Population 551,201 (July 2007 est.)

Capital City Malabo (101,000)

Largest Cities Malabo, Bata, Ebebiyin

Currency Africaine Franc


Latitude/Longitude 3º45 N, 8º48 E

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


National Day 12 October; Independence Day

Religions nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Land

Land Area 28,050 sq km (10,830 sq miles) - slightly smaller than Maryland

Landforms The mainland of Equatorial Guinea begins on a narrow coastal plain, edged by mangrove swamps. From there, the land rises into a elevated plateau of thickly forested hills to its border with Gabon, reaching (in a few places) up to 4,000 ft. above sea level.

The major river, the Uola, snakes its way across the center of the country.

The offshore island of Bioko, volcanic in origin and very fertile, is dominated by three extinct volcanoes.

Highest Point Pico Basile (3,008 m) (8,868 ft)

Lowest Point Atlantic Ocean, sea level

Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay. Government officials and their family members own most businesses. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2006, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the fourth highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg, Bermuda, and Jersey.