Equatorial Guinea

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Equatorial Guinea

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republic of Equatorial Guinea Area 28,051 sq km/10,830 sq mi Capital Malabo Language Spanish (official), pidgin English, a Portuguese patois (on Annobón, whose people were formerly slaves of the Portuguese), Fang and other African patois (on Río Muni) Religion Roman Catholic, Protestant, animist Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 5 June, 3 August, 12 October, 10, 25 December; variable: Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Constitution (August)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Bata, Mongomo, Ela Nguema, Mbini, Campo Yaunde, Los Angeles Physical features comprises mainland Río Muni, plus the small islands of Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico, and Bioko (formerly Fernando Po) together with Annobón (formerly Pagalu); nearly half the land is forested; volcanic mountains on Bioko Airports two international airports; domestic services operate between major towns; total passengers carried: 21,000 (1998 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 2,880 km/1,790 mi (1999 est); passenger cars: 3.3 per 1,000 people (1996 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo from 2004 Head of government Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea from 2006 Political system authoritarian nationalist Political executive unlimited presidency Administrative divisions seven provinces Political parties Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), nationalist, right of centre, militarily controlled; People's Social Democratic Convention (CSDP), left of centre; Democratic Socialist Union of Equatorial Guinea (UDS), left of centre; Liberal Democratic Convention (CLD) Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 1,300 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.1 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 0.6 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency franc CFA GDP (US$) 3.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) -1 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 437 million (2003 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 7,580 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.8% (2006 est) Labour force 77% agriculture, 2% industry, 21% services (1990) Foreign debt (US$) 291 million (2004 est) Major trading partners USA, China, Spain, Italy, France, Canada Resources petroleum, natural gas, gold, uranium, iron ore, tantalum, manganese Industries wood processing, food processing Exports petroleum, methanol, timber, re-exported ships and boats, textile fibres and waste, cocoa, coffee. Principal market: USA 21.3% (2005) Imports ships and boats, petroleum and related products, food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, beverages and tobacco, basic manufactures. Principal source: USA 7.5% (2005) Arable land 4.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products cocoa, coffee, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, palm oil, palm kernels; exploitation of forest resources (principally of okoumé and akoga timber)


POPULATION

Population 515,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 18 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 50 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 44%, 15–59 50%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 80–90% of the Fang ethnic group, of Bantu origin; most other groups have been pushed to the coast by Fang expansion; the Bubi are the indigenous ethnic group of Bioko (island) Life expectancy 41 (men); 41 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 204 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 5 Literacy rate 93% (men); 78% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 2.5 (2004 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 3.2 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <1,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 45 (urban); 42 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 19.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 428 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 118 (1999 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1.4 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 1 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1472 First visited by Portuguese explorers. 1778 Bioko (formerly known as Fernando Po) Island ceded to Spain, which established cocoa plantations there in the late 19th century, importing labour from West Africa. 1885 Mainland territory of Mbini (formerly Rio Muni) came under Spanish rule, the whole colony being known as Spanish Guinea, with the capital at Malabu on Bioko Island. 1920s League of Nations special mission sent to investigate forced, quasi-slave labour conditions on Bioko cocoa plantations, then the largest in the world. 1959 Became Spanish Overseas Province; African population finally granted full citizenship. early 1960s On the mainland, the Fang people spearheaded nationalist movement directed against Spanish favouritism towards Bioko Island and its controlling Bubi tribe. 1963 Achieved internal autonomy. 1968 Independence achieved from Spain. Macias Nguema, a nationalist Fang, became first president, discriminating against Bubi community. 1970s Economy collapsed as Spanish settlers and other minorities fled in face of intimidation by Nguema's dictatorial regime, marked by murder, torture, and imprisonment of thousands of political opponents and rivals. 1979 Nguema overthrown, tried, and executed; replaced by his nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who established military regime, but released political prisoners and imposed restrictions on Catholic Church. 1992 New pluralist constitution approved by referendum. 1993 Obiang's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) won first multiparty elections. 1995 Discovery of oil in commercial quantities. 1996 Obiang re-elected amid claims of fraud by opponents. Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan became prime minister. 2001 Dougan resigned following allegations of corruption; replaced by Cándido Muatetema Rivas. 2002 Obiang re-elected; opposition again claimed fraud. 2003 Government-in-exile formed by opposition leaders living in Spain. 2004 Suspected mercenaries arrested, tried, and sentenced for alleged coup plot; son of Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister, implicated in financing of scheme; PDGE won elections. 2006 Government resigned having been criticized by Obiang for poor leadership; Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea appointed prime minister.


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