ermanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: violent windstorms

Environment - current issues: tap water is not potable;
desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: insular and continental regions rather widely
separated

@Equatorial Guinea:People

Population: 442,516 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 95,636; female 95,090)
15-64 years : 53% (male 111,801; female 123,257)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,407; female 9,325) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.57% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 39.33 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 13.67 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 95.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.46 years
male: 51.2 years
female: 55.8 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.11 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups: Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni
(primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Religions: nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan
practices

Languages: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 78.5%
male: 89.6%
female: 68.1% (1995 est.)

@Equatorial Guinea:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
former : Spanish Guinea

Data code: EK

Government type: republic in transition to multiparty democracy

National capital: Malabo

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem,
Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Independence: 12 October 1968 (f