Country Profile: Equatorial Guinea

Geography

Central Africa bordering the Atlantic Coast (facing the Americas), equivalent to 167 by 167 kilometers (105 by 105 miles).

Government

Independence from Spain in 1968. One-man rule by President Obiang Nguema since he came to power in a coup in 1978. Phony elections gave him a 99 percent win in elections in 1996 - the country's first multi-party elections. Transparency International puts the country in its list of the top ten countries for worst corruption. Nguema's government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and of suppressing political opposition.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Estimate per capita GDP :
2007 $44,100 (ranks 12th)

GDP annual growth rate estimated for 2007: 12.7 percent. (Ranks 7th.)

The 2005 per capita GDP figure would be a third lower ($37,650) if oppressions by the Nguema regime in the 1970s had not inspired a third of the population to flee.

GDP real growth estimated for 2005: 18.6 percent

Factbook: "The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates."

Oil production (2005 estimate): 420,000 barrels per day, compared to 9.47 million per day in 2005 by Saudi Arabia. For Equatorial Guinea this was 5.4 barrels per person per week, compared to 2.7 barrels per person for Saudi Arabia.

Exports petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa.

Little of the profits from the sale of petroleum has accrued to the common people of Equatorial Guinea.

Deaths and Births per 1,000 persons, estimated for the year 2008

Deaths: 9.72, down from 15.01 in 2007. Births: 37.04, down from 38.18 in 2005.

Population

Estimated for July 2008: 616,459, up from 535,881 in 2005. Growth rate estimated for 2008: 2.732 percent per year.

Population density: 16.6 per square kilometer. (2005)

Health

Infant mortality estimated for 2008: 83.75, up from 85.13 in 2005 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births)

Average life expectancy estimated for 2008: 61.23 years, up from 55.56 in 2005

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 3.4 percent (2001).