2018 Edition

Background

Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule; it is one of the smallest countries in Africa consisting of a mainland territory and five inhabited islands. The capital of Malabo is located on the island of Bioko, approximately 25 km from the Cameroonian coastline in the Gulf of Guinea. Between 1968 and 1979, autocratic President Francisco MACIAS NGUEMA virtually destroyed all of the country's political, economic, and social institutions before being deposed by his nephew Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO in a coup. President OBIANG has ruled since October 1979 and was reelected in 2016. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, presidential and legislative elections since 1996 have generally been labeled as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has placed legal and bureaucratic barriers that prevent 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, the drop in global oil prices has placed significant strain on the state budget. Equatorial Guinea continues to seek to diversify its economy and to increase foreign investment despite limited improvements in the population's living standards. Equatorial Guinea is the host of major regional and international conferences and continues to seek a greater role in regional affairs.

Area

land

28,051 sq km

total

28,051 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

296 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

mean elevation

577 m

note

3008 highest point: Pico Basile

Environment Current Issues

deforestation (forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and grazing); desertification; water pollution (tap water is non-potable); wildlife preservation

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

2 00 N, 10 00 E

Geography Note

insular and continental regions widely separated; despite its name, no part of the Equator passes through Equatorial Guinea; the mainland part of the country is located just north of the Equator

Irrigated Land

NA

Land Boundaries

border countries (2)

Cameroon 183 km, Gabon 345 km

total

528 km

Land Use

arable land: 4.3% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 2.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 3.7% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

10.1% (2011 est.)

forest

57.5% (2011 est.)

other

32.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

violent windstorms; flash floodsvolcanism: Santa Isabel (3,007 m), which last erupted in 1923, is the country's only historically active volcano; Santa Isabel, along with two dormant volcanoes, form Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea

Natural Resources

petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay

Population Distribution

only two large cities over 30,000 people (Bata on the mainland, and the capital Malabo on the island of Bioko); small communities are scattered throughout the mainland and the five inhabited islands

Terrain

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Age Structure

0-14 years

39.46% (male 159,814 /female 154,860)

15-24 years

19.8% (male 80,368 /female 77,515)

25-54 years

32.34% (male 129,248 /female 128,664)

55-64 years

4.46% (male 15,428 /female 20,176)

65 years and over

3.94% (male 13,000 /female 18,384) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

31.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

5.6% (2010)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

12.6% (2011)

Death Rate

7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest and least populated countries in continental Africa and is the only independent African country where Spanish is an official language. Despite a boom in oil production in the 1990s, authoritarianism, corruption, and resource mismanagement have concentrated the benefits among a small elite. These practices have perpetuated income inequality and unbalanced development, such as low public spending on education and health care. Unemployment remains problematic because the oil-dominated economy employs a small labor force dependent on skilled foreign workers. The agricultural sector, Equatorial Guinea’s main employer, continues to deteriorate because of a lack of investment and the migration of rural workers to urban areas. About three-quarters of the population lives below the poverty line.Equatorial Guinea’s large and growing youth population – about 60% are under the age of 25 – is particularly affected because job creation in the non-oil sectors is limited, and young people often do not have the skills needed in the labor market. Equatorial Guinean children frequently enter school late, have poor attendance, and have high dropout rates. Thousands of Equatorial Guineans fled across the border to Gabon in the 1970s to escape the dictatorship of MACIAS NGUEMA; smaller numbers have followed in the decades since. Continued inequitable economic growth and high youth unemployment increases the likelihood of ethnic and regional violence.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

20.6 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

67.5 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

62.7 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 72.5% of population

rural: 31.5% of population

total: 47.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 27.5% of population

rural: 68.5% of population

total: 52.1% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic Groups

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

Health Expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

6.5% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

1,900 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

53,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

62.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

64.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

63.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

66.2 years (2018 est.)

male

63.8 years (2018 est.)

total population

65 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

93% (2015 est.)

male

97.4% (2015 est.)

total population

95.3% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies (2016)

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

297,000 MALABO (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

342 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

20.4 years (2018 est.)

male

19.5 years

total

19.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

noun

Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

8% (2016)

Population

797,457 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.41% (2018 est.)

Religions

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 79.9% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 71% of population (2015 est.)

total: 74.5% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 20.1% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 29% of population (2015 est.)

total: 25.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.29 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

72.1% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

3 45 N, 8 47 E

name

Malabo; note - a new capital of Oyala is being built on the mainland near Djibloho; Malabo is on the island of Bioko

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Equatorial Guinea

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or supported by three-fourths of the membership in either house of the National Assembly; passage requires three-fourths majority vote by both houses of the Assembly and approval in a referendum if requested by the president; amended several times, last in 2012 (2017)

history

previous 1968, 1973, 1982; approved by referendum 17 November 1991 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

conventional short form

Equatorial Guinea

etymology

the country is named for the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; the "equatorial" refers to the fact that the country lies just north of the Equator

former

Spanish Guinea

local long form

Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee Equatoriale

local short form

Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee Equatoriale

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Julie FURUTA-TOY (since January 2016)

embassy

Carretera Malabo II, Malabo, Guinea Ecuatorial

mailing address

US Embassy Malabo, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520

telephone

[240] 333 09 57 41

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Miguel Ntutumu EVUNA ANDEME (since 23 February 2015)

consulate(s) general

Houston

FAX

[1] (202) 518-5252

telephone

[1] (202) 518-5700

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup); Vice President Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mangue(since 2012)

election results

Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (PDGE) 93.5%, other 6.5%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 April 2016 (next to be held in 2023); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Eyegue OBAMA Asue (since 23 June 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Clemente Engonga NGUEMA Onguene (since 23 June 2016); Second Deputy Prime Minister Andres Jorge Mbomio Nsem ABUA (since 23 June 2016); Third Deputy Prime Minister Alfonso Nsue MOKUY (since 23 June 2016)

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

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

12 October 1968 (from Spain)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, IPU, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice - who is also chief of state - and 9 judges and organized into civil, criminal, commercial, labor, administrative, and customary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 4 members)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president, 2 of which are nominated by the Chamber of Deputies

subordinate courts

Court of Guarantees; military courts; Courts of Appeal; first instance tribunals; district and county tribunals

Legal System

mixed system of civil and customary law

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral National Assembly or Asemblea Nacional consists of:Senate or Senado (70 seats; 55 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 15 appointed by the president) Chamber of Deputies or Camara de los Diputados (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed paryt-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

  Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 75; composition - men 60, women 10, percent of women 14.3% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 99, CI 1; composition - men 78, women 22, percent of women 22%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 18.8%

elections

Senate - last held on 12 November 2017 (next to be held in 2022) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 12 November 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed)

name

"Caminemos pisando la senda" (Let Us Tread the Path)

note

adopted 1968

National Holiday

Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

National Symbol S

silk cotton tree; national colors: green, white, red, blue

Political Parties And Leaders

Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Andres ESONO ONDO]Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo]Electoral Coalition or ECFront of Democratic Opposiiton or FOD (coalition includes CPDS, FDR, UP)Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Carmelo MBA BACALE]Popular Union or UP [Daniel MARTINEZ AYECABA]not officially registered parties: Democratic Republican Force or FDR [Guillermo NGUEMA ELA]; Citizens for Innovation or CI [Gabriel Nse Obiang OBONO]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Union for the Center Right or UDC [Avelino MOCACHE MEAENGA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber

Budget

expenditures

2.523 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

2.114 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-3.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

8.5% (31 December 2010)

4.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

15% (31 December 2017 est.)

14% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$738 million (2017 est.)

-$1.457 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$1.211 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.074 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Economy Overview

Exploitation of oil and gas deposits, beginning in the 1990s, has driven economic growth in Equatorial Guinea; a recent rebasing of GDP resulted in an upward revision of the size of the economy by approximately 30%. Forestry and farming are minor components of GDP. Although preindependence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy since independence has diminished the potential for agriculture-led growth. Subsistence farming is the dominant form of livelihood. Declining revenue from hydrocarbon production, high levels of infrastructure expenditures, lack of economic diversification, and corruption have pushed the economy into decline in recent years and limited improvements in the general population’s living conditions. Equatorial Guinea’s real GDP growth has been weak in recent years, averaging -0.5% per year from 2010 to 2014, because of a declining hydrocarbon sector. Inflation remained very low in 2016, down from an average of 4% in 2014.As a middle income country, Equatorial Guinea is now ineligible for most low-income World Bank and the IMF funding. The government has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and misuse of oil revenues and has attempted to address this issue by working toward compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. US foreign assistance to Equatorial Guinea is limited in part because of US restrictions pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.Equatorial Guinea hosted two economic diversification symposia in 2014 that focused on attracting investment in five sectors: agriculture and animal ranching, fishing, mining and petrochemicals, tourism, and financial services. Undeveloped mineral resources include gold, zinc, diamonds, columbite-tantalite, and other base metals. In 2017 Equatorial Guinea signed a preliminary agreement with Ghana to sell liquefied natural gas (LNG); as oil production wanes, the government believes LNG could provide a boost to revenues, but it will require large investments and long lead times to develop.

Exchange Rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

605.3 (2017 est.)

593.01 (2016 est.)

593.01 (2015 est.)

591.45 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exports

$6.118 billion (2017 est.)

$5.042 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

petroleum products, timber

Exports Partners

China 28%, India 11.8%, South Korea 10.3%, Portugal 8.7%, US 6.9%, Spain 4.9% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

56.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

21.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

50% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-39% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

10.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

2.5% (2017 est.)

industry

54.6% (2017 est.)

services

42.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$12.49 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$37,400 (2017 est.)

$39,700 (2016 est.)

$44,600 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$31.52 billion (2017 est.)

$32.57 billion (2016 est.)

$35.62 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

-3.2% (2017 est.)

-8.6% (2016 est.)

-9.1% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

6.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

3.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

8.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

$2.577 billion (2017 est.)

$2.915 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

petroleum sector equipment, other equipment, construction materials, vehicles

Imports Partners

Spain 20.5%, China 19.4%, US 13%, Cote dIvoire 6.2%, Netherlands 4.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-6.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

petroleum, natural gas, sawmilling

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

0.7% (2017 est.)

1.4% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

195,200 (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

44% (2011 est.)

Public Debt

37.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

43.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$45.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$62.31 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.467 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

(31 December 2009 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$2.806 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.254 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.467 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

16.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8.6% (2014 est.)

22.3% (2009 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

3.062 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

308,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

188,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

48% (2013)

electrification - total population

66% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

93% (2013)

population without electricity

300,000 (2013)

Electricity Consumption

465 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

61% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

38% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

331,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

500 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

1.189 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

4.878 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

6.069 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

5,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

5,094 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total

3,382 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station, 1 private TV station owned by the president's eldest son, 1 state-owned radio station, and 1 private radio station owned by the president's eldest son; satellite TV service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible (2013)

Internet Country Code

.gq

Internet Users

percent of population

23.8% (July 2016 est.)

total

180,597 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

fixed-line density is about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2016 stood at about 70 percent (2017)

general assessment

digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and decent mobile cellular coverage; 3G technology has allowed for estimated growth of 9.5% during 2016 -2021; mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment 2016-2021 (2017)

international

country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

10,989 (July 2016 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

74 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

575,650 (July 2016 est.)

Airports

7 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

2 (2017)

over 3,047 m

1 (2017)

total

6 (2017)

under 914 m

2 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

3C (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 7, oil tanker 8, other 24 (2017)

total

40 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

461,650 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

400,759 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

15 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

6 (2015)

Pipelines

42 km condensate, 5 km condensate/gas, 79 km gas, 71 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Bioko Island

major seaport(s)

Bata, Luba, Malabo

Roadways

total

2,880 km (2000)

Military Branches

Equatorial Guinea Armed Forces (FAGE): Equatorial Guinea National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, GNGE (Army), Navy, Air Force (2013)

Military Expenditures

0.18% of GDP (2016)

0.78% of GDP (2014)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for selective compulsory military service, although conscription is rare in practice; 2-year service obligation; women hold only administrative positions in the Navy (2013)

Disputes International

in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delayed final delimitationUN urged Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Equatorial Guinea is a source country for children subjected to sex trafficking and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor; Equatorial Guinean girls may be encouraged by their parents to engage in the sex trade in urban centers to receive groceries, gifts, housing, and money; children are also trafficked from nearby countries for work as domestic servants, market laborers, ambulant vendors, and launderers; women are trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from Cameroon, Benin, other neighboring countries, and China for forced labor or prostitution

tier rating

Tier 3 – Equatorial Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards on the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made no efforts to investigate or prosecute any suspected trafficking offenders or to identify or protect victims, despite its 2004 law prohibiting all forms of trafficking and mandating the provision of services to victims; undocumented migrants continued to be deported without being screened to assess whether any were trafficking victims; authorities did not undertake any trafficking awareness campaigns, implement any programs to address forced child labor, or make any other efforts to prevent trafficking (2015)