auspices in December 2000. Eritrea hosted a UN peacekeeping
operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ)
on the border with Ethiopia. Eritrea's denial of fuel to the mission
caused the UN to withdraw the mission and terminate its mandate 31
July 2008. An international commission, organized to resolve the
border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties
have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On
30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely
demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving
Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory,
including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual
demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops
from the TSZ which it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not
accepted the virtual demarcation decision.
Geography ::Eritrea
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 39 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 117,600 sq km
country comparison to the world: 100
land: 101,000 sq km
water: 16,600 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline:
2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the
central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June
to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
Terrain:
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands,
descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest
to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land: 4.78%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.19% (2005)
Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
6.3 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (3%/0%/97%)
per capita: 68 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent droughts; locust swarms
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of
infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping
lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the
Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
People ::Eritrea
Population:
5,647,168 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 1,212,848/female 1,202,240)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 1,483,169/female 1,547,078)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 92,009/female 109,824) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.4 years
male: 18 years
female: 18.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.577% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Birth rate:
34.2 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Death rate:
8.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 21% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.33 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 62
male: 48.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.78 years
country comparison to the world: 179
male: 59.71 years
female: 63.9 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.72 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
38,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,600 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean
Ethnic groups:
Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%, other 3%
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 5 years
male: 6 years
female: 4 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 161
Government ::Eritrea
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
local short form: Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Government type:
transitional government