Equatorial Guinea Geography Profile 2002

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Geographic coordinates

2 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 28,051 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller 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

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources

oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium

Land use

arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57%
other: 91.8% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Natural hazards

violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues

tap water is not potable; deforestation

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Group

All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa

Geography - note

insular and continental regions rather widely separated