Equatorial Guinea

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

total: 180,597 | percent of population: 23.8% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Telephone system

general assessment: digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and decent mobile cellular coverage | domestic: fixed-line density is about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2016 stood at about 70 percent of the population | 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

total subscriptions: 10,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 541,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $3.22 billion | expenditures: $3.461 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Central bank discount rate

8.5% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 37

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14% (31 December 2016 est.) | 14% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Current account balance

$-1.067 billion (2016 est.) | $-1.215 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Debt - external

$1.074 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.131 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

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. | Foreign assistance programs by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement, and as a middle income country Equatorial Guinea is now ineligible for most low-income donor 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.

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.) | 510.53 (2012 est.)

Exports

$5.042 billion (2016 est.) | $7.071 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Exports - commodities

petroleum products, timber

Exports - partners

India 19.4%, China 13.5%, South Korea 13.2%, Spain 12.3%, Italy 5.1%, Netherlands 5.1%, US 4.1% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.18 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$31.18 billion (2016 est.) | $34.09 billion (2015 est.) | $37.11 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 128

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 54.3% | government consumption: 25% | investment in fixed capital: 28.4% | investment in inventories: 0.2% | exports of goods and services: 55.5% | imports of goods and services: -63.4% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.3% | industry: 57.2% | services: 40.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$38,000 (2016 est.) | $43,200 (2015 est.) | $48,800 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 46

GDP - real growth rate

-9.7% (2016 est.) | -9.1% (2015 est.) | -0.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 220

Gross national saving

0.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 17.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 35.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.862 billion (2016 est.) | $3.394 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Imports - commodities

petroleum sector equipment, other equipment, construction materials, vehicles

Imports - partners

US 23.3%, Spain 21.8%, China 12.8% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

-10.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Industries

petroleum, natural gas, sawmilling

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2016 est.) | 1.7% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Labor force

195,200 (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Population below poverty line

44% (2011 est.)

Public debt

23.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 15.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$62.31 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.205 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Stock of broad money

$1.864 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.208 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Stock of domestic credit

$2.254 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.557 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Stock of narrow money

$1.467 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.79 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Taxes and other revenues

27.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Unemployment rate

8.6% (2014 est.) | 22.3% (2009 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.7 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Crude oil - exports

278,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Crude oil - production

227,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Crude oil - proved reserves

1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 42

Electricity - consumption

395.3 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Electricity - from fossil fuels

55.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

44.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Electricity - installed generating capacity

334,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity - production

425 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Electricity access

population without electricity: 300,000 | electrification - total population: 66% | electrification - urban areas: 93% | electrification - rural areas: 48% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

2.05 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Natural gas - exports

5.01 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Natural gas - production

6.2 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Natural gas - proved reserves

36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 68

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,200 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,197 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Area

total: 28,051 sq km | land: 28,051 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 146

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

296 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 577 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Environment - current issues

tap water is non-potable; deforestation

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total: 528 km | border countries (2): Cameroon 183 km, Gabon 345 km

Land use

agricultural land: 10.1% | arable land 4.3%; permanent crops 2.1%; permanent pasture 3.7% | forest: 57.5% | other: 32.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

violent windstorms; flash floods | volcanism: 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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Malabo; note - a new capital of Oyala is being built on the mainland near Djibloho; Malabo is on the island of Bioko | geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E | 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

history: previous 1968, 1973, 1982; approved by referendum 17 November 1991 | 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)

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 | 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

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Miguel Ntutumu EVUNA ANDEME (since 23 February 2015) | chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 | telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 | FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252 | consulate(s) general: Houston

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 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) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president | 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 | election results: Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG Nguema Mbasogo (PDGE) 93.5%, other 6.5%

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

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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, formerly the unicameral Parliament, consists of the Senate or Senado (70 seats; 55 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 15 appointed by the president) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de los Deputados (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the constitutional referendum of 2011 established the Senate and was implemented at the time of the May 2013 elections | elections: last held on 26 May 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 54, CPDS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 99, CPDS 1

National anthem

name: "Caminemos pisando la senda" (Let Us Tread the Path) | lyrics/music: Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed) | 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 EC | Front 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 | Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO] | Union for the Center Right or UDC [Avelino MOCACHE MEAENGA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform) | Coalicion CEIBA (group formed by diverse, exiled political parties) | C.O.R.E.D. [Raimundo Ela NSANG] (based in Paris) | EG Justice (US-based anti-corruption group)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.81% (male 157,388/female 152,469) | 15-24 years: 19.72% (male 78,145/female 75,348) | 25-54 years: 32.15% (male 125,108/female 125,096) | 55-64 years: 4.37% (male 14,676/female 19,349) | 65 years and over: 3.95% (male 12,808/female 17,971) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

32.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.6% (2010) | country comparison to the world: 87

Contraceptive prevalence rate

12.6% (2011)

Death rate

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

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

total dependency ratio: 67.5 | youth dependency ratio: 62.7 | elderly dependency ratio: 4.8 | potential support ratio: 20.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 72.5% of population | rural: 31.5% of population | total: 47.9% of population | 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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

6.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<1000 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

35,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 63

Health expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 165

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 65.2 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 64.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.6 years | male: 63.4 years | female: 65.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 95.3% | male: 97.4% | female: 93% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: malaria and dengue fever | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

MALABO (capital) 145,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

342 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Median age

total: 19.8 years | male: 19.3 years | female: 20.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Nationality

noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) | adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 156

Population

778,358 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

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

Population growth rate

2.44% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Religions

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Sanitation facility access

urban: 79.9% of population | rural: 71% of population | total: 74.5% of population | urban: 20.1% of population | rural: 29% of population | total: 25.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.39 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Urbanization

urban population: 40.3% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

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 delimitation; UN 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)

Airports

7 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 166

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | under 914 m: 2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

3C (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 5 | by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3 | foreign-owned: 1 (Norway 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 125

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 6 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 15 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 400,759 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 461,650 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Bata, Luba, Malabo | LNG terminal(s) (export): Bioko Island

Roadways

total: 2,880 km (2000) | country comparison to the world: 168