Equatorial Guinea Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Central 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: 528 km

border countries (2): Cameroon 183 km; Gabon 345 km

Coastline

296 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Elevation

highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 577 m

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay

Land use

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 land

N/A

Population distribution

only 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

Natural hazards

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

Geography - note

insular 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

NOTE: The information regarding Equatorial Guinea on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Equatorial Guinea 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Equatorial Guinea 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.