low six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five
offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and
below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity,
Peace, Justice)

Geography
---------

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 28,050 sq km
land area: 28,050 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Coastline: 296 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon
because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Climate: tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are
volcanic
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Malabo 3,008 m

Natural resources: timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits
of gold, manganese, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 51%
other: 33%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: tap water is not potable; desertification
natural hazards: violent windstorms
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered
Species, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: insular and continental regions rather widely
separated

People
------

Population: 431,282 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 93,319; female 92,753)
15-64 years: 53% (male 108,706; female 120,129)
65 years and over: 4% (male 7,235; female 9,140) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.58% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 39.77 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 14.01 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 98 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.01 years
male: 50.79 years
female: 55.29 years (