Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa.
It consists of a mainland area with the neighboring countries of
Cameroon and Gabon and several islands, including the island of
Bioko with the capital Malabo. The country is still little developed
for tourism, but offers some attractions for travelers. Many
colonial buildings have been preserved in Malabo, while on the
mainland there are opportunities for ecotourism in the dwindling
rainforest areas.
Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest
countries in Africa, but at the same time it is potentially one of
the richest. Since oil deposits were discovered in the 1990s, the
gross domestic product has risen to the almost unbelievable value of
just under US$30,000 per capita. However, it is mainly the political
elite that benefits from this wealth. The family of the US-backed
head of state Teodoro Obiang, who is accused of corruption and
election manipulation, has a private fortune of around US$600
million. On the other hand, depending on estimates, 60-75% of the
population live in poverty.
The Bubi dominate on Bioko. The
Bakola-Bagyeli pygmy tribes can be found on the mainland in the
border area with Cameroon. In other regions they were displaced by
the Ndowe Bantus and the Fang, who immigrated in the 18th century.
The Niefang River (Rio Benito) is the traditional border between the
two. The Bisso migrated from the interior to the coast.
Originally a Portuguese colony, the country was handed over to Spain
in 1778. In the 19th century, a plantation economy was established
on Bioko, but the continental part was not colonized until 1926.
Cocoa and coffee plantations were established, but almost all of
them were abandoned after independence. At the height of the boom,
from 1890, workers from Liberia were recruited and kept under
slave-like conditions until 1926. The main beneficiaries of the
exploitation were the outwardly unctuous John Cadbury and his
company. During the global economic crisis until 1945, numerous
Nigerian Igbo and Ibibo migrated. The Spanish Civil War in Guinea
only took place in the form of the landing of 500 Francoist troops
in October 1936 with a brief firefight. Since 1944, western-educated
indigenous people were able to obtain full Spanish citizenship.
Relationships with white women and indigenous people were
prohibited.
The islands of Elobey, Annobón and Corisco were a
separate colony as part of Spanish Africa from 1907 to 26/59. The 36
km² with 2950 inhabitants (1910) were finally united with Río Muni
in 1959. In 1968, Equatorial Guinea declared its independence from
Spain. After unrest in 1969, head of state Francisco Macías Nguema
established an unprecedented regime of terror, to which numerous
government critics fell victim. Nguema's nephew Teodoro Obiang
overthrew him in 1979 and had him executed. He has ruled
continuously since then. Although he formally introduced democracy
and a multi-party system in 1991, the country remains de facto an
authoritarian dictatorship because elections are largely
manipulated. Obiang's party PDGE has won all elections to date with
more than 90 percent of the vote. In 2001, Obiang, always a loyal
client of US presidents, even manipulated an entire census,
according to many critics, which resulted in a population figure
that was twice as high as that estimated by international
organizations and the opposition. With the help of the advertising
agencies Cassidy Associates and Qorvis, Obiang has managed to polish
his international image since 2004 and 2010/11 respectively. At the
same time, he has a good relationship with the government of the
free part of China. Since the constitutional amendment in 2011, his
son Teodorin Obiang has had increasing influence as one of the two
vice presidents. Despite a statistically very high per capita
income, at least two thirds of the population still live in poverty.
The beaches and rainforest regions are particularly interesting
for tourists. In 2015, 45% of the country was still forested, 19%
nature reserves. Nevertheless, most visitors to the country are
business travelers and migrant workers. Prices are high, comparable
to those in Germany and in the case of accommodation, even
significantly more expensive.
The infrastructure on the
islands is good.
Bioko, formerly Fernando Póo - the island on which the capital Malabo
is located. Located about 200 km north of the mainland.
Mbini with
the city of Bata - the mainland part, it was previously called Rio Muni.
70 percent of the population lives here. The planned capital
Djibloho/Oyala is under construction. The most important export product
here is tropical wood, especially Okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana), which
goes mainly to China. Between 2000 and 2025, 11.5% of the forest area
was lost.
Annobón - a remote island 500 km southwest of the mainland
part, which is closer to São Tomé and Príncipe than to Equatorial Guinea
proper.
1 Malabo - capital on the island of Bioko (90,000 inhabitants)
2
Bata - largest city in the country (170,000 inhabitants), economic
center of the mainland on the coast with some colonial buildings.
3
Ciudad de la Paz - (near Mengomeyén) a planned city in the middle of the
mainland, which is to become the capital sometime after 2020. According
to the ideas of the Portuguese city planners from FAT, 200,000 people
are to live here on 8,150 hectares. Access is via 1 President Obiang
Nguema International Airport (IATA: GEM). To the north is the protected
area Natural Monument de Piedra Bere.
Off the small, rarely visited island of Corisco (syn. Mandji) is a
center of oil and gas production in the country. American companies
secured the concessions in the 1990s. Plans to develop a visa-free
tourist destination here have been in place since 2011, and
implementation is expected after 2020.
Elobey Grande and Elobey
Chico are both uninhabited, but are visited by fishermen from Cogo.
Prices for a boat charter are negotiable. On the coast of the large
island, where you land at Punto Becoloco, you will find some ruins and a
beautiful beach by the sea. On the small island, with many settlements
because the colonial administration was based here until 1926, nature
has overgrown the remains of several European trading posts, some of
which have a 400-year history.
The bay of Corisco also contains
the three islets of Conga, Cocotiers and Mbañe/Mbanié, which are
disputed with Gabon; only the latter is inhabited by Gabonese fishermen.
Monte Alén National Park
The Monte Alén National Park (Parque
nacional de Monte Alén) is located on the mainland. Over 1400 km² of
rainforest is protected here at various altitudes (400-1200 m). 25 km
from the city of Niefang. You will usually have to use a tour operator
with a flight via Bata. There is a visitor center. A popular hike to the
Mosumo waterfalls is.
Among other things, the largest frog in the
world, the Goliath frog (Conraua goliath), lives here. Sixteen of the
105 mammal species counted are primates. There are also 65 reptile
species and several endangered amphibians.
To the south is the
Reserva Natural del Estuario del Muni. Theoretically, you could get here
from Cocobeach.
Annobón
Annobón has its main town, San Antonio
de Palé, with a population of around 600 (around 2500-3500 on the whole
island) and, since 2013, Annobón Airport (IATA: NBN) in the north. Only
CEIBA flies to this airport.
The Annobonese language is a
Portuguese creole.
Entry requirements
The only Europeans who are allowed to enter
without a visa are Turks.
Since 2023 there has been a uniform
e-visa for US$ 75 (50 for the visa, 25 for the service provider). The
processing time is stated to be a maximum of 72 hours. In addition to
bank statements from the last 3 months, proof of yellow fever
vaccination, health insurance, return flight or accommodation must be
submitted. It will be stamped in the passport, which is valid for at
least six months, at Malabo airport after an iris scan has taken place.
Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Germany, Rohlfsstrasse 17-19, 14195
Berlin (Dahlem). Tel.: +49 30 88663877, email:
botschaft@guinea-ecuatorial.de. Certificate of good conduct not older
than 3 months required. Processing time: 1-5 working days. Tourists need
a confirmed hotel booking. When entering the country for all other
purposes, an invitation letter from a person or government agency of
Equatorial Guinea, certified by the Ministry of National Security. Open:
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Price: € 120, cash only (+ postage).
There is no embassy in Austria. The consular department of the embassy
in Paris is officially responsible for Swiss citizens.
Travel
permit
(October 9, 2023: It is not clear to what extent the permit
described here is still required since the change in immigration
regulations in July 2023.)
Once you are in the country as a tourist,
you have to obtain a fee-based Autorización de Turismo from the Ministry
of Tourism in Malabo or Bata for certain areas, e.g. the Pico Basilé and
Ureka National Parks.[2] This permit lists the places you want to/are
allowed to visit. Checkpoints are frequent, checks are carried out
carefully, and bribes are regularly demanded. Before domestic flights,
customs officers also carry out a baggage check.
Customs
“The
import of pornographic works, books and films about war and terror,
uniform-like clothing, binoculars and professional cameras is
prohibited.”
Airplane
Malabo Airport (IATA: SSG), 9 km west of
the city) is served directly by Germany and other European countries.
Train
There is no railway in Equatorial Guinea.
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
There are border crossings at the land borders
with Cameroon and Gabon. The biggest obstacle to entering the country
this way are the border posts, which sometimes refuse entry without any
objective reason, even with a valid visa. You should also check in
advance whether the border crossings are even open.
Traffic
drives on the right.
Ship
There are ferry connections between
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Details will have to be found out on site.
Dugout canoes travel between Cogo (1° 5′ 0″ N 9° 41′ 38″ E)
(Equatorial Guinea) and Cocobeach. This is a legitimate border crossing
option, provided you get a visa.
Three ferries run weekly between
the island and the mainland.
There are both ferry and flight connections between Malabo and Bata.
Some older travel guides still describe that the roads in Equatorial
Guinea are catastrophic even by African standards and that you have no
chance without a four-wheel drive vehicle. This can no longer be
maintained today; in recent years many roads in the country have been
asphalted and expanded. The first motorways are now being built in the
country to western standards - but it is not entirely clear who will use
them given the rampant poverty in the country.
Flights with the
domestic companies CEIBA Intercontinental and CRONOS cannot be booked
online in 2018, but must be paid for in cash at the local travel agency.
The official language is Spanish, which is the mother tongue of
around sixty to seventy percent of the population. Minor differences
from standard Spanish are the more frequent use of the polite Usted
instead of tú, the third person singular at the end of a word, even when
another person would be correct, and the omission or incorrect use of
prepositions. The last two factors are a sign of the simplification of
grammar.
Portuguese Creole is also spoken regionally, as are the
Bantu languages Bubi on Bioko and Fang, and French, which has been on
all curricula since 1988. English is hardly spoken, and if it is, it is
only very rudimentary.
The currency is the CFA franc BCEAO (XOF), which is pegged to the euro at the overvalued exchange rate of 655.957 to 1. The price level is high. Even with modest demands, you should plan a daily budget of €150 in 2018.
Equatorial Guinea's cuisine is based on tropical vegetables, fish and
meat. Many dishes contain manioc, which is called yuca here. Bambucha is
a mixture of manioc leaves, corn and dates. There are also many dishes
based on yams (ñame) and malanga, also a root vegetable. Peanut sauce is
used. Pepesup is a spicy fish soup that is eaten a lot. Andok is a
spice. However, due to the influence of the Spanish, European cuisine
can also be found. If you want to cook yourself, you can buy the
necessary food in the central markets in every city.
Catching
"bush meat" is prohibited, but is not always strictly enforced.
The alcoholic favorite is beer. Tope and palm wine are made from palm
trees. Malamba "beer" is made from sugar cane.
The price for a
meal in a restaurant is around €10-20 per person.
There are discos and bars in both cities.
There are nightclubs and bars in both cities. Hotel prices are consistently high. There is little to be found in the capital for less than €100, €300 or more is more common. Don't expect existing air conditioning or similar to work. There is no cheap accommodation. This is because the majority of the population is too poor to demand any kind of hotel, and the few tourists have to adapt to the customs of the oil company's business travelers, who have expense accounts.
Towards the end of the colonial period, 93% of the natives completed
at least elementary school. In 2014, 45% of students dropped out of the
formal education system during elementary school, and only 22% attended
secondary school. Scholarships for university education abroad are given
to the children of the corrupt elite, and are usually "donated" by
American oil companies.
Expats who need to educate their children
here can choose between the Colegio Español in Bata and Malabo, which
lead to a recognized Spanish degree, or the Lycée français in Malabo.
There is also an international Turkish school there up to the 6th grade.
The police forces in the country are corrupt and not much help in the
worst case scenario. On the contrary, they still try to profit from
necessity and demand bribes to avoid what is usually an arbitrary
prosecution. Taking photos of the presidential palace, military
facilities and facilities of strategic importance is prohibited. The
rule that you need permission from the Ministry of Tourism to take
photos has been abolished, but police officers still try to collect
bribes for taking forbidden pictures.
Please note that this is
one of the worst dictatorships in the world. Since torture and the death
penalty are still the order of the day, it is dangerous to get involved
in local politics. According to the Foreign Office, there is no longer
any active obstruction of the political opposition, but there is strict
censorship of all media and there are still political prisoners. The
situation is only slowly improving. Robberies are not uncommon in the
two big cities.
The yellow fever vaccination is required upon entry. There is a high
risk of malaria, especially the malaria tropica variant, so prophylaxis
is necessary.
In the cities, the streets are un-African clean.
There is a functioning garbage collection service in the inner cities.
Several species of snake live in the forests, nine of which are
poisonous.
The climate is tropical and humid with an average temperature of 26
°C. The rainy season lasts from February to June and from September to
December, the rest of the year is relatively dry. It is often humid and
cloudy, with rainfall on the coast being around 2500 mm per year, and
slightly less inland.
The most pleasant time on the mainland is
July-August. A slight drop in temperature and little rain make this time
more bearable.
There is a GSM network (3G) and a landline in the big cities. A
semi-governmental branch of Orange, GETESA, operates in the country, and
foreigners can only obtain SIM cards at their headquarters in Malabo or
Bata.
Internet access is not widespread among the population.
Teodoro Mangue is the owner of Equatorial Guinea's only private radio
station, Radio Asonga, and director of the state television station TV
Asonga.
The German embassy in Malabo was closed in 2021, and Germans and Austrians have since had to contact one of the other EU embassies (especially Spain). If you are on the mainland, access to consular assistance can be extremely difficult. For EU citizens, the Spanish Consulate General in Bata is available in such emergencies.
Around 1500, Portugal took possession of what is now Equatorial
Guinea under the name Fernando Póo. In 1778, Portugal ceded the colony
to Spain, making it Spain's only colony in sub-Saharan Africa. In the
19th century, Spain established a plantation economy on the island of
Bioko, but only began colonizing the Río Muni (Mbini) region in 1926.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Mbini, together with the
islands of Bioko and Annobón, formed the Spanish colony of Territorios
Españoles del Golfo de Guinea ("Spanish territories on the Gulf of
Guinea").
During the First World War, the German Schutztruppe
from Cameroon was interned in the neutral (Spanish) colony. In 1929, a
commission from the League of Nations visited the island of Bioko to
investigate the Fernando Po scandal on site.
The colony gained
internal autonomy in 1963 under the name Equatorial Guinea (Spanish:
Guinea Ecuatorial). The country became independent on October 12, 1968.
Three weeks before independence, Francisco Macías Nguema was elected
president.
After a failed coup attempt by the foreign minister in
March 1969, President Macías had his "most important rivals" eliminated;
the foreign minister himself, the UN ambassador and most of the foreign
ministry employees were tortured and murdered. Unrest broke out, which
led to the annulment of the constitution and enabled Macías Nguema to
establish a terrorist regime. His regime is considered one of the
"bloodiest dictatorships in Africa". A third of the population fled
abroad. Tens of thousands of opponents of the regime are said to have
been murdered. At Christmas 1975, Macías had 150 alleged conspirators
executed; a band played Those Were the Days by Mary Hopkin.
On
August 4, 1973, a new constitution was enacted, which made the two
previously autonomous provinces of Fernando Póo (now Bioko) and Río Muni
into a unified state.
On August 3, 1979, Macías Nguema was
overthrown and executed by his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the
commander of the National Guard. A Supreme Military Council led by
Obiang then took power. Michel Grosé was particularly well-known as the
opposition leader since the early 1980s. Under Obiang, relations with
foreign countries improved, but he continued to rule in a dictatorial
manner.
The president and his party have won all elections to
date. The Portuguese non-governmental organization TIAC therefore
criticizes the elections as "a staging that only serves to create the
fiction that Equatorial Guinea is a democracy." In 1996, Obiang was
confirmed in office as president in a presumably rigged election with a
result of 99%. He was re-elected again on December 15, 2002 with 99.5%.
This is also assumed to be a rigged election; some polling stations
reported a vote share of 103% for Obiang. According to official results,
he also won the 2009 and 2016 elections with 97% and 93.5% respectively.
The largest opposition party boycotted the 2016 election. One candidate
was placed under house arrest. The election was accompanied by violence
and torture. Obiang's son Teodorín (vice president since 2016) is being
considered as his successor amid internal power struggles.
In
1987, Obiang founded the state party Partido Democrático de Guinea
Ecuatorial (PDGE), which dominates the party system to this day. The
PDGE won the 1988 parliamentary election with 99.2% of the vote. Until
1991, it was the only political party in the country as a unified party.
In the parliamentary election on March 7, 1999, the opposition parties
accused the government of massive election manipulation. The EU came to
a similar conclusion. In the parliamentary elections in 2008, 2013 and
2017, the PDGE won 99 of 100 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and all 60
seats in the Senate.
Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest states in Africa and covers
a total area of 28,051 km², of which around 26,000 km² are on the
mainland part of Mbini (Río Muni). The mainland part, known as Mbini,
rises from the flat coast to 1,200 meters inland. The straight sections
of the borders of the mainland part are at exactly 1° in the south and
2°10′ north latitude in the north, as well as 11°20′ east longitude in
the east.
The approximately 2000 km² island of Bioko in the north
off the coast of Cameroon, the coastal islands of Corisco and the Islas
de Elobey opposite the estuary of the Río Muni, and the 17 km² island of
Annobón, located southwest of São Tomé about 352 km off the coast of
Gabon, belong to Equatorial Guinea.
The land borders are 835 km
long, the coast around 300 km.
The islands and the mainland have a tropical rainforest climate with a short dry season. While the dry season on Bioko is in December and January, on the mainland it extends from July to August.
Hydrologically, the mainland part of Mbini is mainly influenced by the Mbini River. Most of the country drains via it. In addition to the Ntem on the northern border and the Muni on the southern border, there are also a few coastal rivers. All rivers flow into the Bay of Bonny.
Tropical rainforest dominates in Equatorial Guinea. Mangrove swamps
line the coast. On Bioko, part of the tropical rainforest has been
replaced by plantations. On Annobón, oil and coconut palms are
predominantly found.
The vast rainforest areas provide an ideal
habitat for numerous animal species, for example chimpanzees, gorillas,
drills, mandrills and bear lemurs. Leopards, forest elephants, forest
buffalo, bush antelopes and bongos are also common.
The highest mountain in Equatorial Guinea is the 3,011 m high Pico Basilé on the island of Bioko.
Equatorial Guinea had 1.7 million inhabitants in 2022. Annual population growth was + 2.4%. A surplus of births (birth rate: 29.9 per 1000 inhabitants vs. death rate: 8.7 per 1000 inhabitants) contributed to population growth. The number of births per woman was statistically 4.2 in 2022, compared to 4.9 in the West and Central Africa region. The median age of the population in 2021 was 20.9 years. In 2023, 38.1 percent of the population was under 15 years old, while the proportion of people over 64 was 3.1 percent of the population.
The majority of the population, 72.3%, lives on the continent. About
27.3% of the population live on Bioko and 0.4% on Annobón. Equatorial
Guinea is one of the few African countries in which one people make up
the clear majority of the country: around 85.7% of the population are
Bantu-speaking Fang. In the mountainous interior of the island of Bioko,
the Bubi live in villages that are often difficult to access. They are
also Bantu peoples and make up 6.5% of the population. But the Fang now
dominate here too. Due to severe repression during the dictatorship of
Francisco Macías Nguema, the majority of the Bubi, who until then made
up 20% of the population, had to leave the country - many went to Spain.
Other minorities are the Mdowe with 3.6% and the Bujeba with 1.1%. The
Annobonese live on the island of Annobón and make up 1.6% of the total
population. Europeans - mostly Spaniards - and the Fernandinos,
descendants of English-speaking Creoles, also live in the country, each
numbering a few thousand.
In 2017, 17.5% of the population was
born abroad. Equatorial Guinea therefore has the highest proportion of
foreigners of all African countries.
As a result of Spanish colonial rule, over 87% of Equatorial Guineans are followers of the Roman Catholic Church, and there are also 5% Protestants. Followers of traditional religions, on the other hand, are a minority.
On the occasion of World Literacy Day in 2010, the government
announced that the literacy rate was 93%, the highest in sub-Saharan
Africa, according to new UNESCO figures. In 2015, the CIA World Factbook
estimated it at 95.3% of the population.
There is hardly any
public school system. Church missions and Spanish institutions run most
of the country's schools. Malabo has had a university for several years.
There is a Spanish and a French cultural center there, and a Spanish
cultural center in Bata.
The country's health expenditure in 2021 amounted to 3.4% of gross domestic product. In 2017, 3.5 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants practiced in Equatorial Guinea. The life expectancy of Equatorial Guinea's inhabitants from birth was 61.2 years in 2022 (women: 63.3, men: 59.4). The under-5 mortality rate in 2022 was 73.4 per 1,000 live births.
The constitution introduced in 1991 grants the president, who is
elected for seven years, extensive executive powers; he appoints the
prime minister and the chief judges and is the commander-in-chief of the
armed forces. Incumbent Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled
continuously since 1979, making him the longest-serving head of state in
Africa. Analysts describe Equatorial Guinea's political system as a
dictatorship or an authoritarian kleptocracy. "The president simply
controls everything: the organization of the elections, the entire state
apparatus and the media."
The legislature is held by the Cámara
de los Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) with 100 seats and - since 2011 -
the Senate with 75 seats. Both are elected simultaneously for five
years, with 15 seats in the Senate being allocated by the president. The
election director is the Minister of the Interior, who belongs to the
PDGE.
The most important opposition parties are CPDS and Unión
Popular (UP). The latter has been significantly weakened since its split
in 1999. There are other smaller parties, some of which are in exile in
Spain. Some of the opposition parties have joined forces. The opposition
complains of electoral fraud and intimidation.
The human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea is repeatedly criticized and is (as of 2023) one of the worst in the world. For example, torture occurred in a show trial against alleged coup plotters in 2002 and four "coup plotters" were executed on August 21, 2010. The opposition is suppressed and freedom of expression is severely restricted. Radio and television are owned by the government. The newspapers La Gaceta, La Opinión and La Verdad are published irregularly. International newspapers are not available. The country's only human rights organization is controlled by the government. There are no trade unions.
Equatorial Guinea has been a member of the United Nations since 1968.
It has observer status in the WTO. It has been a member of the World
Customs Organization since 2021.
Foreign policy focuses on
international recognition and good relations with neighboring countries.
The dispute with Nigeria over maritime borders was settled in the fall
of 2000. In 2014, the country also became a full member of the Community
of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). Equatorial Guinea hopes to
improve international relations through cooperation, particularly with
the five Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa (PALOP). The country's
problems include illegal immigration from neighboring countries Cameroon
and Gabon.
Israel has particularly close relations with
Equatorial Guinea and helped Macías build the infrastructure of his
police state. The Israeli government was well aware of the nature of the
regime. An internal assessment by the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1986
stated:
«Equatorial Guinea - once a remote Spanish colony - only
gained independence in 1968, but just a few months later the originally
elected Macías seized control ... The murderous terror regime reduced
the population by (according to estimates) a third, and the country
became one of the most backward in Africa.»
Israel later became
one of the most important supporters of Obiang's regime, training its
army and presidential guard, Israelis serving in the presidential guard,
and Israel supplying weapons to the regime.
Relations with Spain
are distant, perhaps even strained, because the former colonial power
has taken in an estimated 40,000 (mostly opposition) Equatorial
Guineans. After President Obiang visited Spain with numerous members of
the government in November 2006, he cancelled his planned visit to Expo
2008 in Zaragoza because neither King Juan Carlos I nor Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero wanted to receive him.
The EU is
holding back on its involvement in the country because it is demanding
more democracy and respect for human rights from the government. It was
involved in repairing the water supply in Malabo and supported small
farmers in growing cocoa. The People's Republic of China has made use of
this restraint on a broad front. From small-scale trade to large
construction projects (ports, hydroelectric power station in Djibloho),
Chinese people are omnipresent. Relations with the People's Republic of
China are excellent. In August 2010, the President made his 7th state
visit to China - a week after his first to South Korea. At the end of
July 2010, an Equatorial Guinean delegation visited the Chinese Vice
Minister of Defense.
France and Spain are the only European
countries with embassies in Equatorial Guinea, and there is also an
office of the Portuguese-speaking community CPLP. The German embassy in
Malabo was opened on September 13, 2010. Until then, the ambassador in
Yaoundé (Cameroon) was also accredited in Malabo. Germany had been
represented by honorary consuls since 1910, and the GDR also had an
embassy in the early 1970s. However, the German embassy was closed in
July 2021, so the embassy in Yaoundé is now responsible again.
The USA has intensified its relations with Equatorial Guinea due to the
oil discoveries. Only Americans are exempt from the visa requirement.
During the visit of Brazilian President Lula da Silva to Malabo on July
4/5, 2010, the visa requirement for diplomats was abolished and
agreements on technical cooperation and training as well as on armaments
and television technology were signed.
In July 2011, the 17th
Summit of the African Union took place in Malabo.
19 states have embassies in Equatorial Guinea: France, Spain, USA
(reopened in 2003), Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, People's Republic of China
(since 1970), North Korea, Angola, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, South
Africa, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and Chad. Mali has
a consulate.
Honorary consuls have been appointed by Benin, the
United Kingdom, the Central African Republic, Sao Tome and Principe and
Burkina Faso.
Some United Nations organizations are also
represented.
Equatorial Guinea wants to move its embassy in
Israel to Jerusalem.
The armed forces are estimated to comprise 2,500 men and are supplemented by paramilitary units of unknown size. After several coup attempts and sea raids, the US company Military Professional Resources set up a radar chain for coastal surveillance. The modern coastal protection boats are maintained by Israeli specialists.
The economy of Equatorial Guinea is largely determined by oil
production. In 2004, the oil industry accounted for around 90% of gross
domestic product.
With a GDP (PPP) per capita of between around
19,960 (IMF estimate for 2014) and 11,120 US dollars (knoema.com
estimate for 2015), the country was at the top of all African countries
or in the upper range. However, these figures are strongly linked to the
fluctuating world market price for crude oil and have therefore fallen
since 2013. According to general estimates, the average monthly income
is around 300 euros. The CIA World Factbook estimated the unemployment
rate for 2014 at 8.4%. All figures are uncertain.
In 1991, large oil deposits were discovered off the coast of Bioko
and off the mainland and subsequently exploited by international oil
companies. This led to rapid economic growth: from 1998 to 2002, gross
domestic product grew by an average of 24% annually. This rapid
development was only made possible by the conclusion of new production
contracts after the first generation of contracts had severely
disadvantaged the Equatorial Guinean side. In 2013, daily production was
around 290,800 barrels, according to the CIA World Factbook. This made
the country the third largest oil producer south of the Sahara after
Nigeria and Angola. Due to falling production figures and oil prices,
Equatorial Guinea experienced a recession, but began to recover in 2022
thanks to the hydrocarbon sector.
The Guinean public and private
economy stands and falls with international companies. However, these
hardly create jobs in the country, as qualified and reliable specialists
are rarely found among the locals. The oil companies' facilities, as
well as many private homes and entire city districts, are largely
shielded from the surrounding area.
There are also natural gas
deposits in Equatorial Guinea, which have been extracted since 2001. In
an international consortium, the German company E.ON is heavily involved
in liquefaction technology. The country has been a member of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since May 2017.
In addition to oil, the export of tropical wood (1999: around 750,000 cubic meters) and cocoa are the most important economic sectors, although sales have been declining for years. Cocoa production on Bioko remains constant at 5,000 t per year, but still employs most of the workers. Timber exports from Río Muni generated around 10% of export earnings between 1996 and 1999. Agriculture and inland fishing are also used for self-sufficiency. The country's cities are nevertheless dependent on food imports. Sea fishing does not take place. Since attacks and coup attempts always came from the sea, the fishing boats were brought ashore.
According to the federal government, the income from the flourishing
oil production is enough to generate a surplus in the state budget and
to make Equatorial Guinea independent of financial development aid.
However, the money largely benefits the presidential family and many
"mandarins". With a private fortune of 600 million dollars, Obiang is
one of the richest heads of state in the world, according to Forbes
Magazine. Other sources estimate his fortune at three billion dollars.
While the elite maintain a lavish lifestyle, most citizens live in
poverty. According to the World Bank, the majority of the population has
to live on less than two dollars a day. The United Nations Development
Program ranks Equatorial Guinea among the countries with medium human
development. The Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality in a
country, is (very high) 0.65.
In 2006, the country exported goods worth about $ 8.45 billion, 88%
of which was oil. The main customers were the USA (21.3%), China (18.9%)
and Spain (9.5%). In 2012, exports amounted to $ 14.73 billion. This
year, Japan and France were ranked 1st and 2nd among the buyer
countries.
Imports amounted to 2.52 billion US dollars in 2006
(2012: 7.56). The main suppliers in 2006 were the USA (7.5%), Italy
(6.1%) and France (3.7%). In 2012, Spain and China were the most
important supplier countries. German exports to the country amounted to
around 4.1 million euros in 2004 (2003: 6.9), German imports from
Equatorial Guinea around 6.6 million euros (2003: 3.5).
American
and French oil companies are getting more and more involved in the small
country. The petrol station network is operated almost exclusively by
the French company TotalEnergies. Economic relations with South Korea
and Brazil are good and are being developed. The volume of trade between
Equatorial Guinea and Brazil grew from USD 3 million to USD243 million
between 2003 and 2007.
Equatorial Guinea's external debt in 2011
was about $ 1 billion (5.2% of gross domestic product GDP). In
comparison, it was still estimated at 47% of GDP in 1999.
Equatorial Guinea has been a member of the CFA franc zone since 1985.
The International Monetary Fund granted three-year structural adjustment
loans in 1988 and 1993, which were suspended in 1995 for non-compliance
with the requirements.
The state budget in 2016 included expenditures of the equivalent of
2.862 billion US dollars, which were offset by revenues of the
equivalent of 2.436 billion US dollars. This results in a budget deficit
of 3.6% of GDP.
The national debt amounted to 21.6% of GDP in
2016.
in 2006, the share of government spending (as a percentage
of GDP) was in the following areas:
Health: 2.1 %
Education: 0.6%
(2003)
Military: 0.1% (2009)
in 2009, planning began for the African Observatory in Science Technology and Innovation (AOSTI) in Malabo, which was founded in 2013. The country is providing $ 3.6 million for this. It is scheduled to start operating in 2023.
There is no post office, no street names and no maps. Some of the
country's poor infrastructure is being improved rapidly and
impressively. New buildings are changing the cityscape of Malabo and
Bata.
With the Centro Médico La Paz there is a powerful hospital
in Bata. The Israeli operator completed a second one in Malabo.
Sewerage, sewage treatment plants and waste disposal are deficient;
Guinea Limpieza is under construction. Hydroelectric power plants supply
electricity, overhead lines supply the hinterland. The power supply is
not always stable.
International money traffic runs through the
National Bank and the African Central Bank.
Almost everyone has mobile phones, the largest provider is orange. Internet access is free. In 2021, 60.6 percent of the inhabitants of Equatorial Guinea used the Internet.
Road transport
Vast areas of the country are undeveloped. Quite a
few are designated as national parks and are hardly accessible. The road
network covers about 1300 kilometers, of which (allegedly and credibly)
80% is paved. The important roads are in good condition and are
constantly being upgraded (see Ciudad de la Paz). Many new bridges have
been built in the hinterland and on the islands. There are a lot of road
damage and thresholds in the cities and on the country roads.
Air
traffic
Only Malabo, Bata and Annobón airports have a paved runway.
The flight from Malabo to Bata takes 35 minutes. Important international
flight connections exist with:
Madrid (Spain): Ceiba
Intercontinental (4 flights per week)
Paris (France): Air France (3
flights per week)
Casablanca (Morocco): Royal Air Maroc (2 flights
per week)
Cotonou (Benin): Cronos Airlines (2 flights per week)
Abidjan (Ivory Coast): Ceiba Intercontinental (3 flights per week)
Accra (Ghana): Ceiba Intercontinental (3 flights per week);
São Tomé
(Sao Tome y Príncipe): Ceiba Intercontinental (3 flights per week);
Douala (Cameroon) Ethiopian Airline (3 flights per week); Cronos
Airlines (3 flights per week)
Libreville (Gabon): Royal Air Maroc (2
flights per week)
Port Harcourt (Nigeria): Cronos Airlines (2 flights
per week)
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia): Ethiopian Airlines (3 flights per
week)
The two main airlines, Cronos Airlines and CEIBA
Intercontinental, are on the blacklist.
The national holiday is October 12th, Independence Day (Spanish: Día de la Independencia). In 2010 it was celebrated on Annobón.
May 1st: Labor Day (Spanish: Día del Trabajo)
May 25th: Africa Day
(Día de Africa)
June 5th: Presidents Day (Natalicio del Presidente de
la República)
August 3rd: Liberation Day (Día del Golpe de Libertad)
August 15th: Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución)
December 10th:
Human Rights Day (Día de los Derechos Humanos)
Leoncio Evita Enoy wrote Equatorial Guinea's first novel, Cuando los combes luchaban, in 1953. Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (* 1966) lives in exile today. His story Los elefantes en la luna was made into a film (One day I saw 10,000 elephants).
On the initiative of the Centro Internacional de Teatro Actual, the Casa Africa and the Spanish cultural centers in Bata and Malabo, the Proyecto Orígines was founded in 2008, a dance theater with 24 local members under the direction of Santiago Sanchez. It provides an insight into the culture and way of life of the five major tribes in the country. The ensemble performed in Europe for the first time in Valencia in 2011. Raimundo Bernabé Nnandong Abeso Nchama works for theater and film.
Football
Equatorial Guinea hosted the 2008 African Women's
Football Championship. The team won the tournament and had Genoveva
Añonma as the top scorer and best player. At the 2010 African Women's
Championship, they made it to the final again. Although they lost the
final against Nigeria 7-2, second place meant that they qualified for
the World Cup for the first time, which took place in Germany in 2011.
There, the team was eliminated after the preliminary round.
Equatorial Guinea hosted the 2012 African Men's Football Championship
together with Gabon. The Equatorial Guinea team reached the
quarter-finals, but was then eliminated by eventual tournament winners
Zambia. In 2015, the country will host the continental competition
again. This time as sole host, replacing Morocco, which wanted to
postpone the tournament due to the Ebola epidemic.
At the 2015
African Football Championship, the team achieved fourth place, its best
result at an African Championship to date.
Olympic participation
The swimmer Éric Moussambani ("Eric The Eel") caused a stir as a
participant in freestyle swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Other Olympic participants from the country were Paula Barila Bolopa,
Gus Envela Jr. and Reginaldo Ndong.
Special Olympics
Special
Olympics Equatorial Guinea was founded in 2018.