Home

Gabon vs. Equatorial Guinea

Geography

GabonEquatorial Guinea
LocationCentral Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial GuineaCentral Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Geographic coordinates1 00 S, 11 45 E2 00 N, 10 00 E
Map referencesAfricaAfrica
Areatotal: 267,667 sq km

land: 257,667 sq km

water: 10,000 sq km
total: 28,051 sq km

land: 28,051 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly smaller than Coloradoslightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundariestotal: 3,261 km

border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km
total: 528 km

border countries (2): Cameroon 183 km, Gabon 345 km
Coastline885 km296 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climatetropical; always hot, humidtropical; always hot, humid
Terrainnarrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and southcoastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Elevation extremeshighest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 377 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 577 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropowerpetroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Land useagricultural land: 19% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 81% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 10.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 4.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 3.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 57.5% (2018 est.)

other: 32.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land40 sq km (2012)NA
Natural hazardsnone

violent windstorms; flash floods

volcanism: Santa Isabel (3,007 m), which last erupted in 1923, is the country's only historically active volcano; Santa Isabel, along with two dormant volcanoes, form Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea

Environment - current issuesdeforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poachingdeforestation (forests are threatened by agricultural expansion, fires, and grazing); desertification; water pollution (tap water is non-potable); wildlife preservation
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - notea small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversityinsular and continental regions widely separated; despite its name, no part of the Equator passes through Equatorial Guinea; the mainland part of the country is located just north of the Equator
Total renewable water resources166 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionthe relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest as shown in this population distribution maponly two large cities over 30,000 people (Bata on the mainland, and the capital Malabo on the island of Bioko); small communities are scattered throughout the mainland and the five inhabited islands as shown in this population distribution map

Source: CIA Factbook