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NAVIGATION
Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
former: Spanish Guinea
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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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 |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Malabo |
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Administrative divisions:
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7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas |
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Independence:
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12 October 1968 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 12 October (1968) |
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Constitution:
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approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 |
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Legal system:
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partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal adult |
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Executive branch:
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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) |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Tribunal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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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 (applicant) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 FAX: [1] (202) 528-5252 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES; note - 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 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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 unsuccessfully 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. Boosts in production and higher world oil prices stimulated growth in 2002, with oil accounting for 90% of increased exports. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $1.04 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 20%
industry: 60% services: 20% (1999 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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30% (1998 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $158 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7.4% (1994 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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22 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 91%
hydro: 9% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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20.46 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber |
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Exports:
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$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum, timber, cocoa |
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Exports - partners:
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China 24%, Japan 7%, US 7%, South Korea 5% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$736 million f.o.b. (2001) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum sector equipment, manufactured goods and equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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US 60%, France 12%, Spain 8%, Italy 6% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$225 million (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$33.8 million (1995) (1995) |
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
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Currency code:
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XAF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro |
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Fiscal year:
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1 January - 31 December |