Equatorial Guinea Geography Profile 2001

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: 5%

permanent crops: 4%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 46%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Natural hazards

violent windstorms, flash floods

Environment - current issues

tap water is not potable; desertification

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

Geography - note

insular and continental regions rather widely separated