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

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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

Equatorial Guinea fans' violence: 'I was choking, my eyes burning' - The Guardian The Guardian Equatorial Guinea fans' violence: 'I was choking, my eyes burning' The Guardian “This is the minister of sport of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,” a disembodied voice said. “I want to urge you all to calm down and cooperate with the police. We are sending a poor image about our country …” The crowd responded with boos and ... Africa Cup of Nations: Equatorial Guinea fined for crowd troubleBBC Sport AFCON: Ghana reach final with 3-0 win over Equatorial Guinea amid crowd troubleSkySports Ghana 3-0 Equatorial Guinea AFCON 2015: Avram Grant leads Black Stars into ...Daily Mail ESPN FC -StarAfrica.com all 1,548 news articles » Equatorial Guinea stun Tunisia - CNN (blog) CNN (blog) Equatorial Guinea stun Tunisia CNN (blog) But a controversial penalty decision in injury time handed Equatorial Guinea a lifeline. Spain-born striker Javier Balboa, who was once on Real Madrid's books, scored and sent the game into extra time and towards an ecstatic, and violent, conclusion. Hosts Equatorial Guinea reach ANC semis with help of late penalty decisionESPN FC Level of refereeing must improve – Prince Ali on Equatorial Guinea-Tunisia ...Goal.com Tunisia 1-2 Equatorial Guinea AFCON 2015: Riot police intervene as dubious ...Daily Mail AllAfrica.com -SkySports all 797 news articles » Equatorial Guinea fined £65000 and ordered to pay for treatment of Ghana fans ... - Daily Mail Daily Mail Equatorial Guinea fined £65000 and ordered to pay for treatment of Ghana fans ... Daily Mail Equatorial Guinea may have had a lighter punishment had their supporters behaved until Thursday's incident, but the CAF pointed out it was a third offence, after trouble involving the home fans in previous tournament games against Gabon and Tunisia. Equatorial Guinea fined for fan turmoil in African Nations Cup semiESPN FC A first-hand account of the frightening scenes during Equatorial Guinea v GhanaYahoo Eurosport UK (blog) DR Congo spot-on to deny Equatorial Guinea third place in low-key affairThe Guardian FRANCE 24 -BBC Sport all 1,029 news articles » Letter from Equatorial Guinea: forget human rights – here comes the football - New Statesman New Statesman Letter from Equatorial Guinea: forget human rights – here comes the football New Statesman The city, at the western edge of Equatorial Guinea, has a population of 7,000 and boasts the second-largest basilica in Africa, along with a compact football stadium, both with a capacity of almost 10,000. The Americans have just finished building a ... The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations is over, but what next for Equatorial Guinea?ESPN FC (blog) all 50 news articles » Equatorial Guinea sees Gospel growth - Mission Network News Mission Network News Equatorial Guinea sees Gospel growth Mission Network News Equatorial Guinea (MNN) — Distributing Bibles in Equatorial Guinea is a challenge, according to Operation World. And yet, God's Kingdom is growing in the tiny West African nation. World Mission Executive Director Greg Kelley says one of their teams ... Equatorial Guinea Expels Illegal Immigrants - Voice of America Voice of America Equatorial Guinea Expels Illegal Immigrants Voice of America KIOSSI, CAMEROON—. Equatorial Guinea has expelled hundreds of economic immigrants who took advantage of the just ended African Cup of Nations football (soccer) competition to enter the country. The nation has restricted immigration since it became ... Rio's Carnival Cozied Up to Equatorial Guinea's Brutal Dictator. But Why is ... - Global Voices Online Global Voices Online Rio's Carnival Cozied Up to Equatorial Guinea's Brutal Dictator. But Why is ... Global Voices Online Brazil's press and social media have been in a frenzy the past week after Beija-Flor samba school was crowned champion of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival amid allegations it received funding from Equatorial Guinea's dictatorship government. The samba school ... and more » Equatorial Guinea: Inequality sees 'poverty thrive' - BBC News BBC News Equatorial Guinea: Inequality sees 'poverty thrive' BBC News Ten years ago, Equatorial Guinea had one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In a country whose president, Teodoro Obiang, is thought to be one of the richest men in Africa, the wealth does not appear to be trickling down. Speaking to the ... and more » New Equatorial Guinea Ambassador To The United States Presents Credentials ... - PR Newswire (press release) PR Newswire (press release) New Equatorial Guinea Ambassador To The United States Presents Credentials ... PR Newswire (press release) The United States and Equatorial Guinea have maintained diplomatic relations since the Equatorial Guinea's independence from Spain in 1968. American companies have been instrumental in developing the country's petroleum sector, which has been the ... Allegations Equatorial Guinea funded Brazilian samba group sparks Carnival ... - Greenfield Daily Reporter Allegations Equatorial Guinea funded Brazilian samba group sparks Carnival ... Greenfield Daily Reporter 2015, that the samba group received substantial funding from Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, one of Africa’s most notorious dictators, an allegation that has sparked controversy on the eve of Brazil’s Carnival celebrations ... and more »