President: Col. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (1979)
Prime Minister: Vicente Ehate Tomi (2012)
Total area: 10,830 sq mi (28,050 sq km)
Population (2014 est.): 722,254 (growth rate: 2.54%); birth rate: 33.83/1000; infant mortality rate: 71.12/1000; life expectancy: 63.49
Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Malabo, 137,000
Monetary unit: CFA Franc
National name: Républica de Guinea Ecuatorial
Languages: Spanish (official) 67.6%, other (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) 32.4% (1994 census)
Ethnicity/race: Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other 1.4% (1994 census)
National Holiday: Independence Day, October 12
Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Literacy rate: 94.2% (2011 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $19.68 billion; per capita $25,700 (2011 est.). Real growth rate: –1.5%. Inflation: 6%. Unemployment: 22.3% (2009 est.). Arable land: 4.63%. Agriculture: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber. Labor force: 195,200 (2007). Industries: petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay. Exports: $15.44 billion (2013 est.): petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa. Imports: $7.943 billion (2013 est.): petroleum sector equipment, other equipment. Major trading partners: U.S., China, Spain, France, Netherlands, Côte d’Ivoire, Italy, Brazil (2012).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 14,900 (2012); mobile cellular: 501,000 (2012). 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 hosts: 7 (2012). Internet users: 14,400 (2009).
Transportation: Railways: total: 0 km. Highways: total: 2,880 km (2000 est.). Ports and harbors: Bata, Luba, Malabo. Airports: 7 (2013).
Fun Facts
- Has Spanish as the official language
- Home to the Goliath frog
- The country is building a new capital, expected completion is 2020