Equatorial Guinea Travel Overview
At a glance
Capital: Malabo
Official language: Spanish
Currency: CFA franc
Continent: Central Africa
Spanish in Africa
Chimpanzees, gorillas, mandrills, leopards, elephants… Equatorial Guinea offers many sensations
Location
According to Countryaah, Equatorial Guinea is located in West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean and is the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent. It is made up of the mainland and several islands. The capital Malabo is on the island of Bioko. The mainland borders on Cameroon and Gabon.
Background
Due to an oil discovery off the coast of the country, it is statistically the richest country in Africa. Unfortunately, the population sees relatively little of this money; because the country is ruled by a parliament, but it has been acting very corruptly for years.
Highlights
Equatorial Guinea is little developed for tourism, but offers many highlights for individual travelers. There is still a lot of untouched jungle in the country and nature lovers will get their money’s worth. It is also home to gorillas and chimpanzees and the rare forest elephant.
Important facts
Capital: Malabo
Official language: Spanish
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
CFA franc (100 centimes)
ISO 4217 code
XAF / 950
Geography
Continent: Africa
Region: Central
Geo coordinates: N 1 ° 39 ‘2.9 ” E 10 ° 16’ 4.4″
Highest mountain: Pico Basile (3,008 m)
Total area: 28,051 km²
Mainland: 28,031 km²
National border: 539 km
Coastline: 296 km
Politics
Dependency: Spain until 1968
UN member since: 1968
Other political affiliation: African Union
Form of government: Presidential Republic
Economy
Export goods: Cocoa, coffee, wood
GDP: $ 927,000,000
GDP purchasing power parity: $ 2,810,000,000
Economic growth: 15.4%
GDP share of agriculture: 3%
GDP share of industry: 88.8%
GDP share of services: 8.2%
Inflation rate: 5.5%
State budget revenue: $ 1.73 billion
State budget expenditure: $ 840000000
Foreign debt: $ 381,000,000
Gold and currency reserves: $ 2,730,000,000
Electricity consumption: 42 million KWh
Gas reserves: 36,810 million m³
Gas production: 1,360 million m³
Gas consumption: 1,360 million m³
Oil reserves: 564 million m³
Oil production: 480,000 million m³
Oil consumption: 1,600 million m³
Cultivation area: 8.2%
Bovine: 5,500 pieces
Pigs: 7,100 pieces
Sheep: 44,000 pieces
Fishing: 3,100 t
Demographic data
Residents: 540.100
Residents in cities: 262,000
Average age: 18.8 years
0-14 years: 41.7%
15-64 years: 54.5%
> 65 years: 3.8%
Population growth: 2.05%
Birth rate: 36.18 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 15.06 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 0.96
Fertility: 4.55 children / woman
Infant mortality: 89.21 ‰
Life expectancy men: 48 years
Life expectancy women: 51.13 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: GQ
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: GNQ
ISO 3166 numeric: 226
Top Level Domain: gq
IOC country code: GEQ
UN / LOCODE: GQ
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 10,400
Cell Phones: 46,900
Radios: 230,000
TV: 11,000
Computer: 9,000
Internet users: 6,000
Transportation
Cars: 14,000
Merchant fleet (ships over 1,000 GRT): 1
Pipelines: 104
Health
Number of doctors: 140
HIV- infected people: 7,500
Education
Illiteracy: 14%
History
Foundation: 1968
Last sovereign since: 1968
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
Military
Armed forces (troop strength): 1,300
Defense Spending: $ 35.8 million
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
I.a. Air France (AF), British Airways (BA), KLM (KL), Swiss (LX) and Spanair (JK) fly from Europe to Malabo.
Lufthansa (LH) flies directly from Frankfurt / M. to Malabo (can also be booked in codeshare with Brussels Airlines (SN)).
Flight times
Frankfurt – Malabo: 8 hours 10; Vienna – Malabo: 10 hours 20; Zurich – Malabo: 10 hours 15.
Departure fee
No.
Arrival by car
Road connections exist to Cameroon and Gabon (bush taxis are available). Bad road conditions must be expected. By land, entry is mostly via Douala in Cameroon. The borders can be temporarily closed, it is advisable to inquire beforehand (see contact addresses).
Arrival by ship
Malabo and Bata are the main port cities. There is a passenger connection to Douala (Cameroon).
ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
Daily flight connections between Malabo and Bata, advance booking is recommended (flight postponement and cancellation possible). Holders of an international pilot’s license can rent small aircraft in Malabo. On domestic flights, maintenance and safety regulations do not always meet international standards.
On the way by car / bus
Not all roads are paved. The roads in the north are better on Bioko. Bush taxis can be hired by the hour and by the day and connect Malabo with the other two larger cities on the island, Luba and Riaba. Police and military roadblocks and checks on foreigners’ papers are common. In Malabo, Bata and the surrounding area, new roads are being built or restored. A minibus runs from Bata to Mbini (travel time: 1 hour) and to Acalayong (6 hours). There are a few car rental companies.
On the go by train
There is no train service.
On the way by ship
A ferry runs between Malabo, Bata and Douala (Cameroon), the journey takes about 12 hours. There are four different price ranges.