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Equatorial Guinea

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations | Date: 2007

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT
TOPOGRAPHY
CLIMATE
FLORA AND FAUNA
ENVIRONMENT
POPULATION
MIGRATION
ETHNIC GROUPS
LANGUAGES
RELIGIONS
TRANSPORTATION
HISTORY
GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL PARTIES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
ARMED FORCES
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
ECONOMY
INCOME
LABOR
AGRICULTURE
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
FISHING
FORESTRY
MINING
ENERGY AND POWER
INDUSTRY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DOMESTIC TRADE
FOREIGN TRADE
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
BANKING AND SECURITIES
INSURANCE
PUBLIC FINANCE
TAXATION
CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
HEALTH
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS
TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION
FAMOUS EQUATORIAL GUINEANS
DEPENDENCIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

República de Guinea Ecuatorial

CAPITAL: Malabo (formerly Santa Isabel)

FLAG: The flag is a tricolor of green, white, and red horizontal stripes; a blue triangle joins them at the hoist. The arms in the center of the white stripe hold a cotton tree (the national symbol), six stars—one for each physical division of the country—and the motto "Unidad, Justicia, Paz."

ANTHEM: Himno Nacional, beginning "Caminemos pisando la senda de nuestra inmensa felicidad" ("Let us walk on the path of our immense happiness").

MONETARY UNIT: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (CFA Fr), which was originally pegged to the French franc, has been pegged to the euro since January 1999 with a rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro. CFA Fr1 = $0.00208 (or $1 = CFA Fr480.56) as of 2005. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 francs.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Independence Day, 5 March; Labor Day, 1 May; OAU Day, 25 May; President's Birthday, 5 June; Armed Forces Day, 3 August; Human Rights Day, 10 December; Christmas, 25 December. Movable Christian holidays include Good Friday and Easter Monday.

TIME: 1 pm = noon GMT.

LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT

Located on the west coast of Africa, Equatorial Guinea consists of a mainland enclave, Río Muni, and five inhabited islands: Bioko (between 1973 and 1979, Macías Nguema Biyogo, and before that Fernando Póo), Annobón (Pagalu during the 1970s), Corisco, Elobey Chico, and Elobey Grande. The total area is 28,051 sq km (10,831 sq mi), of which Río Muni, along with Corisco and the Elobeys, accounts for 26,017 sq km (10,045 sq mi) and Bioko, along with Annobón, 2,034 sq km (785 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Equatorial Guinea is slightly larger than the state of Maryland.

Río Muni is bounded on the n by Cameroon, on the e and s by Gabon, and on the w by the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean), with a length of 248 km (154 mi) ene–wsw and 167 km (104 mi) sse–nnw. Bioko, situated 56 km (35 mi) w of Cameroon and about 259 km (161 mi) nw of Río Muni, extends 74 km (46 mi) ne–sw and 37 km (23 mi) se–nw. Annobón is 686 km (426 mi) sw of Bioko; Corisco and the Elobeys are off the sw coast of Bioko, within sight of Gabon. The total boundary length of Equatorial Guinea is 835 km (519 mi), of which 296 km (183 mi) is coastline.

The capital city of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo, is located on the island of Bioko (Isla de Bioko).

TOPOGRAPHY

Bioko and Annobón are volcanic islands that are part of the chain starting with the Cameroon Highlands and outcropping into the Atlantic as far as St. Helena. Río Muni is a fluvial mainland plateau, except for the sandy shore and the ridges of the Sierra Cristal range that separate the coast from the interior plateau. The Muni and Ntem rivers, on the south and north boundaries of Río Muni, are estuaries navigable for about 20 km (12 mi); the Mbini River, midway between them, is typical of the cascading streams that drain all of Río Muni. Bioko has short cascading streams; Annobón has only storm arroyos. Most of the country, including the islands, is tropical rain forest. On Annobón, volcanic deposits restrict agriculture, and the Muni estuarial islands are sandy, but the rest of the country has tropical humus conducive to agriculture.

CLIMATE

Equatorial Guinea has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. From June to August, Río Muni is dry and Bioko wet; from December to February, the reverse exists. In between there is gradual transition. Rain or mist occurs daily on Annobón, where a cloudless day has never been registered. The temperature at Malabo, Bioko, ranges from 16°c to 33°c (61–91°f), though on the southern Moka Plateau normal high temperatures are only 21°c (70°f). In Río Muni, the average temperature is about 27°c (80°f). Annual rainfall varies from 193 cm (76 in) at Malabo to 1,092 cm (430 in) at Ureka, Bioko, but Río Muni is somewhat drier.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Dense tropical rain forest vegetation prevails throughout Equatorial Guinea. There are 140 species of trees, especially palms and hardwoods. Yams and bananas were introduced by the early inhabitants and became staples. Monkeys, chimpanzees, elephants, and gray doves are common.

ENVIRONMENT

Equatorial Guinea's most significant environmental problems are deforestation, water pollution, desertification, and the preservation of wildlife. The forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and grazing. The nation has about 30 cu km of renewable water resource with 6% used for farming purposes. There are three Ramsar wetland sites in the country.

The nation's wildlife is threatened by the expansion of population centers. According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the number of threatened species included 17 types of mammals, 6 species of birds, 2 types of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, 8 species of fish, 2 species of other invertebrates, and 61 species of plants. Endangered species include the drill (Papio leucophaeus), Preuss's monkey, and the green sea, hawksbill, and olive ridley turtles.

POPULATION

The population of Equatorial Guinea in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 504,000, which placed it at number 160 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 4% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 43% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 98 males for every 100 females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–2010 was expected to be 2.3%, a rate the government viewed as satisfactory; however, because a high percentage of the population is under 15 years of age, increasing adolescent fertility was expected to become a significant problem. The projected population for the year 2025 was 762,000. The population density was 18 per sq km (47 per sq mi).

The UN estimated that 45% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005, and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 4.16%. The capital city, Malabo, had a population of 95,000 in that year.

MIGRATION

As many as 45,000 Nigerian laborers served in Equatorial Guinea in the early 1970s, mostly working on Bioko cocoa plantations. In 1975, Nigeria began evacuating those contract laborers, charging the Equatorial Guinean government with a long history of mistreating them. These plantations are now short of labor.

The net migration for Equatorial Guinea in 2005 was zero. However, migration to Spain is a traditional and ongoing occurrence. Between 80–90% of Equatorial Guinean nationals who go to Spain do not return. There were approximately 1,000 migrants in Equatorial Guinea in 2000. The government views the migration levels as satisfactory.

ETHNIC GROUPS

The largest single tribe is the Fang (Fon, or Pamúe), who entered Río Muni from the east largely between 1687 and 1926. The earlier Riomunians, who had probably arrived in the 14th century, were forced by the Fang to flee to the coast. The Bubi on Bioko are descendants of the indigenous African Bantu-speaking population that fled from the Cameroonian and Riomunian mainland in the 13th century; they are indigenous to Bioko island and account for about 15% of the population. Coastal tribes, sometimes referred to as Playeros, consist of Ndowes, Bujebas, Balengues, and Bengas. Fernandinos—descendants of mainland slaves liberated by the British navy in the 19th century—and Europeans, especially Spanish Asturians and Catalonians, have long dominated commerce and government. It is estimated that the 67 Fang clans represent 80% of the population. Europeans, mostly Spanish, number less than 1,000.

LANGUAGES

Spanish is the official language of the government, commerce, and schools. French is also an official language. The principal vernacular is Fang, which, like all the country's indigenous languages, is a Bantu tongue. Bubi and Ibo are also spoken. Annobón uses the fād'Ambō, a pidgin form of Bantu speech with heavy 16th-century Portuguese inflection. Much petty commerce is conducted in pidgin English (Pichinglis).

RELIGIONS

Although African traditional religion has left its vestiges among the indigenous tribes, about 93% of the population are Christian. Within the Christian population, 87% are Roman Catholic and about 4.5% are mainline Protestant, primarily Baptist and Episcopalian. Though there is no state religion, a 1992 law established an official preference for the Catholic Church and the Reform Church of Equatorial Guinea, based on the traditional importance of these two denominations in popular culture. Other religious groups must register through the Ministry of Justice and Worship. Religious study (primarily Catholic) is required in public schools.

TRANSPORTATION

There are 2,880 km (1,790 mi) of highways in Equatorial Guinea, none of which were paved in 2002. The chief ports are Bata and Mbini in Río Muni and Malabo and Luba on Bioko. Bata, modernized in the 1970s, can accommodate up to four vessels of 20,000 tons each. There is regular service between Malabo and Bata. In 2005, the country had one merchant ship (a cargo vessel of 1,000 GRT or over) in service, totaling 6,556 GRT.

Bata's airport was the first major air transport facility. Malabo's airport was raised to jet standards in 1964 and became the focus of regional air services. A landing strip was built on Annobón in 1968. As of 2004, there were only four airports, with three (as of 2005), having paved runways. Air transport between Bata, Malabo, and Douala, Cameroon, is provided by Equatorial Guinea Air Lines (Algesa). There is international air service to Gabon, Nigeria, Morocco, and Spain. In 1997 (the latest year for which data was available), about 21,000 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international airline flights.

HISTORY

Although numerous archaeological discoveries indicate a very early Sangoan (modified Acheulean) culture throughout Equatorial Guinea, the earliest traceable inhabitants were Pygmies, remnants of whom remain in northeastern Río Muni. Bioko was apparently uninhabited when the Bubi came by sea from the mainland in the 13th century. Río Muni seems to have been occupied by the Bantu in a series of waves that superseded the Pygmies—first by the Bubi, before 1200; then by the Benga, Bujeba, and Combe, perhaps about 1300; and, finally, by the Fang from the Congo Basin, after 1687. Although Annobón was uninhabited in 1471 when the Portuguese discovered it, it was the only one of the territories later incorporated into Equatorial Guinea that they attempted to develop. The proprietorship of Annobón was ill administered, however, and it was virtually self-governing for 250 years. In 1778, Portugal transferred its nominal claims over Annobón, Fernando Póo, and the entire coast from the Niger Delta to Cape López (in modern Gabon) to Spain, in return for Spain's renunciation of pirate claims in southern Brazil. Later that year, a Spanish expedition of occupation arrived from South America. The expedition withdrew in 1781 after disease and poor administration had cost the lives of 370 of the 547 Spaniards.

The primary Spanish mainland explorations were undertaken between 1875 and 1885. Catholic missionary efforts by the Claretians extended Spanish influence to Annobón (1884), completed the exploration of Fernando Póo (1883–1924), and began the penetration of Río Muni (1886–1925). The first effective efforts to penetrate the interior were undertaken in 1926–27 by Governor Ángel Barrera, who reportedly employed considerable force to subjugate the Fang. The administrative procedure for the colony was defined as the process of reducción (conquest), repartimiento (resettlement), and encomienda (placing in trust) of the indigenous people—the policy followed in Mexico and Peru 400 years earlier—but this time, the people were encomendado (entrusted) not to private masters but to the Claretians. After World War II, the Franco government initiated a policy of heavy investment to turn Spanish Guinea into a model colony.

Spanish Guinea became a province of Spain in 1958. In 1964, two provinces (Fernando Póo and Río Muni) were created under an autonomous regional government. Political opposition and Protestant missions, both banned in Spain, were tolerated, and the regional regime of Bonifacio Ondó Edú was virtually self-governing internally. In 1966, independence was promised. Two years later, an opposition faction under Francisco Macías Nguema won the pre-independence elections and organized a sovereign government on 12 October 1968, when the colony became the independent Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Within six months, hostility between Riomunians and Fernandinos had sharpened. The continued presence of Spanish civil servants, troops, and ships and the unchanged influence of Spanish plantation management provoked a crisis in 1969. Two coups failed, the Spanish were evacuated, medical services were suspended (until WHO restaffed them), and fiscal transactions ceased. However, within six weeks a new understanding was reached with Spain, under UN auspices, and Spanish subsidies were restored.

On 23 August 1972, Francisco Macías Nguema was proclaimed president for life; subsequently he assumed ministerial posts of defense, foreign affairs, and trade. An exile group, the Equatorial Guinean Liberation Front, and others charged in December 1974 that more than two-thirds of the National Assembly elected in 1968 had disappeared, and that many prominent persons, especially political opponents of the president, had been assassinated. It was estimated that a quarter of the country's population was in exile in Cameroon, Gabon, and Europe. On 3 August 1979, Macías Nguema was overthrown in a military coup led by his Spanish trained nephew, Lt.-Col. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo; the former president was tried shortly after the coup and executed on 29 September. International human rights organizations estimated that during his 11-year rule at least 50,000 people had been killed and 40,000 had been enslaved on state-owned plantations.

Under Obiang's leadership, the Supreme Military Council became the highest power in the country. The country continued to decay as corruption flourished and political opponents and others were imprisoned or put to death. Soviet influence was reduced, and economic and military cooperation with Spain was restored. A new constitution, approved in a referendum on 15 August 1982, provided that Obiang would remain head of state until 1989, when direct popular elections would take place. Parliamentary elections (based on a single list, with no political parties permitted) were held on 28 August 1983, and the PDGE won all 41 seats in the Chamber of People's Representatives in 10 July 1988 elections. Obiang was elected without opposition on 25 June 1989.

On 17 November 1991, a new constitution was adopted. Opposition parties began to be organized and sought official recognition in 1992. Eventually an election was held on 21 November 1993 and the PDGE won 68 of 80 seats. But the major opposition parties boycotted the election and as many as 80% of the eligible voters refused to participate. The new cabinet was expanded from 34 to 42 members. On 25 February 1996, Obiang was reelected to the presidency for another seven-year term, receiving 98% of the vote. The poll was declared farcical by foreign observers. Despite a boycott of the elections by the three main opposition parties, voter turnout was 86%. Obiang's plan to form a government of national unity failed because the opposition's conditions for participation had not been met.

New wealth from substantial oil and gas reserves discovered off the coast in 1996 boosted the tiny country's impoverished economy, but the wealth did not reach the poor. Government corruption and mismanagement were rampant and some 80% of the wealth was amassed by less than 5% of the population, mostly Obiang's family clan. Growing discontent resulted in at least two coups d'état (the government attributed one in May 1997 to opposition Progress Party leader, Severo Moto) and a rebellion on Bioko island by members of the disenfranchised Bubi ethnic group in January 1998. A military court sentenced 15 of the 215 Bubi activists to death. In September Obiang suspended the sentence, under international pressure.

The ruling PDGE won 65 of the 80 seats in the second multiparty parliamentary elections held on 7 March 1999. In July 1999, the prime minister, Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan, and his government resigned, apparently to pave way for a government of national unity. The president offered to give a cabinet position to each of the opposition parties. Second multiparty legislative elections were held on 7 March 1999. Mainstream opposition parties participated in the elections, but along with the international community, denounced the elections for serious irregularities. The ruling PDGE again won 75 seats. The Convergence for a Social Democracy (CPDS) and the People's Union (UP) respectively got one and four seats.

In elections held 15 December 2002 Obiang officially was reelected with 97.1% to 2.2% of the vote for Celestino Bonifacio Bacale, but as in the past, the elections were marred by fraud, and held little credibility either domestically or abroad.

The judiciary, which often has come under international scrutiny, scheduled a national conference in January 2003. The purpose of the meeting was to improve human rights and strengthen rule of law following criticism by rights groups, the opposition, and the Spanish government of the sentencing of 68 opposition activists for between six and 20 years in jail on charges of plotting to overthrow the president. Among those convicted were the leaders of three opposition parties. In August 2003, 31 of the condemned prisoners received amnesty. In elections held in April 2004, the PDGE and its allies won 98 of 100 seats and all but 7 of 244 municipal posts, but the results were judged not credible by international observers.

Political opponents twice attempted to overthrow the government in 2004. In March Zimbabwe police impounded a plane originating from South Africa with 64 mercenaries on board destined for Equatorial Guinea. Simon Mann, the president of Executive Outcomes and the apparent ringleader, was sentenced to seven years in jail in Zimbabwe for trying to buy arms. In all, 22 people were convicted, including 9 tried in absentia. Allegedly backing the operation were Sir Mark Thatcher, son of Margaret Thatcher, Severo Moto, an Equatorial Guinean politician in exile in Spain, and the Spanish government. In October 2004, the military staged an abortive coup leading to the conviction of 23 soldiers.

Equatorial Guinea ranked 152 out of 159 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 with almost none of the economic benefits from the oil windfall trickling down to the average Equatorial Guinean. The judiciary was widely considered corrupt and dysfunctional. Further, Obiang's health appeared to be failing, and were he not to finish his third term, or not to seek a fourth term in 2009, his eldest son, commonly referred to as Theodorín, would be his heir apparent. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue was also forestry minister, but was at odds with influential family members and factions within the elite.

GOVERNMENT

By referendum on 11 August 1968, Equatorial Guineans approved a constitution that became effective on Independence Day, 12 October 1968. The constitution required the country to join the UN and to coordinate Spanish financial, technical, and administrative assistance until total "Africanization" was achieved. Separatist activities on Bioko led to the suspension of the 1968 constitution in May 1971. The president assumed all powers and ruled by decree until a second constitution was approved by referendum in July 1973. Under this constitution, the only legal party, the United National Workers Party, designated deputies to the National Assembly and had the power to remove them. An article requiring election of the president by direct, secret, universal suffrage was suspended for President Francisco Macías Nguema, who had been proclaimed president for life on 23 August 1972. After the 1979 coup, a new constitution was drafted with UN assistance. Approved by 95% of the voters in a referendum on 15 August 1982, this document provided for elections every five years to a National Assembly, for the establishment of a Council of State, and for a human rights, which in practice are poorly defended under the law.

Since adopting the 17 November 1991 constitution, Equatorial Guinea has been a self-declared constitutional democracy with judicial integrity and multiparty elections. In reality, President Obiang Nguema runs the country with an iron fist and his Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) has no serious opposition. Lt.-Col. Obiang Nguema was inaugurated president on 12 October 1982, ran unopposed in 1989, and was reelected in 1996 and 2002. His term expires in 2009. Obiang appoints a prime minister, who nominally is head of government. A unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo with 100 seats performs little or no check on the powerful executive. Members directly elected by popular vote serve five-year terms. The constitution was modified in 1995.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Other than the ruling Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE), there are 12 other registered parties. However, given the dominance of the PDGE, the system functions like a one-party state.

Following an abortive coup in March 1969, all existing political parties were merged into the United National Party (Partido Único Nacional) under the leadership of President Macías Nguema. Political activity outside this party was made illegal. The name of the party was later modified to United National Workers Party (Partido Único Nacional de los Trabajadores—PUNT). After the 1979 coup, all political parties were banned and the ruling Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) monopolized power and patronage. Among the opposition parties in exile in the mid1980s were the National Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and the Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea. A source of opposition is resentment by Biokans of mainland domination.

The 1991 constitution legalized political parties and a January 1992 law on party formation initiated the process of party organization. But it restricted party membership and activity to those who had lived continuously in Equatorial Guinea for 10 years. Since most opposition politicians had been in exile since independence, the effect was to prohibit serious opposition. Small parties—the Liberal Democrat Convention, the Popular Union, and the Progressive Democratic Alliance—were recognized in 1992. The Equatorial Guinea Progress Party (PPGE) was legalized after a long delay and, in 1993, the Socialist Party of Equatorial Guinea (PSGE) was approved. By mid-1993, 13 legal opposition parties stood prepared to contest elections, scheduled for 12 September. A number of opposition leaders were even granted amnesty. In 1995, the government reduced the residency requirement for politicians to five years leading up to an election. Political parties, however, continued to face harassment as of 2006.

In June 1997 the Progress Party, perhaps the only party that could constitute an alternative government, was banned by presidential decree. The government accused journalist Severo Moto, leader of the Progress Party, of plotting a coup against Obiang, by linking him to arms intercepted by Angolan authorities on a Russian boat destined for Equatorial Guinea in mid-May. Moto exiled himself to Spain.

The remaining opposition parties participated in the 7 March 1999 elections but rejected the results due to serious irregularities, challenging them in court. They also refused to take up their seats in the House. Once again, the ruling PDGE won an overwhelming majority with 75 of the 80 seats to 4 seats for the People's Union (UP), and 1 seat for the Convergence for a Social Democracy (CPDS). The international community also criticized the conduct of the elections. The opposition's presence in the National Assembly was further reduced when the UP dismissed two of its four parliamentary delegates in April, accusing them of endorsing Obiang's dictatorial government.

In the 25 April 2004 parliamentary elections—amid allegations of fraud—the PDGE and its affiliates took all but two seats in the expanded 100-seat parliament. They also won all but seven of the municipal posts around the country. The next presidential elections were to be held December 2009 with parliamentary elections scheduled for March 2009.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The country is divided into seven provinces, each headed by a governor appointed by the president. The provinces are divided into districts and 244 municipalities.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The court system, based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom, includes a Supreme Court, two appeals courts, lower provincial courts (first instance), military courts, and customary (traditional) courts. The courts apply a blend of traditional law, military law, and Franco-era Spanish law, which leads to some unpredictability in results. Appeals from courts of first instance are rare. A five-member Constitutional Council established in 1993 decides constitutional issues and releases election results. The customary courts composed of tribal elders adjudicate civil claims and minor criminal matters.

Under the 1991 constitution, the judiciary is not independent from the executive branch. In fact, all judges and clerks and other judicial personnel are appointed and dismissed at the will of the President. In addition, corruption is a problem because of low wages for judicial personnel.

Defendants have constitutional rights to an attorney and to appeal. However, in practice, these rights are not always afforded.

In January 1998, the treatment of Bubi ethnic group activists who were arrested after a rebellion, and the conduct of the trial by a military court, which meted out 15 death sentences, was strongly criticized by Amnesty International and the European Parliament, respectively. Obiang suspended the death sentences in September 1998. Reports of serious and systematic human rights abuses in Equatorial Guinea continue.

ARMED FORCES

In 2005, active military personnel numbered 1,320, of which the Army accounted for 1,100, the Navy 120, and the Air Force 100. The Army consisted of three infantry battalions, whose equipment included 10 armored personnel carriers and six reconnaissance vehicles. The Navy had two patrol/coastal vessels, while the Air Force operated five fixed-wing transports and two utility helicopters. Paramilitary forces included the Civil Guard and the Coast Guard. The defense budget in 2005 totaled $7.3 million.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Equatorial Guinea joined the United Nations on 12 November 1969; it participates in ECA and several nonregional specialized agencies. The nation is also a member of the African Development Bank, the ACP Group, the Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC), G-77, and the African Union. In December 1983, it joined the Central African Republic, the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, and Gabon in the Central African Customs and Economic Union (Union Douanière et Économique de l'Afrique Centrale—UDEAC); this organization is now known as the Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). The nation is part of the franc zone. Equatorial Guinea holds observer status in the WTO and the OAS. The country is part of the Nonaligned Movement. In environmental cooperation, Equatorial Guinea is part of the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES, the Kyoto Protocol, MARPOL, and the UN Conventions on the Law of the Sea, Climate Change, and Desertification.

ECONOMY

The agricultural industry employs the majority of the population. The country exports cocoa, coffee, and timber, and imports large quantities of foodstuffs. Production of oil began in 1991, and substantial new reserves were discovered in 1995. Trace deposits of a few minerals have been located. Industry is limited to a few processing facilities for agricultural products. In 1990, compliance difficulties with the IMF structural adjustment program and the government's repeated violations of human rights resulted in the suspension of most foreign economic assistance. The arrival of significant oil revenues, however, has caused the economy to be viewed with guarded optimism. Continuing fiscal mismanagement and the lack of economic reforms casts doubt on the government's ability to fully capitalize on the oil revenues. Nonetheless, oil accounts for 90% of exports and over 60% of GDP. Oil production rose from 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2001 to 420,000 bpd in 2005. Other natural resources that are undeveloped are titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and gold.

In 1985, Equatorial Guinea joined the CFA franc zone, improving the economic situation. In 1994, France devalued the CFA franc, causing its value to drop in half overnight, and raising the value of exports. Increased export revenue, together with newly exploited petroleum reserves, caused GDP to rise dramatically (over 50%) during 1996 and 1997. Between 2001 and 2005 GDP annual average growth rate was 27.78%, with a high of 65.6% in 2001 and a low of 6% in 2005. The growth rates in GDP were a result of discovery of new oil reserves and increases in the production of oil.

INCOME

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that in 2005 Equatorial Guinea's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $25.7 billion. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars. The per capita GDP was estimated at $50,200. The average inflation rate in 2005 was 5%. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 2.4% of GDP, industry 95.5%, and services 2.2%.

LABOR

The majority of the population was engaged in subsistence agriculture in 2002. The unemployment rate in 1998 (the latest year for which data was available) was estimated at 30%. There was no data available on the size of the country's workforce.

As of 2005, workers had the right to form unions, but there was no legislation to prohibit antiunion discrimination in the workplace. In 2001, the Small Farmers Syndicate became the first legally recognized union. As of 2005, it was still the country's only legally recognized union, and there was no collective bargaining.

Wages are set by the government and employers, with little or no input by workers. There was a statutory monthly minimum wage of about $100 in 2002 for unskilled workers, with the minimum for oil sector professionals set at 10 times that amount. The legal minimum age for employment is 14, but the government does not enforce this. The standard legal workweek is set at 35 hours, with a 48-hour rest period.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the main economic activity, involving about 71% of the economically active population. An estimated 8% of the land is engaged in crop production. The island of Bioko has year-round rainfall, and the prevailing economic activity is cocoa cultivation. In Río Muni (on mainland Africa), where 80% of the population lives, food crops are the dominant economic activity, and cash crop cultivation is secondary. Agriculture (including forestry and fishing) accounts for about 50% of GDP and 60% of exports. The main food crop is cassava, of which 45,000 tons were produced in 2004. Sweet potatoes are the second-largest food crop, with 36,000 tons in 2004, followed by bananas (20,000 tons).

Before independence, the main cash crops were cocoa, coffee, and palm kernels for palm oil. Guinean cocoa, of excellent quality, had an annual production of 38,000 tons in 1967. However, production experienced a sharp drop in the 1970s, falling to 4,512 tons in 1980. In 2004, production was estimated at 2,400 tons. Coffee of comparatively poor quality is grown in northern Río Muni, along the Cameroon border. The pre-independence production of 8,959 tons in 1967 fell to 500 tons in 1978; the decline was mainly caused by forcible transfer of coffee farmers to the Bioko cocoa plantations. Coffee production was an estimated 3,500 tons in 2004. Actual cocoa and coffee production is higher, but official figures do not take into account quantities smuggled abroad rather than delivered to state marketing agencies.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Cattle and poultry production is rapidly reaching its pre-independence levels of self-sufficiency with the financial help of the African Development Bank. However, production of domesticated animals is hindered by the presence of trypanosomiasis and other tropical deterrents. In 2005 there were 37,600 sheep, 9,000 goats, 6,100 hogs, and 5,000 cattle.

FISHING

The fishing industry gained strength through the 1980s and is now almost entirely modernized; a tuna processing plant went into operation in 1990. Annobón subsists almost entirely on fishing and retains its traditional preeminence in offshore whaling and turtle gathering. Bioko is also a major fishing center, the chief catches being perch, tuna, mackerel, cod, pike, shark, and crayfish. The country's own catch was about 3,500 tons in 2003.

FORESTRY

Timber from Río Muni is Equatorial Guinea's leading export. Forests cover over 62% of the land area. The Río Muni area on the mainland produces okoumé and akoga from rain forests of considerable age. Even though the government has given permission to foreign firms, exploitation is difficult due to infrastructural problems. The government enacted a new forestry action plan in 1990 in an effort to strengthen the sector's development. In 2004, roundwood production was estimated at 811,000 cu m (28.6 million cu ft). In 2004, exports of forest products amounted to $97 million.

MINING

Petroleum, the country's leading industry and export commodity in 2004, was associated with Equatorial Guinea's rapid economic growth since 1996; natural gas was the country's fourth-leading industry. Geological surveys indicated occurrences of bauxite, alluvial gold, copper, diamond, titanium-bearing sands, ilmenite beach sands, lead, phosphates, zinc, iron, manganese, tantalum, and uranium in Río Muni; there has been no significant exploitation. A 1981 law stipulated that all mineral deposits were state property. Artisanal miners produced 500 kg of gold in 2004, and clay, gravel, and sand were also presumably produced.

ENERGY AND POWER

As of 1 January 2003, electric power generating capacity stood at 15.4 MW, of which 20% was hydroelectric and 80% conventional thermal. Production in 2002 was estimated at 30 million kWh, while consumption was placed at 25 million kWh. However, poor management and aging equipment has resulted in prolonged power blackouts. As a result, small gasoline and diesel-powered generators are used as backup power sources.

Since 1995, when significant offshore oil discoveries were made in the Gulf of Guinea, oil has become Equatorial Guinea's most important export. According to World Oil, Equatorial Guinea's proven oil reserves were put at 1.28 billion barrels, as of 1 January 2005. In 2005, oil production was estimated at 420,000 barrels per day, of which crude oil accounted for over 90%. Domestic oil demand and net oil exports in 2004 were estimated at 2,000 barrels per day and 369,700 barrels per day, respectively.

Equatorial Guinea has proven natural gas reserves estimated, as of 1 January 2005, of 1.3 trillion cu ft, according to the Oil and Gas Journal. The country's natural gas reserves are located off Bioko island, which is the site of the nation's capital, Malabo, and mainly in the Zafiro and Alba oil and gas fields. Domestic consumption of natural gas is estimated for 2002 at 45 billion cu ft.

INDUSTRY

Equatorial Guinea's manufacturing sector is very small. Sawmilling leads industrial production, followed by cement, bleach, and tuna canning plants. Small-scale soap manufacturing and food processing operations round out the industrial sector. The petroleum mining industry is growing rapidly, as large oil reserves have been discovered. Oil in 2004 accounted for over 88.9% of GDP and over 97% of exports. Proven oil reserves are estimated at 563.5 million barrels. Oil production increased from 17,000 barrels per day in 1996 to around 420,000 barrels per day in 2005. There is a methanol plant on Bioko island that processes natural gas. Proven natural gas reserves are estimated at 68.53 billion cubic meters.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Spain, China, and several other countries have provided Equatorial Guinea with technological assistance.

DOMESTIC TRADE

Most interior wholesale and retail trade has been maintained through factorías (small general agencies) managed by individual Spanish owners or the representatives of small firms. Most trade occurs in the major cities of Malabo and Bata.

Consumer price inflation has fluctuated quite a bit throughout the last decade. During the 2001–2005 period, inflation averaged 6.8% per annum. Recent economic policies are designed to encourage foreign investment.

Normal business hours are 8 am to 12 noon and 4 to 8:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and 9 am to 2 pm on Saturday. Spanish is the dominant business language, while French and English are also spoken.

Current Account			-344.0
Balance on goods		-116.7
Imports	-292.0
Exports	175.3
Balance on services		-179.7
Balance on income		-45.0
Current transfers		-2.6
Capital Account			…
Financial Account			313.8
Direct investment abroad		…
Direct investment in Equatorial Guinea		376.2
Portfolio investment assets		…
Portfolio investment liabilities		…
Financial derivatives		…
Other investment assets		…
Other investment liabilities		-62.4
Net Errors and Omissions			24.8
Reserves and Related Items			5.5
(…) data not available or not significant.

FOREIGN TRADE

Exports were estimated at $6.94 million in 2005, while imports came to $2.92 million leading to a trade surplus of $4.02 billion. Leading exports for 2004 were petroleum (98.7%), timber (1.2%), and cocoa (0.1%). Imports consisted primarily of machinery (77%), building material (7.1%), food and beverages (3.6%), and petroleum products (1.9%). Spain, the United States, and China are Equatorial Guinea's principal export markets. Recent figures from the IMF reveal that exports to China rose rapidly in 2004, from $374 million in 2003 to $889 million.

BALANCE OF PAYMENTS

New oil and natural gas production improved Equatorial Guinea's balance of payments situation since the mid-1990s. Additional oil production that came online in 2001, combined with methanol gas exports from the new CMS-Nomeco plant, increased export earnings in the early 2000s. Imports were growing as well: in 2004, purchases of equipment for the oil and gas sector accounted for over three-quarters of imports. The country's debt service ratio fell from 20% of GDP in 1994 to less than 1% in 2005. Although relatively low in terms of covering the payments of imports, foreign exchange reserves were increasing slightly in the early 2000s. Many of the aid programs Equatorial Guinea benefited from in the 1980s and 1990s had diminished or ceased altogether by 2000. Some project assistance continued to be provided by France and the EU, as well as by China and Cuba.

The Economist Intelligence Unit reported that in 2005 the purchasing power parity of Equatorial Guinea's exports was $6.9 billion while imports totaled $2.9 billion resulting in a trade surplus of $4 billion.

BANKING AND SECURITIES

The Bank of Issue of Equatorial Guinea was established on 12 October 1969 as the central bank. In January 1985, the country joined the CFA zone, and the Bank of the Central African States (Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale-BEAC) became its central bank. In 1993, a supranational supervisory authority was created for BEAC states, called the Commission Bancaire de l'Afrique Centrale (COBAC). The story of commercial banking since independence has been a sorry one, and the lack of cheap and efficient commercial credit is blamed as a major obstacle to economic growth. Banking functions prior to independence were carried out mainly by the Banco Exterior de España (BEE), in association with two smaller Spanish institutions. Spanish banks almost stopped functioning after independence and withdrew altogether in 1972. As of 2002, there were only two banks operating in the country, with net holdings of $53 million.

The International Monetary Fund reports that in 2001, currency and demand deposits—an aggregate commonly known as M1—were equal to $65.9 million. In that same year, M2—an aggregate equal to M1 plus savings deposits, small time deposits, and money market mutual funds—was $88.3 million. The discount rate, the interest rate at which the central bank lends to financial institutions in the short term, was 6.5%.

There are no securities exchanges.

INSURANCE

No information is available.

PUBLIC FINANCE

Equatorial Guinea made its first standby loan agreement with the IMF in 1985 and negotiated a structural adjustment agreement in 1988. Government problems with budget overruns and a continuing, structural imbalance of trade frustrated IMF technicians, who stopped payments in 1990. Nonetheless, the government reduced the 1990 budget and enacted key portions of the structural adjustment program: import price liberalization, economic diversification, utility rate increases, clarification of property rights, and private sector stimulus. With these steps taken and with petroleum revenues increasing, the IMF restarted the blocked structural adjustment program in December 1991. By 1994, however, repeated human rights violations and the failure to enact economic reform led to the suspension of most foreign economic assistance. In 1998, the government privatized distribution of petroleum products; petroleum revenues, along with sales taxes and duties, account for two-thirds of government revenues.

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimated that in 2005 Equatorial Guinea's central government took in revenues of approximately $1.9 billion and had expenditures of $711.5 million. Revenues minus expenditures totaled approximately $1.2 billion. Total external debt was $248 million.

TAXATION

Equatorial Guinea has a standard corporate tax rate of 25%, with a minimum 1% rate on turnover. Capital gains are subject to a 25% tax rate, although the tax can be deferred if all of the proceeds are employed in the purchase of new fixed assets within the country within a three-year period or should a merger take place. Dividends paid to nonresidents are subject to a 40% tax. Interest and royalties (such as from intellectual property and/or patents) are also subject to the 40% rate.

CUSTOMS AND DUTIES

As a member of the six-nation Central African Economic Community (CEMAC), Equatorial Guinea shares customs systems and practices with its neighbors. The CEMAC makes trade with Central African countries much easier and more efficient. The tariff system is based on the CIF (cost, insurance, freight) value of imported goods, and is divided into four simple categories: basic necessities are taxed at a rate of 5%, raw materials and capital goods at 10%, intermediate and miscellaneous goods at 20%, and consumer goods at 30%. There is also a fiscal tax of 15–40% charged on all imports except alcohol and tobacco, for which there is a different rate, and a turnover tax of 5–12%.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Spain and France are the major aid donor countries working with the Equatorial Guinean government. Spain conditioned aid, however, on improvements in the human rights record and progress in the democratization effort. Other donors include China, Nigeria, and several other Western and Middle Eastern countries.

Foreign investment in the petroleum and lumber industries increased sharply during the late 1990s. Timber production increased by 70% in 1997 and petroleum production reached 85,000 barrels per day in the same year. Offshore drilling operations began production in 2000. In 2001, Equatorial Guinea had the world's fastest-growing economy as oil production, with ExxonMobile as the main producer, reached 200,000 barrels per day. The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) jumped from an average of $22 million a year in 1997 and 1998 to an average of $120 million in 1999 and 2000. FDI inflow was $88 million in 2001. However, between 2002 and 2004 FDI inflow averaged $1.14 billion per year. According to figures from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Equatorial Guinea received the thirdlargest amount of foreign direct investment in sub-Saharan Africa in 2004, totaling $1.66 billion.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

During the 1990s, in conjunction with Spain, Equatorial Guinea focused on education, health, administrative reform, and economic infrastructures with little success. According to a 1996 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, the production base of Equatorial Guinea was extremely small, the level of human capital very weak, and the country had no basic infrastructure. Mismanagement and corruption were widespread in public administration. US oil companies have invested in development of the country's infrastructure.

New oil and gas exploration and development of existing fields resulted in rapid growth in energy exports in the early 2000s. The government sold some state-owned enterprises, and attempted to establish a more favorable investment climate. As of 2005, there had been no formal agreements or arrangements with the IMF since 1996.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Old age, disability, sickness, and work injury laws cover employees, public officials, and military personnel. These programs are funded primarily from employers and the government, with a small contribution from the employee. Family allowances are also paid. Workers' medical benefits include free medical care, hospitalization, and medicine. However, subsistence farmers and agricultural workers are not covered by formal social security systems. The great majority of the population goes without potable water, electricity, basic education, or even minimal health care.

Women have the same legal rights as men, but in practice face discrimination. Male-dominated traditions and customs lead many parents to withdraw their daughters from school. Men are accorded favorable inheritance and property rights. Polygamy is common within the Fang ethnic group. Domestic violence against women is commonplace, and the government does not prosecute perpetrators. As of 2004, forced marriages were customary.

Human rights violations are commonplace. Human rights abuses include incommunicado detention, extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and searches without warrants.

HEALTH

The national health system of Equatorial Guinea consists of four levels: health posts in each village of 600 people, dispensaries in health centers with a qualified nurse at the intermediate level, district level hospitals, and two referral hospitals at the most centralized level. In 2004, there were an estimated 25 physicians, 40 nurses, 1 dentist, 1 pharmacist, and 2 midwives per 100,000 people.

In 2005, the infant mortality rate was estimated at 91.16 per 1,000 live births. The maternal mortality rate in 1990 was 820 women per 100,000 live births. Life expectancy in 2005 was 49.70 years, with an overall death rate of 12.9 per 1,000 people.

Major health problems (1992 data) are preventable diseases, mainly malaria (increasingly chloroquine resistant), parasitic disease, upper respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, and complications of pregnancy. In the continental zone, sickle cell anemia is common. Approximately 61% of the country's children were immunized against measles between 1991 and 1994.

The HIV/AIDS prevalence was 3.40 per 100 adults in 2003. As of 2004, there were approximately 5,900 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. There were an estimated 370 deaths from AIDS in 2003.

HOUSING

In 1995 there were about 50,000 households with an average of eight persons per household.

EDUCATION

Education is free and compulsory from 6 to 11 years of age. Primary education is for five years followed by four years of secondary in the first stage and three subsequent years of secondary education in the second stage.

In 2001, about 35% of children between the ages of three and six were enrolled in some type of preschool program. Primary school enrollment in 2001 was estimated at about 87% of age-eligible students; 93% for boys and 81% for girls. The same year, secondary school enrollment was about 24% of all age-eligible students. It is estimated that about 45% of all students complete their primary education. The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was at about 43:1 in 2000; the ratio for secondary school was about 23:1.

The Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial is the primary institute of higher learning. The adult literacy rate for 2004 was estimated at about 84.2%, with 92.1% for men and 76.4% for women. As of 2003, public expenditure on education was estimated at 0.6% of GDP, or 1.6% of total government expenditures.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

The Malabo Public Library, housed in three branches, contains some 17,000 volumes. The Claretian Mission at Malabo has about 4,000 volumes of Africana and Guineana, and an archaeological-ethnographic museum. In Santa Isabel, the Mission Ethnological Museum houses a collection of the art of the Bubus people and stone sculptures of the Druids.

MEDIA

In 2003, there were only about 9,600 mainline telephones in use throughout the country. The same year, there were about 41,500 mobile phones in use nationwide.

Equatorial Guinea has two government-owned radio stations broadcasting in Spanish, French, and local languages, including Fang, Bubi, and Combe. The only privately owned radio station is held by Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the president's son. There is one television station, also government-owned. Cable television is also available. In 1997, there were about 180,000 radios and 4,000 televisions nationwide. In 2002, there were 1,800 Internet subscribers served by three service providers.

Poto Poto, published in Spanish and Fang, may be the only daily national newspaper. There were five general-interest newspapers published regularly in 2002. La Gaceta, a monthly publication with informal connections to the Government; El Correo Guineo Ecuatoriano, a bimonthly newspaper published by the Gaceta group; La Opinion, an opposition newspaper published every 2 to 3 weeks; El Tiempo, an opposition newspaper; and Ebano, a twice monthly publication of the Ministry of Information, Tourism, and Culture. Egyptian Mail is a national English-language publication.

Although the constitution of Equatorial Guinea provides for free speech and a free press, the government is said to severely restrict these freedoms in practice, censoring all criticism of the president and security forces. Access to foreign publications is limited.

ORGANIZATIONS

The government generally restricts the formation of nongovernmental organizations and associations. Apart from official and semiofficial organizations, most non government organizations are religious societies and sports clubs. In 2004, the only recognized labor union was the Small Farmers Syndicate. There is also and Equatorial Guinea Press Association. There is an International Lion's Club and the Red Cross has an active chapter.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

Because Equatorial Guinea has undergone many years of international isolation, its tourism industry is very undeveloped, with limited hotel space available in Malabo and Bata. Attractions include the Spanish colonial architecture of Malabo, the beaches, and the tropical rain forests. A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required. A valid passport is needed; there are no visa requirements.

In 2004, the US Department of State estimated the cost of staying in Equatorial Guinea at $218 per day.

FAMOUS EQUATORIAL GUINEANS

Francisco Macías Nguema (1924–79) was president until his overthrow and execution in 1979. His successor, Lt.-Col. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (b.1946), has ruled Equatorial Guinea since 1979.

DEPENDENCIES

Equatorial Guinea has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dun and Bradstreet's Export Guide to Equatorial Guinea. Parsippany, N.J.: Dun and Bradstreet, 1999.

Fegley, Randall. Equatorial Guinea. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio, 1991.

Liniger-Goumaz, Max. Historical Dictionary of Equatorial Guinea. 3rd ed. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2000.

Sundiata, I. K. Equatorial Guinea: Colonialism, State Terror, and the Search for Stability. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1990.

Zeilig, Leo and David Seddon. A Political and Economic Dictionary of Africa. Philadelphia: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 2005.

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