Equatorial Guinea: Background & Geography

Introduction Equatorial Guinea
Background:
 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 OBIANG NGUEM MBASOGO has ruled the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle, then President MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely seen as being flawed. The president controls most opposition parties through the judicious use of patronage. 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 country's living standards.
Geography Equatorial Guinea
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 28,051 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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 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:
 oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium, titanium, iron ore
Land use:
 arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (1998 est.)
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 rather widely separated

See Also: