Country	Equatorial Guinea
Capital	Malabo
Continent	Africa
Currency	Central African CFA franc(XAF)
Languages	Spanish, French, Portuguese, Fang, Bube, Igbo, Pidgin English & Annobonese

Locaion

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic Co ordinates

2 00 N, 10 00 E

Land Boundries

Total: 539 km
Border countries:Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Geography - note

insular and continental regions widely separated

Population

650,702 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:166

Nationality

Noun:Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
Adjective:Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups

Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other 1.4% (1994 census)

Religions

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Languages

Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)

Country Name

Conventional long form:Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Conventional short form:Equatorial Guinea
Local long form:Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale
Local short form:Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale
Former:Spanish Guinea

Government Type

republic

Capital

Name:Malabo
Geographic coordinates:3 45 N, 8 47 E
Time difference:UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Independence

12 October 1968 (from Spain)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Constitution

approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995

Legal system

partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
Head of government:Prime Minister Ignacio Milan TANG (since 8 July 2008)
Cabinet:Council of Ministers appointed by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in 2016); 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 95.8%, Placido Mico ABOGO 3.6%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Legislative branch

unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections:last held on 4 May 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 89, EC 10, CPDS 1
note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal

Political Parties and Leaders

Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MICO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Electoral Coalition or EC; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Avelino MOCACHE]; Popular Union or UP

Political pressure groups and leaders

ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP (associate), FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
Chancery:2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone:[1] (202) 518-5700
FAX:[1] (202) 518-5252

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Alberto M. FERNANDEZ
Embassy:K-3, Carreterade Aeropuerto, al lado de Restaurante El Paraiso, Malabo; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
Mailing address:B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
Telephone:[237] 2220-1500
FAX:[237] 2220-1572

Flag description

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); green symbolizes the jungle and natural resources, blue represents the sea that connects the mainland to the islands, white stands for peace, and red recalls the fight for independence

Video

View Larger Map

Government - Government - Equatorial Guinea Honorary Consulate - Equatorial Guinea
                              Education - Equatorial Guinea
Newspapers -  AllAfrica - Equatorial Guinea Guineequatoriale-info.net IRIN Equatorial Guinea
                              Afrique Centrale - Guinée Equatoriale Bisila.com Guinea-Ecuatorial.net
                              Le portail de Guinée Equatoriale d'informations
Tourism -         Tourism - Equatorial Guinea

Google News

Obiang keen to shed 'dark image' of Equatorial Guinea - BDlive BDlive Obiang keen to shed 'dark image' of Equatorial Guinea BDlive ON LAND cleared of tropical forest, gleaming new office towers, apartment blocks, homes and highways dazzle the eye in Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa's number three energy producer where oil and gas revenues have fed a frenzy of construction. Equatorial Guinea in P.R. Push to Improve ImageOilPrice.com all 21 news articles » INSIGHT - Equatorial Guinea seeks to shake off "oil curse" image - Reuters India INSIGHT - Equatorial Guinea seeks to shake off "oil curse" image Reuters India Thanks to a hydrocarbons boom, Equatorial Guinea boasts the highest GDP per capita in Africa, one not far from that of Saudi Arabia and above Chile and Greece. But there is a huge gulf between this and its human development ranking of 136 out of 187 ... Equatorial Guinea Oil & Gas Report Q2 2014 - New Market Report - ClickPress (press release) Equatorial Guinea Oil & Gas Report Q2 2014 - New Market Report ClickPress (press release) [ClickPress, Fri Mar 07 2014] Although the start of a number of small fields and continued interest in West Africa's deepwater are positive trends for Equatorial Guinea's oil and gas sector, the temporary recovery in oil production will gave way to ... Equatorial Guinea: Serious concerns for the safety of Mr Roberto Berardi, an ... - OMCT World Organisation Against Torture Equatorial Guinea: Serious concerns for the safety of Mr Roberto Berardi, an ... OMCT World Organisation Against Torture According to the information received, Mr Roberto Berardi has spent more than two months in isolation in the prison of Bata after receiving a visit from a representative of the Italian embassy in Cameroon (also covering Equatorial Guinea) on 14 ... No word on Equatorial Guinea prisoner - Eyewitness News No word on Equatorial Guinea prisoner Eyewitness News Businessman Daniel Janse van Rensburg has been held in the Black Beach prison in Equatorial Guinea for two months despite being found not guilty by that country's courts on a charge of theft. The prison, located on an island near the capital city of ... SA man still in Equatorial Guinea jail - Eyewitness News SA man still in Equatorial Guinea jail Eyewitness News Daniel Janse van Rensburg was imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea's Black Beach prison in Malabo on 18 December 2013. He was accused of stealing deposit money to buy an aeroplane by a businessman but was later found not guilty in court. It's been ... Equatorial Guinea Moves Closer to Becoming Portuguese Language Country - Global Voices Online Equatorial Guinea Moves Closer to Becoming Portuguese Language Country Global Voices Online The door has been opened for Equatorial Guinea to enter the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) despite the orienting principles of the intergovernmental organization which pledge “the primacy of peace, Democracy, the Rule of Law, ... and more » Airline from Equatorial Guinea wants to fly to Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and ... - Macauhub Airline from Equatorial Guinea wants to fly to Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and ... Macauhub Ceiba Intercontinental, an airline based in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, plans to start flying to Praia with a stopover in Sao Tomé, the capital of Sao Tome and Principe, the Cabo Verde secretary of state for Foreign Affairs said. José Luís Rocha, who ... CPLP members back the admission of Equatorial Guinea - The Portugal News The Portugal News CPLP members back the admission of Equatorial Guinea The Portugal News "We enthusiastically support the recommendation that Equatorial Guinea be admitted as a member of the CPLP," Guterres told Lusa in Maputo, Mozambique where he had attended the Foreign Ministers summit. "This means that the main conditions have ... Equatorial Guinea to Join Portuguese-Language Speaking CommunityPrensa Latina all 2 news articles » CPLP Ministers Support Equatorial Guinea Membership - AllAfrica.com CPLP Ministers Support Equatorial Guinea Membership AllAfrica.com Maputo — Equatorial Guinea's application for membership of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) has been accepted after it announced a moratorium on its use of the death penalty. The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of ... Equatorial Guinea moves towards Portuguese speaking countriesShanghai Daily (subscription) all 3 news articles »