The Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea^[5] is a country located in Middle Africa. It has two parts: a Continental Region (Río Muni), including several small offshore islands including Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico; and an insular region containing Annobón island and Bioko island (formerly Fernando Po) where the capital Malabo is situated. HP G62-120SS battery Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the east is the mainland region. HP G62-120SS battery Equatorial Guinea is bordered by Cameroon on the north, Gabon on the south and east, and the Gulf of Guinea on the west, where the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón. HP Pavilion DV6-1246EO battery Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name is suggestive of its location near both the equator and the Gulf of Guinea. Besides the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the Mediterranean coast next to Morocco, it is the only territory in mainland Africa with Spanish as the official language. Sony VAIO VPCS12V9E/B battery With an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi) Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries in continental Africa. It is also the richest per capita;^[6] however, the wealth is distributed very unevenly, with 70% of the population living under the United Nations Poverty Threshold of $2/day. Sony VGP-BPL7 battery With a population of 650,702, Equatorial Guinea is the third-smallest country in continental Africa.^[7] It is also the second smallest United Nations (UN) member from continental Africa. The discovery of sizeable petroleum reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country. HP F2299A battery Its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita ranks 28th in the world;^[8] however, most of the country's considerable oil wealth actually lies in the hands of only a few people. Equatorial Guinea has one of the worst human rights records in the world, HSTNN-LB51 battery consistently ranking among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House's annual survey of political and civil rights^[9] and Reporters Without Borders ranks President Obiang among its "predators" of press freedom.^[10] Out of 44 sub-Saharan countries, Equatorial Guinea ranks 9th highest in the Human Development Index (HDI) and 115th overall, which is among the medium HDI countries. Sony VGN-AW11XU/Q battery Geography Equatorial Guinea is located in west central Africa. The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni, which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south and five small islands, Bioko, Corisco,Annobón, Small Elobey and Great Elobey. HP 446506-001 battery Bioko, the site of the capital, Malabo, lies about 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of Cameroon. Annobón island is about 350 kilometers (220 mi) west-south-west of Cape Lopez in Gabon. Corisco and the two Elobey islands are in Corisco Bay, on the border of Río Muni and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea lies between latitudes 4°N and 2°S, and longitudes 5° and 12°E. HP Pavilion DV4-1365DX battery Despite its name, no part of the country's territory lies on the equator – it is entirely in the northern hemisphere, except for the insularAnnobón Province which is about 155 km south of the equator. Equatorial Guinea spans several ecoregions. Sony VAIO VGN-TZ190N/BC battery Río Muni region lies within the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forestsecoregion except for patches of Central African mangroves on the coast, especially in the Muni River estuary. TheCross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion covers most of Bioko and as well as the adjacent portions of Cameroonand Nigeria on the African mainland, Sony VAIO VGN-Z31WN/B battery and the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion covers the highlands of Bioko and nearby Mount Cameroon. The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests ecoregion covers all of Annobón, as well as São Tomé and Príncipe. HP Pavilion DV6-1215EE battery Climate Equatorial Guinea has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. From June to August, Río Muni is dry and Bioko wet; from December to February, the reverse occurs. In between there is gradual transition. Sony VGP-BPS22/A Battery Rain or mist occurs daily on Annobón, where a cloudless day has never been registered. The temperature at Malabo, Bioko, ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F), though on the southern Moka Plateau normal high temperatures are only21 °C (70 °F). In Río Muni, the average temperature is about 27 °C (81 °F). HP Pavilion DV4T-1400 CTO battery Annual rainfall varies from 1,930 mm (76 in) at Malabo to 10,920 mm (430 in) at Ureka, Bioko, but Río Muni is somewhat drier.^[11] History In the continental region that is now Equatorial Guinea there are believed to have been pygmies, of whom only isolated pockets remain in southern Río Muni. HP Pavilion DV6-1232ET battery Bantumigrations between the 18th and 20th centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang. Elements of the latter may have generated the Bubi, who emigrated toBioko from Cameroon and Rio Muni in several waves and succeeded former Neolithic populations. Sony VAIO VPCEB19GX battery The Annobón population, native to Angola, was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé island (São Tomé and Príncipe). The Portuguese explorer Fernão do Pó, seeking a path to India, is credited as being the first European to discover the island of Bioko in 1472. Sony VAIO VPCW12S1E/P battery He called it Formosa("Beautiful"), but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer. The islands of Fernando Pó and Annobón were colonized by Portugal in 1474. In 1778, the island, adjacent islets, and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger and Ogoue Rivers were ceded to Spain in exchange for territory in the American continent (Treaty of El Pardo, between Queen Maria I of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain). HP Pavilion DV6-1240EI battery Between 1778 and 1810, the territory of Equatorial Guinea depended administratively on the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, with seat in Buenos Aires. From 1827 to 1843, the United Kingdom established a base on the island to combat the slave trade,^[12] which was then moved to Sierra Leone upon agreement with Spain in 1843. HP Compaq HSTNN-LB51 battery In 1844, on restoration of Spanish sovereignty, it became known as the Territorios Españoles del Golfo de Guinea Ecuatorial. The mainland portion, Rio Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled by the Treaty of Paris in 1900, HP Pavilion DV4-1211TU battery and periodically, the mainland territories were united administratively under Spanish rule. Between 1926 and 1959 they were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea. In September 1968, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected first president of Equatorial Guinea, and independence was recognised on 12 October 1968. Lenovo S10-2 battery In July 1970, Nguema created a single-party state. Nguema’s reign of terror led to the death or exile of up to 1/3 of the country's population. Out of a population of 300,000, an estimated 80,000 had been killed.The economy collapsed, and skilled citizens and foreigners left.^[15] Apple MacBook Pro Battery Teodoro Obiang deposed Francisco Macías Nguema on 3 August 1979, in a bloody coup d'état. In 2011 the government announced it was planning a new capital in the country, named Djibloho. Politics The current president of Equatorial Guinea is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Dell Inspiron N5010 Battery The 1982 constitution of Equatorial Guinea, written following the 1979 deposition of dictator Francisco Macías Nguema and with help from the UN, gives the presidency extensive powers, including naming and dismissing members of the cabinet, making laws by decree, Sony Vaio P Battery dissolving the Chamber of Representatives, negotiating and ratifying treaties and serving as commander in chief of the armed forces. The Prime Minister, Ignacio Milam Tang is appointed by the President and operates under powers designated by the President. Dell Inspiron 1564 Battery On Christmas 1975, Macías had 150 alleged coup plotters executed to the sound of a band playing Mary Hopkin's tuneThose Were the Days in a national stadium.^[20] It is estimated that 100,000 people (approximately one-third of the population) were killed or fled into exile during Macías' reign.^[21] Lenovo S10-3 Battery President Obiang overthrew previous dictator Francisco Macías Nguema on 3 August 1979 in a bloody coup d'état. Since August 1979 some 12 real and perceived unsuccessful coup attempts have occurred. The 'real' coup attempts were often perpetrated in an attempt by rival elites to seize the state's economic resources.^[21] HP 530 Battery Under President Obiang, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, in April 2006, to establish a Social Development Fund in the country, implementing projects in the areas of health, education, women's affairs and the environment.^[22] Samsung R522 Battery Since 2005, MPRI, a U.S. based international policing consulting company, has worked in Equatorial Guinea to train police forces in appropriate human rights practices. In February 2010, Equatorial Guinea signed a contract with the MPRI subsidiary of the US defense corporation, L3 Communications for coastal surveillance and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. Dell Latitude D630 Battery  ^[23][24] Although President Obiang signed a national anti-torture decree in 2006 to ban all forms of abuse and improper treatment in Equatorial Guinea and commissioned the renovation and modernization of Black Beach prison in 2007 to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners,^[25] Acer Aspire 5515 Battery human rights abuses continue. Human Rights Watch andAmnesty International among other non-governmental organizations have documented severe human rights abuses in prisons, including torture, beatings, unexplained deaths and illegal detention.^[26][27] Under President Obiang, the basic infrastructure of Equatorial Guinea has also improved. Dell Studio 1735 Battery Asphalt now covers more than 80% of the national roads and ports and airports are being built across the entire country.^[28] Progress of this increase in infrastructure was confirmed in October 2011 when a British parliamentary delegation and press entourage toured the country as guests of the president. Toshiba Portege R200 Battery However, despite all the new infrastructure there were very few of its citizens who seemed to have access to it, with reports of empty three lane highways and many empty buildings during the course of the tour according to a journalist who represented The Guardian newspaper who formed part of the press entourage.^[29] Dell Vostro 1710 Battery According to a March 2004 BBC profile,^[30] politics within the country are currently dominated by tensions between Obiang's son, Teodorin, and other close relatives with powerful positions in the security forces. The tension may be rooted in power shift arising from the dramatic increase in oil production which has occurred since 1997. Hp Pavilion dv3-1000 Battery A November 2004 report^[31] named Mark Thatcher as a financial backer of a 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt to topple Obiang, organized by Simon Mann. Various accounts also name the United Kingdom's MI6, the United States' CIA, and Spain as having been tacit supporters of the coup attempt.^[32] HP Pavilion DV7-1261WM battery Nevertheless, theAmnesty International report released in June 2005^[33] on the ensuing trial of those allegedly involved highlighted the prosecution's failure to produce conclusive evidence that a coup attempt had actually taken place. Simon Mann was released from prison on 3 November 2009 for humanitarian reasons. HP Pavilion DV6-1299EA battery The presidential decree pardoning Mann from prison cites concerns about his physical health and the need for him to receive ongoing care in his home country.^[34] President Obiang was re-elected to serve an additional term in 2009 in an election deemed by the African Union as “in line with electoral law”.^[35] hp g6000 battery The President reappointed Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang and installed a new government in Equatorial Guinea on 12 January 2010.^[36] The new government is dedicated to strengthening the “cooperation and friendship” with the Barack Obama administration. HP Pavilion DV6-1210SA battery During a meeting on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly, President Obiang urged President Obama to institute a U.S–Africa summit, to strengthen the cooperation between the United States and Africa. Economy Pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings. Compaq Presario CQ71 battery On 1 January 1985, the country became the first non-Francophone African member of the franc zone, adopting the CFA as its currency. The national currency, the ekwele, was previously linked to the Spanish peseta.^[37] The discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. HP Pavilion DV7-1120EO battery As of 2004,^[38] Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its oil production has risen to 360,000 barrels per day (57,000 m³/d), up from 220,000 only two years earlier. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Sony VAIO VGN-FW160D battery Subsistence farming predominates. The deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished any potential for agriculture-led growth. In July 2004, the United States Senate published an investigation into Riggs Bank, a Washington-based bank into which most of Equatorial Guinea's oil revenues were paid until recently, and which also banked for Chile's Augusto Pinochet. HP Pavilion DV4-1220US battery The Senate report, as to Equatorial Guinea, showed that at least $35 million were siphoned off by Obiang, his family and senior officials of his regime. The president has denied any wrongdoing. While Riggs Bank in February 2005 paid $9 million as restitution for its banking for Chile's Augusto Pinochet, no restitution was made with regard to Equatorial Guinea, Sony VAIO VPCW12S1E/P battery as reported in detail in an Anti-Money Laundering Report from Inner City Press.^[39] Equatorial Guinea is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).^[40] Equatorial Guinea tried to become validated as an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)–compliant country, HP Compaq 491278-001 battery working toward transparency in reporting of oil revenues and the prudent use of natural resource wealth. The country was one of 30 candidate countries and obtained candidate status 22 February 2008. It was then required to meet a number of obligations to do so, including committing to working with civil society and companies on EITI implementation, HP Compaq 464119-143 battery appointing a senior individual to lead on EITI implementation, and publishing a fully costed Work Plan with measurable targets, a timetable for implementation and an assessment of capacity constraints. However, when Equatorial Guinea applied to extend the deadline for completing EITI validation, the EITI Board did not agree to grant Equatorial Guinea an extension.^[41] HP Compaq Business Notebook 6530B battery Demographics The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin. The largest tribe, the Fang, is indigenous to the mainland, but substantial migration to Bioko Island has resulted in the Fang population exceeding that of the earlier Bantu inhabitants. Sony VAIO VGN-TZ285N/RC battery The Fang constitute 80% of the population^[42] and comprise 67 clans. Those in the northern part of Rio Muni speak Fang-Ntumu, while those in the south speak Fang-Okah; the two dialects have differences but are mutually intelligible. Dialects of Fang are also spoken in parts of neighboring Cameroon (Bulu) and Gabon. HP 540 battery These dialects, while still intelligible, are more distinct. The Bulu Fang of Cameroon were traditional rivals of Fang in Rio Muni. The Bubi, who constitute 15% of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island. The traditional demarcation line between Fang and beach tribes was the village of Niefang (limit of the Fang) inland from Bata. Sony VAIO VPCW119XJ/P battery In addition, there are coastal tribes, sometimes referred to as Ndowe or "Playeros" (Beach People in Spanish): Combes, Bujebas,Balengues, and Bengas on the mainland and small islands, and Fernandinos, a Krio community on Bioko Island. Together, these groups compose 5% of the population. HP Pavilion DV8 battery Some Europeans (largely of Spanish or Portuguese descent) – among them mixed with African ethnicity – also live in the nation. Most Spaniards left after independence. There is a growing number of foreigners from neighboring Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea received Asians and black Africans from other countries as workers on cocoa and coffee plantations. Sony VAIO VGN-AR95S battery Other black Africans came from Liberia, Angola, andMozambique. Most of the Asian population is Chinese, with small numbers of Indians. Equatorial Guinea also allowed many fortune-seeking European settlers of other nationalities, including British, French and Germans. Sony VAIO VPCW12S1E/P battery There is also a group of Israelis, and Moroccans. After independence, thousands of Equatorial Guineans went to Spain. Another 100,000 Equatorial Guineans went to Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria because of the dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema. HP Pavilion DV6000 battery Some Equatorial Guinean communities are also to be found in Latin America, the United States, Portugal, and France. Oil extraction has contributed to a doubling of the population in Malabo. Religion The principal religion in Equatorial Guinea is Christianity which is the faith of 93% of the population. HP Compaq KU532AA battery These are predominately Roman Catholic (87%) while a minority are Protestants (5%). Another 5% of the population follow indigenous beliefs and the final 2% comprises Muslims, Bahá'í Faith, and other beliefs.^[43] Languages The official languages are Spanish (for the local variety see Equatoguinean Spanish), French, and Portuguese. Sony VAIO VPCEB16FX/W battery However, the government's official homepage states that: "Spanish is the official administrative language and that of education. French is the second official language and nearly all the ethnic groups speak the languages referred to as Bantu."^[44] Sony VAIO VPCEB17FX/L battery Indigenous languages include Fang, Bube, Benga, Pichinglis, Ndowe, Balengue, Bujeba, Bissio, Gumu, and a nearly extinct Baseke) and others, as well as Annobonese language (Fá d'Ambô) a Portuguese creole, and Fernando Poo Creole English. HP Pavilion DV6-1240EO battery English and German are also studied as foreign languages. Aboriginal languages are recognized as integral parts of the "national culture" (Constitutional Law No. 1/1998 January 21). The great majority of Equatorial Guineans speak Spanish,^[45] especially those living in the capital, Malabo. Spanish has been an official language since 1844. Sony VAIO VGN-NS110E/L battery Some media reported that in October 2011, the Constitutional Law that amends article four of the Constitution of Equatorial Guinea was enacted by Chamber of People's Representatives. This Constitutional Law established the third official language of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Portuguese (by that time only the Spanish and French had official status). Sony VAIO VGN-G2AAPS battery This was in an effort by the government to improve its communications, trade, and bilateral relations with Portuguese-speaking countries.^[46] The adoption of Portuguese followed the announcement in 13 July 2007, by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of his government's decision for Portugueseto become Equatorial Guinea's third official language, Sony VAIO VGN-NS70B/W battery in order to meet one of the requirements to apply for full membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the other one being political reforms allowing for effective democracy and the respect for human rights. Sony VGP-BPS21B battery This upgrading from its current Associate Observer condition would result in Equatorial Guinea being able to access several professional and academic exchange programs and the facilitation of cross-border circulation of citizens. Sony VAIO VGN-Z56GG/B battery Its application for membership of the CPLP is currently being assessed by the organisations' members.^[45] According to draft of the Constitutional Law: “This Constitutional Law will go into effect twenty days from its publication in the Official State Gazette”.^[47] In October 2011, the national parliament was discussing this law.^[48] Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z battery So far no official confirmation of approving the decree by the Parliament nor published it in the Official State Gazette. Moreover official Equatorial Guinean sources, do not treat Portuguese as an official language yet.^[49] HP Pavilion DV7-1120EO battery In February 2012, Equatorial Guinea's foreign minister signed an agreement with the IILP (Instituto Internacional de Língua Portuguesa) on the promotion of Portuguese in Equatorial Guinea.^[50] [51] Culture In June 1984, the First Hispanic-African Cultural Congress was convened to explore the cultural identity of Equatorial Guinea. HP Pavilion DV6-1210SA battery The congress constituted the center of integration and the marriage of the Hispanic culture with African cultures.^[37] Education Under the regime of Francisco Macias, education had been significantly neglected with few children receiving any type of education. HP Mini 311-1110TU battery Under President Obiang, the illiteracy rate dropped from 73 percent to 13 percent ^[52] and the number of primary school students has risen from 65,000 in 1986 to more than 100,000 in 1994. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 14.^[37] Compaq Presario V2335US battery The Equatorial Guinea government has also partnered with Hess Corporation and The Academy for Educational Development (AED) to establish a $20 million education program through which primary school teachers participate in a training program to teach modern child development techniques.^[53] Sony VAIO VGN-FW11E battery There are now 51 Model Schools, one for every state. It is hoped the active pedagogy in the Model Schools will be a national reform. In recent years, with change in economic/political climate and government social agendas, several cultural dispersion and literacy organizations are now located in the country, HP Pavilion DV1635LA battery founded chiefly with the financial support of the Spanish government. The country has one university, the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial(UNGE) with a campus in Malabo and a Faculty of Medicine located in Bata on the mainland. In 2009 the university produced the first 110 national doctors.^[28] Sony VAIO VGN-FW11E battery The Bata Medical School is supported principally by the government of Cuba and staffed by Cuban medical educators and physicians, however, it is predicted that Equatorial Guinea will have enough national doctors in the country to be self-sufficient within the next five years.^[28] Sony VAIO VGN-NS10J/S battery Health Equatorial Guinea’s innovative malaria control programs have had a remarkable impact on malaria infection, disease, and mortality in the population.^[54] Their program consists of twice-yearly indoor residual spraying (IRS), HP Pavilion DV6-1200SL battery the introduction of artemisinin combination treatment (ACTs), the use of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnant women (IPTp) and the introduction of very high coverage with long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs). Sony VAIO VPCEB12FX/T battery The result of their efforts resulted in a reduction in all-cause under-five mortality from 152 to 55 deaths per 1,000 live births (down 64%); and the drop occurred rapidly and timed directly with the beginning of the program.^[55] HP HSTNN-LB31 battery Air transport Every airline registered in the country appears on the list of air carriers prohibited in the European Union (EU) which means that they are banned for safety reasons from operating services of any kind within the EU.^[56] HP 593553-001 battery Due to the large oil presence in the country, internationally recognised carriers fly to Malabo (Bioko). Communications The principal means of communication within the country are three state-operated FM radio stations; there are also five shortwave radio stations. HP Pavilion DV5-1110EM battery There are two newspapers and two magazines. Television Nacional, the television network, is state operated.^[57][58] The international TV programme RTVGE is available via satellites in Africa, Europa, and the Americas and worldwide via Internet.^[59] Most of the media companies practice heavy self-censorship, and are banned by law from criticising public figures. HP 436426-752 battery The state-owned media and the main private radio station are under the directorship of Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the president's son. Landline telephone penetration is low, with only two lines available for every 100 persons.^[58] There is one GSM mobile telephone operator, Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560N24 battery with coverage of Malabo,Bata, and several mainland cities.^[60][61] As of 2009, approximately forty percent of the population subscribed to mobile telephone services.^[62] The only telephone provider in Equatorial Guinea is Orange. Equatorial Guinea has nine (as of 2009) Internet service providers, which serve more than 8,000 users.^[58] HP Compaq 451086-661 battery Football Equatorial Guinea has been chosen to co-host the 2012 African Cup of Nations in partnership with Gabon. The Equatorial Guinea won their first game against Libya 1-0 in group A. The country was also chosen to host the 2008 Women's African Football Championship, which they won. Compaq Presario C740EM battery The Women's National Team qualified for the 2011 World Cup in Germany. Swimming Equatorial Guinea is famous for the national swimming champion Eric Moussambani, nicknamed "Eric the Eel".HP 448007-001 battery In fiction Frederick Forsyth's 1974 novel The Dogs of War is set in the fictional platinum-rich 'Republic of Zangaro', which is based on Equatorial Guinea. There is also a 1981 film adaptation of the book, also called The Dogs of War. HP Pavilion DV7 battery Fernando Po (now Bioko) is featured prominently in the 1975 science fiction work The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. The island (and, in turn, the country) experience a series of coups in the story which lead the world to the verge of nuclear war. HP DV6-1120SA battery The story also hypothesizes that Fernando Po is the last remaining piece of the sunken continent of Atlantis. Most of the action in the American novelist Robin Cook's book, Chromosome 6, takes place at a primate research facility based in Equatorial Guinea due to the country's permissive laws. HP DV6-1210SA battery The book also discusses some of the geography, history, and peoples of the country. Episode 2 of the British sitcom Yes Minister, "The Official Visit", situates the fictional lesser developed country of Buranda in what is actually Equatorial Guinea. In the 2009 novel Limit by Frank Schätzing, which takes place in 2025, the country's history (and future history) plays a significant role in the plot. Compaq CQ50 battery The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is located in west central Africa. Bioko Island lies about 40 kilometers (24.9 mi) from Cameroon. Annobón Island lies about 595 kilometres (370 mi) southwest of Bioko Island. The larger continental region of Rio Muni lies between Cameroon and Gabon on the mainland; HP Pavilion DV8 battery it includes the islands of Corisco, Elobey Grande,Elobey Chico, and adjacent islets. Bioko Island, called Fernando Po until the 1970s, is the largest island in the Gulf of Guinea - 2,017 square kilometers (779 sq mi). It is shaped like a boot, with two large volcanic formations separated by a valley that bisects the island at its narrowest point. Sony VGP-BPS13 battery The 195-kilometer (121 mi) coastline is steep and rugged in the south but lower and more accessible in the north, with excellent harbors at Malabo and Luba, and several scenic beaches between those towns. On the continent, Rio Muni covers 26,003 square kilometers (10,040 sq mi). HP DV9700 battery The coastal plain gives way to a succession of valleys separated by low hills and spurs of the Crystal Mountains. The Rio Benito (Mbini) which divides Rio Muni in half, is unnavigable except for a 20-kilometer stretch at its estuary. Temperatures and humidity in Rio Muni are generally lower than on Bioko Island. Compaq CQ35-100 battery Annobon Island, named for its discovery on New Year's Day 1472, is a small volcanic island covering 18 square kilometers (6.9 sq mi). The coastline is abrupt except in the north; the principal volcanic cone contains a small lake. Most of the estimated 1,900 inhabitants are fisherman specializing in traditional, smallscale tuna fishing and whaling. Sony VGP-BPS11 battery The climate is tropical—heavy rainfall, high humidity, and frequent seasonal changes with violent windstorms. Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon.

The climate of both the continental region and the islands is typically equatorial, with high temperatures, HP 448007-001 battery

 heavy rainfall, and much cloud cover most of the year. Local variations are due to differences in altitude and proximity to the sea. The wet seasons in the continental region are from February to June and from September to December. Rainfall is higher on the coast than inland. HP Pavilion DV7 battery

In Bata the rainiest months are September, October, and November, with rainfall averaging more than 94 in (2,388 mm) a year. At Calatrava, farther south on the coast, it sometimes reaches 180 in (4,572 mm). Inland, however, rainfall diminishes; Mikomeseng, for example, receives only about 58 in (1,473 mm). HP DV6-1120SA battery

The average annual temperature is about 79 °F (26.1 °C) and is fairly constant throughout the year. The temperature maxima are somewhat lower than in Bioko. The relative humidity, however, is higher than in Bioko. Bioko has a rather debilitating climate. The so-called dry season lasts from November to March, and the rest of the year is rainy. HP DV6-1210SA battery

The average annual temperature of about 77 °F (25 °C) varies little throughout the year. Afternoon temperatures reach the high 80s °F (low 30s °C) and drop to only about 70 °F (21.1 °C) at night. Most of the time the sky is cloudy and overcast. Extreme rainfall occurs in the south, with rain brought by monsoon winds amounting to about 450 in (11,430 mm) a year around San Antonio de Ureca. Compaq CQ50 battery

Terrain Coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic Irrigated land: NA km² Natural hazards: violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues: tap water is not potable; desertificationHP Pavilion DV8 battery

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated Sony VGP-BPS13 battery

Pre-colonial history

The first inhabitants of the region that is now Equatorial Guinea are believed to have been Pygmies, of whom only isolated pockets remain in northern Rio Muni. Bantumigrations between the 17th and 19th centuries brought the coastal tribes and later the Fang. HP DV9700 battery

Elements of the latter may have generated the Bubi, who emigrated to Bioko from Cameroon and Río Muni in several waves and succeeded former Neolithic populations. It is said the Igbo of Nigeria (mostly Aro) slave traders arrived and founded very few tiny settlements in Bioko and Rio Muni which expanded the Aro Confederacy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Compaq CQ35-100 battery The Annobón population, native to Angola, was introduced by the Portuguese via São Tomé. The Portuguese explorer, Fernão do Pó, seeking a route to India, is credited with having discovered the island of Bioko in 1471. He called it Formosa ("beautiful [isle]", a name later applied to Taiwan), HP G62-228CL Battery but it quickly took on the name of its European discoverer, albeit spelt "Fernando Po". The islands of Fernando Po andAnnobón were colonized by the Portuguese in 1474. The Portuguese retained control until 1778, when the island, adjacent islets, HP G62-229WM Battery and commercial rights to the mainland between the Niger and Ogooué Rivers were ceded to Spain in exchange for territory in South America (Treaty of El Pardo). From 1827 to 1843, Britain established a base on the island to combat the slave trade. The mainland portion, Río Muni, became a protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. HP G62-251TU Battery Conflicting claims to the mainland were settled in 1900 by the Treaty of Paris, and periodically, the mainland territories were united administratively under Spanish rule. Between 1926 and 1959 they were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea. During the First World War, German troops retreated into this territory fromKamerun because Spain was neutral during the war. HP G62-251XX Battery Colonial era Spain developed large cacao plantations for which thousands of Nigerian workers were imported as laborers. At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War the colony remained loyal to the Republican government. On July 24, 1936, the Republican cruiser Méndez Núñez arrived atSanta Isabel; HP G62-550EE Battery on its way back to Spain the officers planned to join the rebellion, but the Spanish government, knowing this, ordered the ship to go back to the colony; on August 14 the Méndez Núñez was back in Fernando Poo, where the sailors took control of her; on September 21 the ship arrived in Málaga (Republican Spain). HP G62-A00EF Battery HP G62-A10EV Battery On September 19 the Colonial Guard and the Civil Guard began the rebellion and took control of the island of Fernando Poo, while the rest of the colony remained loyal to the Republic. On September 22 a clash took place between a rebel group from Kogo and a loyal detachment from Bata. HP G62-A16SL Battery Finally, on October 14 a force of 200 rebels arrived in the merchant Ciudad de Mahón and took control of Bata and the rest of the colony. In 1959, the Spanish territory of the Gulf of Guinea was established with the same status as the provinces of metropolitan Spain. HP G62-A20ER Battery As the Spanish Equatorial Region, it was ruled by a governor general exercising military and civilian powers. The first local elections were held in 1959, and the first Equatoguinean representatives were seated in the Cortes Generales (Spanish parliament). HP G62-A23EE Battery Under the Basic Law of December 1963, limited autonomy was authorized under a joint legislative body for the territory's two provinces. A paradoxical effect of this autonomy was that Guineans could choose among several political parties while metropolitan Spaniards were under a single party regime. HP G62-A30ER Battery The name of the country was changed to Equatorial Guinea. Although Spain's commissioner general had extensive powers, the Equatorial Guinean General Assembly had considerable initiative in formulating laws and regulations. HP G62-A40ER Battery Independence In March 1968, under pressure from Equatoguinean nationalists and the United Nations, Spain announced that it would grant independence to Equatorial Guinea. A constitutional convention produced an electoral law and draft constitution. HP G62-A45EE Battery In the presence of a UN observer team, a referendum was held on August 11, 1968, and 63% of the electorate voted in favor of the constitution, which provided for a government with a General Assembly and a Supreme Court with judges appointed by the president. In September 1968, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected first president of Equatorial Guinea, and independence was granted in October. HP G62-A46EE Battery At independence, Equatorial Guinea had one of the highest per capita incomes in Africa (332 USD). The Spanish also helped Equatorial Guinea achieve one of the continent's highest literacy rates and developed a good network of health care facilities. However at the time of independence, the number of native doctors and lawyers was in the single digits.^[1] HP G62-A53EE Battery In July 1970, Macias created a single-party state and by May 1971, key portions of the constitution were abrogated. In 1972 Macias took complete control of the government and assumed the title of President for Life. HP G62T-100 Battery The Macias regime was characterized by abandonment of all government functions except internal security, which was accomplished by terror; this led to the death or exile of up to one-third of the country's population. Due to pilferage, ignorance, and neglect, the country's infrastructure—electrical, water, road, transportation, and health—fell into ruin. HP G62T-100 CTO Battery Religion was repressed, and education ceased. The private and public sectors of the economy were devastated. Nigerian contract laborers on Bioko, estimated to have been 60,000, left en masse in early 1976. The economy collapsed, and skilled citizens and foreigners left. HP G62-200 Battery All schools were ordered closed in 1975, and the country's churches were closed in 1978. Nguema introduced a campaign of 'authenticity', replacing colonial names with native ones: the capital Santa Isabel became Malabo, the main island of Fernando Po was renamed Masie Nguema Biyogo after himself, and Annobón became Pagalu. HP G62-200XX Battery As part of the same process, Nguema also ordered the entire population to drop their European names and adopt African ones. His own name underwent several transformations, so that by the end of his rule he was known as Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong. HP G62-201XX Battery In August 1979 Macias' nephew from Mongomo and former director of the infamous Black Beach prison, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, led a successful coup d'état; Macias was arrested, tried, and executed. Obiang assumed the Presidency in October 1979. HP G62-219WM Battery The islands were renamed Bioko and Annobón. The new ruler faced the challenge of restoring order in a country that was in shambles—by the end of Masie Nguema's dictatorship, the state coffers were empty and the population had been reduced to only one-third of what it was at independence. HP G62-220US Battery 1990s-2000s Although President Obiang signed a national anti-torture decree in 2006 to ban all forms of abuse and improper treatment in Equatorial Guinea and commissioned the renovation and modernization of Black Beach prison in 2007 to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners,^[2] human rights abuses continue. HP G62-225DX Battery Human Rights Watch andAmnesty International among other non-governmental organizations have documented severe human rights abuses in prisons, including torture, beatings, unexplained deaths and illegal detention.^[3][4] HP G62-226NR Battery According to a March 2004 BBC profile,^[5] politics within the country are dominated by tensions between Obiang's son, Teodorin, and other close relatives with powerful positions in the security forces. The tension may be rooted in power shift arising from the dramatic increase in oil production which has occurred since 1997. HP G62-227CL Battery The unsuccessful "Wonga Coup" was attempted by European and South African mercenaries in 2004 with the goal of replacing Obiang with a puppet ruler who would open the country's mineral wealth to the plotters. British aristocrat Simon Mann, a former officer in the Special Air Service, HP G62-140SF Battery led the plot, which also included former members of the South African Army 32 Battalion. Financial backers included Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcherand possibly the British novelist Jeffrey Archer. HP G62-140SS Battery Somewhere between $3 million and $20 million was expended on the failed coup, which is said to have had the tacit support of some Western governments and international corporations.^[6] In 2011 the government announced it was planning a new capital in the country, named Djibloho. HP G62-140US Battery Equatorial Guinea is a small country at the west coast of Central Africa. Despite a per capita GDP (PPP) of more than US$30,000 ^[3] (CIA Factbook $50,200^[4]) which is as of 2008 the twentieth highest in the world, Equatorial Guinea ranks 121st out of 177 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. HP G62-143CL Battery Economy overview Pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings. In 1959 it had the highestper capita income of Africa. The discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in government revenue. HP G62-144DX Battery As of 2004,^[5] Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its oil production has risen to 360,000 barrels per day (57,000 m³/d), up from 220,000 barrels per day (35,000 m³/d) only two years earlier. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. HP G62-145NR Battery Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. However, the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture. HP G62-147NR Battery A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been unsuccessfully trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. HP G62-149WM Battery Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold (Mining in Equatorial Guinea). Growth remained strong in 2005 and 2006, led by oil. HP G62-150EF Battery 2004 US senate report A Senate report ^[6] in 2004 found that Riggs Bank helped top officials of Equatorial Guinea steal hundreds of millions of dollars in oil revenues. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations probed the corruption case involving Equatorial Guinea and its oil revenues for much of the past year. HP G62-150EQ Battery The panel's report found that Riggs Bank helped government leaders in Equatorial Guinea siphon oil revenues to accounts set up for them in Washington. Equatorial Guinea has been cited by the U.S. State Department for human rights abuses, corruption, and diversion of oil revenues to government officials. HP G62-150ET Battery Beginning in 1995 until 2004, Riggs oversaw as many as 60 accounts containing as much as $700 million, making Equatorial Guinea its largest single customer. Some were government accounts, while others were the private accounts of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, other government officials, and their families. HP G62-150EV Battery The Senate report says millions of dollars in the government accounts, which should have gone to help impoverished Equatorial Guineans, were instead funneled to off-shore tax shelters, with help from Riggs officials. At a hearing on the matter at which current and former bank officials appeared, HP G62-150SE Battery Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, was clearly outraged. "Somehow there has to be a conscience here. Aren't you troubled?," he said. The report describes one incident in which the bank manager of the country's accounts, Simon Kareri, HP G62-150SF Battery brought a 27 kilogram suitcase with $3 million in plastic-wrapped cash to Riggs's Dupont Circle branch to make a deposit into President Obiang's account. Mr. Kareri, who was fired in January, refused to testify at the hearing," he said. HP G62-150SL Battery "Mr. Chairman, there is nothing I would like to do more than answer your questions today. However, I must heed the advice of my counsel and invoke my fifth amendment rights under the Constitution and refuse to answer the question," he said. HP G62-153CA Battery Senators were angered that bank officials never reported any suspicious financial transactions involving Equatorial Guinea. Lawrence Hebert, president and chief executive officer of Riggs Bank, blamed a lack of an internal system to monitor and identify such suspicious activity. HP G62-154CA Battery It is an assertion that Senator Levin found ridiculous. "First of all Mr. Hebert, you do not need a computer system to realize suspicious activity when you have sixty pounds of cash that are being walked into the door with a suitcase," he said. Mr. Levin criticized bank regulators for not doing enough in their oversight responsibility. HP G62-165SL Battery Riggs was fined a record $25 million by federal banking regulators for allegedly failing to report suspicious transactions made to the Equatorial Guinea accounts, but that didn't happen until May 2004. Senator Levin also took aim at oil companies that are doing business in Equatorial Guinea, many of which have secret contracts with firms that have ties to President Obiang. HP G62-166SB Battery The London-based organization Global Witness notes that the Senate committee report found that oil companies made payments into the personal accounts of Equatorial Guinean officials that were used for land purchases, office leases, and even education for the children of the country's leaders. HP G62-120EP Battery With oil money stashed away in Riggs Bank for the ruling elite of Equatorial Guinea, argues Sarah Wykes of Global Witness, oil companies cannot make the case that they are a force for positive change in the country. "Equatorial Guinea is now the third largest producer of oil in sub-Saharan Africa," she said. HP G62-120EQ Battery "It has been called the 'Kuwait of Africa' But it is clear that since oil came on stream, the human development indicators of the country have actually gone backward, so we can say the oil money is not contributing to development at all," she said. Equatorial Guinea responded with an 82-point report claiming that the Senate had been "duped" by "pressure groups",HP G62-120ES Battery naming specifically a $40,000 contract between a lobbying group and Severo Moto Nsa, an EquatoGuinean living in self-imposed exile who uses his website to make wild accusations against Obiang.^[8] The rebuttal also claims that the payments to government members were disclosed in the government accounts and were not illegal. HP G62-120ET Battery In greater depth Oil and gas exports have increased substantially (in 2003 Equatorial Guinea was ranked third among Sub-Sahara African producers behind Nigeria and Angola) and will drive the economy for years to come. HP G62-120EY Battery The GDP increased by 105.2% in 1997, and real GDP growth reached 23% in 1999, and initial estimates suggested growth of about 15% in 2001, according to IMF 2001 forecast. Per capita income grew from about $1,000 in 1998 to about $2,000 in 2000. The energy export sector is responsible for this rapid growth. HP G62-120SE Battery Oil production has increased from 81,000 barrels per day (12,900 m³/d) to 210,000 barrels per day (33,000 m³/d) between 1998 and early 2001. There is ongoing additional development of existing commercially viable oil and gas deposits as well as new exploration in other offshore concessions. HP G62-120SL Battery Equatorial Guinea has other largely unexploited human and natural resources, including a tropical climate, fertile soils, rich expanses of water, deepwater ports, and an untapped, if unskilled, source of labor. Following independence in 1968, the country suffered under a repressive dictatorship for 11 years, which devastated the economy. HP G62-120SS Battery The agricultural sector, which historically was known for cocoa of the highest quality, has never fully recovered. In 1969 Equatorial Guinea produced 36,161 tons of highly bid cocoa, but production dropped to 4,800 tons in 2000. Coffee production also dropped sharply during this period to bounce back to 100,000 metric tons in 2000. HP G62-120SW Battery Timber is the main source of foreign exchange after oil, accounting for about 12.4% of total export earnings in 1996-99. Timber production increased steadily during the 1990s; wood exports reached a record 789,000 cubic meters in 1999 as demand in Asia (mainly China) gathered pace after the 1998 economic crisis. HP G62-121EE Battery Most of the production (mainly Okoume) goes to exports, and only 3% is processed locally. Environmentalists fear that exploitation at this level is unsustainable and point out to the permanent damage already inflicted on the forestry reserves on Bioko. HP G62-125EK Battery Consumer price inflation has declined from the 38.8% experienced in 1994 following the CFA franc devaluation, to 7.8% in 1998, and 1.0% in 1999, according to BEAC data. Consumer prices rose about 6% in 2000, according to initial estimates, and there was anecdotal evidence that price inflation was accelerating in 2001. HP G62-125EL Battery Equatorial Guinea's policies, as defined by law, comprise an open investment regime. Qualitative restrictions on imports, non-tariff protection, and many import licensing requirements were lifted when in 1992 the government adopted a public investment program endorsed by the World Bank. HP G62-125EV Battery The Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has sold some state enterprises. It is attempting to create a more favourable investment climate, and its investment code contains numerous incentives for job creation, training, promotion of non-traditional exports, support of development projects and indigenous capital participation, HP G62-125SL Battery freedom for repatriation of profits, exemption from certain taxes and capital, and other benefits. Trade regulations have been further liberalized since implementation in 1994 of the ICN turnover tax, in conformity with Central African tax and custom reform codes. The reform included elimination of quota restrictions and reductions in the range and amounts of tariffs. HP G62-130EG Battery The CEMAC countries agreed to replace the ICN with a value added tax (VAT) in 1999. While business laws promote a liberalized economy, the business climate remains difficult. Application of the laws remains selective. Corruption among officials is widespread, and many business deals are concluded under non-transparent circumstances. HP G62-130EK Battery There is little industry in the country, and the local market for industrial products is small. The government seeks to expand the role of free enterprise and to promote foreign investment but has had little success in creating an atmosphere conducive to investor interest. HP G62-130ET Battery The Equato-Guinean budget has grown enormously in the past 3 years as royalties and taxes on foreign company oil and gas production have provided new resources to a once poor government. The 2001 budget foresaw revenues of about 154 billion CFA francs (154 GCFAF) (about U.S.$200 million), up about 50% from 2000 levels. HP G62-130EV Battery Oil revenues account for about two-thirds of government revenue, and VAT and trade taxes are the other large revenue sources. Year 2001 government expenditures were planned to reach 158 billion CFA francs, up about 50% from 2000 levels. HP G62-130SD Battery New investment projects represented about 40% of the budget, and personnel and internal and external debt payments represented about one-third of planned expenditures. The Equato-Guinean Government has undertaken a number of reforms since 1991 to reduce its predominant role in the economy and promote private sector development. HP G62-130SL Battery Its role is a diminishing one, although many government interactions with the private sector are at times capricious. Beginning in early 1997, the government initiated efforts to attract significant private sector involvement through a Corporate Council on Africa visit and numerous ministerial efforts. HP G62-134CA Battery In 1998, the government privatized distribution of petroleum products. There are now Total and Mobil stations in the country. The government has expressed interest in privatizing the outmoded electricity utility. A French company operates cellular telephone service in cooperation with a state enterprise. HP G62-135EV Battery The government is anxious for greater U.S. investment, and President Obiang visited the U.S. three times between 1999 and 2001 to encourage greater U.S. corporate interest. Investment in agriculture, fishing, livestock, and tourism are among sectors the government would like targeted. HP G62-140EF Battery Equatorial Guinea's balance-of-payments situation has improved substantially since the mid-1990s because of new oil and gas production and favorable world energy prices. Exports totaled about francs CFA 915 billion in 2000 (1.25 G$US), up from CFA 437 billion (700 M$US) in 1999. Crude oil exports accounted for more than 90% of export earnings in 2000. HP G62-140EL Battery Timber exports, by contrast, represented only about 5% of export revenues in 2000. Additional oil production coming on line in 2001, combined with methanol gas exports from the new CMS-Nomeco plant, should increase export earnings substantially. Imports into Equatorial Guinea also are growing very quickly. HP G62-140EQ Battery Imports totaled francs CFA 380 billion (530 M$US), up from franc CFA 261 million (420 M$US) in 1999. Imports of equipment used for the oil and gas sector accounted for about three-quarters of imports in 2000. Imports of capital equipment for pHP G62-140ES Battery ublic investment projects reached francs CFA 30 billion in 2000, up 40% from 1999 levels. Equatorial Guinea's foreign debt stock was approximately francs CFA 69 billion (100 M$US) in 2000, slightly less than the debt stock in 1999, according to BEAC data. Equatorial Guinea's debt service ratio fell from 20% of GDP in 1994 to only 1% in 2000. HP G62-140ET Battery Foreign exchange reserves were increasing slightly, although they were relatively low in terms of import coverage. According to the terms of the franc CFA zone, some of these reserves are kept in an account with the French Ministry of Finance. HP G62-110SA Battery Equatorial Guinea in the 1980s and 1990s received foreign assistance from numerous bilateral and multilateral donors, including European countries, the United States, and the World Bank. Many of these aid programs have ceased altogether or have diminished. HP G62-110SO Battery Spain, France, and the European Union continue to provide some project assistance, as do China and Cuba. The government also has discussed working with World Bank assistance to develop government administrative capacity. Equatorial Guinea operated under an IMF-negotiated Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) until 1996. HP G62-110SS Battery Since then, there have been no formal agreements or arrangements. The International monetary Fund held Article IV consultations (periodic country evaluations) in 1996, 1997, and in August 1999. After the 1999 consultations, IMF directors stressed the need for Equatorial Guinea to establish greater fiscal discipline, accountability, HP G62-110SW Battery and more transparent management of public sector resources, especially energy sector revenue. IMF officials also have emphasized the need for economic data. In 1999, the Equato-Guinean Government began attempting to meet IMF-imposed requirements, maintaining contact with IMF and the World Bank representatives. HP G62-111EE Battery However, the new found oil wealth allowed the government to avoid improving fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability. Infrastructure Infrastructure is generally old and in poor condition. Surface transport is extremely limited at present, with little more than 700 kilometres of paved roads. HP G62-112EE Battery The African Development Bank is helping to improve the paved roads from Malabo to Luba and Riaba; the Chinese are undertaking a project to link Mongomo to Bata on the mainland, and the European Union is financing an inter-states road network linking Equatorial Guinea to Cameroon and Gabon. Road maintenance is often inadequate. HP G62-112SO Battery Electricity is available in Equatorial Guinea's larger towns thanks to three small overworked hydropower facilities and a number of aged generators. In 1999, national production was about 13 MWh. In Malabo, the American company, CMS-Nomeco, built a 10 megawatt electricity plant financed by the government, HP G62-113SO Battery which came in line in mid-2000, and plans to double capacity are advancing. This plant provides improved service to the capital, although there are still occasional outages. On the mainland the largest city, Bata, still has regular blackouts. Water is only available in the major towns and is not always reliable because of poor maintenance and mismanagement. HP G62-115SE Battery Some villages and rural areas are equipped with generators and water pumps, usually owned by private individuals. Parastatal Getesa, a joint venture with a minority ownership stake held by a French subsidiary of France Telecom, provides telephone service in the major cities. HP G62-115SO Battery The regular system is overextended, but France Telecom has introduced a popular GSM system, which is generally reliable in Malabo and Bata. Equatorial Guinea has two of the deepest Atlantic seaports of the region, including the main business and commercial port city of Bata. HP G62-117SO Battery The ports of both Malabo and Bata are severely overextended and require extensive rehabilitation and reconditioning. The British company, Incat, has an ongoing project with the government to renovate and expand Luba, the country's third-largest port which is located on Bioko Island. HP G62-118EO Battery The government hopes Luba will become a major transportation hub for offshore oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Guinea. Luba is located some 50 kilometres from Malabo and had been virtually inactive except for minor fishing activities and occasional use to ease congestion in Malabo. HP G62-120EC Battery A new jetty is also being built at km 5 on the way from Malabo to the airport. It is a project mainly supposed to service the oil industry, but can also relieve the congested Malabo Port due to its closeness. The Oil Jetty at km 5 was supposed to open the end of March 2003. Riaba is the other port of any scale on Bioko but is less active. HP G62-120EE Battery The continental ports of Mbini and Cogo have deteriorated as well and are now used primarily for timber activities. There are both air and sea connections between the two cities of Malabo and Bata. A few aging Soviet-built aircraft operated by several small carriers, one state-owned, and the others private, HP G62-120EG Battery constitute the national aircraft fleet. The runway at Malabo (3,200 m) is equipped with lights and can service equipment similar to DC 10s and Cl3Os. The one at Bata (2,400 m) does not operate at night but can accommodate aircraft as large as B737s. Their primary users are the national airline (EGA) and a private company (GEASA). HP G62-120EH Battery Two minor airstrips (800 m) are located at Mongomo and Annobon. There are international connections out of Malabo to Madrid and Zurich in Europe and to Cotonou, Douala and Libreville in West Africa. Energy developments After a slow start, Equatorial Guinea has recently emerged as a major oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea, HP G62-120EK Battery one of the most promising hydrocarbon regions in the world. The main oil fields, Zafiro and Alba, are both located offshore of Bioko island. In 1999 oil production was about five times its 1996 level; Zafiro Field, operated by Exxon Mobil and Ocean Energy, produced about 100,000 barrels per day (16,000 m³/d), HP G62-120EL Battery and CMS Nomeco extracted approximately 6,700 barrels per day (1,070 m³/d). Aggressive field development and promising exploration activities may raise production to nearly 300,000 barrels per day (48,000 m³/d) within 2–3 years (slightly above the current estimated production of Gabon) according to the official sources. HP G62-100 Battery In 1995 Mobil (now Exxon Mobil) discovered the large Zafirobbbb field, with estimated reserves of 400,000,000 barrels (64,000,000 m³). Production began in 1996. The company announced a 3-year U.S.$1bn rapid development program to boost output to 130,000 barrels per day (21,000 m³/d) by early 2001. HP G62-100EB Battery Progress was delayed due to a contractual dispute with the government and by unexpectedly difficult geology. The difference with the government was eventually resolved. In 1998 a more liberal regulatory and profit-sharing arrangement for hydrocarbon exploration and production activities was introduced. HP G62-100EE Battery It revised and updated the production-sharing contract, which, until then, had favoured Western operators heavily. As a result domestic oil receipt rose from 13% to 20% of oil export revenue. However, the government's share remains relatively poor by international standards. HP G62-100EJ Battery In 1997 CMS Nomeco moved to expand its operation with a U.S.$300m methanol plant. The plant entered production in 2000 and help boost natural gas condensate output from Alba field. In August 1999 the government closed bidding on a new petroleum licensing round for 53 unexplored deepwater blocks and seven shallow water blocks. HP G62-100SL Battery The response was small due to combination of factors, including falling oil prices, restructuring within the oil industry, and uncertainty over and undemarcated maritime border with Nigeria (which was not resolved until 2000). In late 1999 Triton Energy, a U.S. independent, discovered La Ceiba in block G in an entirely new area offshore the mainland of the country. HP G62-101TU Battery Triton expects a U.S.$200m development program to enable La Ceiba and associated fields to produce 100,000 barrels per day (16,000 m³/d) by late 2001, despite disappointments and technical problems at the beginning of the year. With an upturn in oil prices, exploration intensified in 2000. HP G62-101XX Battery In April 2000 U.S.-based Vanco Energy signed a production-sharing contract for the offshore block of Corisco Deep. In May 2000, Chevron was granted block L, offshore Rio Muni, and a further three production-sharing contracts (for blocks J, I, and H) were signed withAtlas Petroleum, a Nigerian company. HP G62-103XX Battery In early 2001 the government announced plans to establish a national oil company, to allow Equatorial Guinea to take a greater stake in the sector and to facilitate the more rapid transfer of skills. However, critics fear that such a company may become a vehicle for opaque accounting and inertia of the sort that has hindered development in neighbouring countries including Angola, Cameroon, and Nigeria. HP G62-104SA Battery Since 2001 the government has created GEPetrol, a national oil company; and Sonagas, a national natural gas company. The company EG LNG has been created to construct and operate the Bioko Island LNG plant and terminal. HP G62-105SA Battery Animal Husbandry Cattle and poultry production is rapidly reaching its pre-independence levels of self-sufficiency with the financial help of the African Development Bank. However, production of domesticated animals is hindered by the presence of trypanosomiasis and other tropical deterrents. HP G62-106SA Battery In 2005 there were 37,600 sheep, 9,000 goats, 6,100 hogs, and 5,000 cattle. Fishing The fishing industry gained strength through the 1980s and is now almost entirely modernized; a tuna processing plant went into operation in 1990. HP G62-107SA Battery Annobón subsists almost entirely on fishing and retains its traditional preeminence in off shore whaling and turtle gathering. Bioko is also a major fishing center, the chief catches being perch, tuna, mackerel, cod, pike, shark, and crayfish. The country’s own catch was about 3,500 tons in 2003. HP G62-110ED Battery Forestry Timber from Río Muni is Equatorial Guinea’s leading export. Forests cover over 62 percent of the land area. The Río Muni area on the mainland produces okoumé and akoga from rain forests of considerable age. HP G62-110EE Battery Even though the government has given permission to foreign firms, exploitation is difficult due to infrastructural problems. The government enacted a new forestry action plan in 1990 in an effort to strengthen the sector’s development. HP G62-110EE Battery In 2004, roundwood production was estimated at 811,000 cubic metres. In 2004, exports of forest products amounted to $97 million Child rate- 4$24 billion (2009 est.) HP G62-110EI Battery,HP G62-110EO Battery,HP G62-110EY Battery