Equatorial Guinea

After 190 years of Spanish control, Equatorial Guinea became sovereign in 1968. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, who came to power through a coup, has led the country since 1979. The authority over politics lies mostly in the hands of the president, who does not encourage opposing voices. While the country has been a constitutional democracy from 1991, the elections that took place in 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2004, have been viewed as flawed. The offshore oil reserves have allowed for economic growth, and for the country to become Sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest oil exporter. Nonetheless, living standards have not improved.

Main Airports

Malabo (SSG/FGSL)

U.S. Embassy

Carretera de Aeropuerto KM-3 (El Paraiso), Apt. 95, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Tel: (240) 09.88.95

Statistics

GDP: purchasing power parity:

$25.69 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

18.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity:

50,200 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:

NA

Exports:

$6.727 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - partners:

US 25.9%, China 23%, Spain 11.5%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.6%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.2% (2005)

Imports:

$1.864 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - partners:

US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.6%, UK 7% (2005)

Population:

540,109 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.05% (2006 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line:

NA

Major Industries:

petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas

Employing Workers: 172*

Registering Property: 57*

Enforcing Contracts: 91*

Closing a Business: 151*

*2006 World Bank rank out of 175 countries

Starting a Business

The table below shows the number of steps and the amount of time needed to start a business, on average

Indicator	Equatorial Guinea	Region
Procedures (number)	20	11.1
Time (days)	136	61.8

Equatorial Guinea Risk Assessment

Country Rating

Rating: D

A high-risk political and economic situation and an often very difficult business environment can have a very significant impact on corporate payment behaviour. Corporate default probability is very high.

• Agriculture
• Apparel
• Arts & Crafts
• Automobile
• Bags, Cases & Boxes
• Chemicals
• Computer Hardware & Software
• Construction & Real Estate
• Consumer Electronics
• Electrical & Electronics
• Energy & Environment
• Food & Beverage
• Furniture & Furnishing
• Health & Medicine
• Home Supplies
• Industrial Supplies
• Lights & Lighting
• Machinery
• Mineral & Materials
• Office Supplies
• Security & Protection
• Service
• Sports & Entertainment
• Telecommunications
• Textile
• Toys
• Transportation