:: Equatorial Guinea 
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Background | Geography | People
:: Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.
::Geography Location: | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon | Geographic coordinates: | 2 00 N, 10 00 E | Map references: | Africa | Area: | total: 28,051 sq km
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 sq km | 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, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | Geography - note: | insular and continental regions widely separated |
::People Population: | 540,109 (July 2006 est.) | Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.) | Median age: | total: 18.8 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.4 years (2006 est.) | Population growth rate: | 2.05% (2006 est.) | Birth rate: | 35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Death rate: | 15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) | Infant mortality rate: | total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) | Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.54 years
male: 48 years
female: 51.13 years (2006 est.) | Total fertility rate: | 4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.) | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.4% (2001 est.) | HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 5,900 (2001 est.) | HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 370 (2001 est.) | Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005) | Nationality: | noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean | Ethnic groups: | Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish | Religions: | nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices | Languages: | Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo | Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7%
male: 93.3%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
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