Equatorial Guinea

This Page was last updated on the 2nd. November, 2006.

Country	Equatorial Guinea
Official Name	Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial)
Former Name	Spanish Guinea, Spanish Territory of the Gulf of Guinea, Spanish Equatorial Region (Bioko Island discovered by Portuguese explorer, Fernando Po, in 1471; Portuguese kept control of islands and commercial rights to parts of mainland ceded to Spain in exchange for territory in South America (Treaty of Pardo) in 1778; British established a base on Bioko Island to combat the slave trade 1827-1843; claims to the mainland settled by the Treaty of Paris and territories united under Spanish rule in 1900; Spanish Territory of the Gulf of Guinea established with status of provinces of metropolitan Spain in 1959; ruled as the Spanish Equatorial Region; limited autonomy given and name changed to Equatorial Guinea in 1963; granted independence as Equatorial Guinea.)
Capital	Malabo (Bioko Island)
Main Towns	Bata (Rio Muni - mainland), Malabo
Subdivisions	7 provinces: Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas.
Independence	12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Constitution	approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
National Holiday	Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
UN Membership	12 November 1968
OAU Membership	12 October 1968 – now African Union (AU)
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC), Central African States Economic Community (CEAC), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (or Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States, CEMAC), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Franc Zone (FZ), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of American States (OAS - observer), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO - observer).
Population	World Bank Figures: 446,280 (1999), 458,000 (2000), 469,840 (2001), 481,880 (2002), 494,000 (2003) Other Sources: 420,293 (July 1995), 486,060 (July 2001 est.), 510,473 (July 2003 est.) 535,881 (July 2005 est.)
Area	10,831 sq. mls. (28,051 sq. kms.)
Density	14 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	Pico de Sanra Isabel 9,869 ft. (3,008 m.)
Lowest Point	Atlantic Ocean - sea level ft. ( m.)
Neighbours	Cameroon (N), Gabon (S & E)
Life Expectancy	49 years (1995), total population: 53.95 years, male: 51.89 years, female: 56.07 years (2001 est.) total population: 54.75 years, male: 52.63 years, female: 56.93 years (2003 est.) total population: 55.56 years male: 53.38 years female: 57.8 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 89.02 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 82.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 95.25 deaths/1,000 live births total: 85.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 91.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate: 3.4% (2001 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,900 (2001 est.) deaths: 370 (2001 est.) IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Equatorial Guinea - Updated: Sept 2004 Population: 481,000 HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: N/D No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: N/D No. Of People in need of ART: N/D No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): N/D No. Of People on ART Public Sector: N/D No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: N/D No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): N/D Front Line Drug Regimen: N/D HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: N/D Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding US$4,402,427.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: Nil Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): Nil Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil Source: USAID, WHO, Ministry of Health
Adult Literacy Rate	45% (1985), total population: 78.5%, male: 89.6%, female: 68.1% (1995 est.) total population: 85.7%, male: 93.3%, female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Balengue, Bujeba, Bioko (mainly Bubi, few Fernandinos), Rio Muni (mainily Fang), Europeans, Fang, Kombe.
Languages	Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Religions	Roman Catholic 94% Traditional Religion (Animist)
Type of Government	Republic
President	Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro Obiang N'guema M'basogo (seized power in a military coup on 3 August 1979, re-elected 25 February 1996, and 15 December 2002 (in an uncontested election)[20/10/2005])
Prime Minister	Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfube
Political Parties	Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS); Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE); Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea (PPGE); Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea (APGE); Popular Union (UP); Progressive Democratic Alliance (ADP); Union of Independent Democrats (UDI)
Ruling Party	Equatorial Guinea Democratic Party (PDGE)
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA, XAF) Franc (100 centimes) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
GDP	GDP: US$2.2bn (2002) GDP: US$5.5 billion (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GNP	US$350 (1994)
Per Capita Income	GDP per head: US$4,800 (2001)
Population Below Poverty Line	NA%
Land Use	arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2001) Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural Resources	petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Oil and Natural Gas	Oil production increased from 81,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 1998 to more than 400,000 bpd by 2004. Production of 500,000 bpd is projected by 2005. Oil production: 181,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) 350,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001) proved reserves: 563.5 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - proved reserves: 68.53 billion cu m (1 January 2002) Pipelines: condensate 37 km; gas 39 km; liquid natural gas 4 km; oil 24 km (2004)
Military	Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 116,496 (2003 est.) males age 18-49: 106,571 (2005 est.) Military expenditurese: US$30 million, 2.5% of GDP (FY02) US$126.2 million, 2.5% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received	US$33.8 million (1995) US$33.8 million (1995) Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$45 (1999), US$47 (2000), US$27 (2001), US$42 (2002), US$43 (2003)
Debt	Less indebted World Bank Figures: US$196,600,000 (2000), US$193,100,000 (2001), US$211,800,000 (2002), US$272,200,000 (2003) Other Sources: US$290 million (1999 est.) US$248 million (2000 est.)
Major Imports	petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports from	US 33%, UK 15%, Spain 12%, Cote d'Ivoire 7% US$1.2 billion (2003 est.) US 32.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 16.9%, Spain 13.7%, France 8.6%, UK 7.4% (2004) US$1.167 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Major Exports	petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa hydrocarbons 97%, timber 2%, others 1% (2003 est.)
Exports to	Spain 53%, China 26%, US 13%, Japan 4% (2000) US$2.6 billion(2003 est.) US 34%, China 23.7%, Spain 21.1%, Canada 8.6% (2004) US$2.771 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 2 November, 2006

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