eans,
mostly Spanish

_#_Religion: natives all nominally Christian and predominantly Roman
Catholic; some pagan practices retained

_#_Language: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

_#_Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 66%, services 23%,
industry 11% (1980); labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population
of working age (1985)

_#_Organized labor: no formal trade unions

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Malabo

_#_Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (provincias,
singular--provincia); Bioko, Rio Muni; note--there may now be 6 provinces
named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele Nzas

_#_Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea)

_#_Constitution: 15 August 1982

_#_Legal system: in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and
tribal custom

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives of the
People (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE BIOKO MALABO
(since 15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidoro Eyi MONSUY ANDEME
(since 15 August 1989)

_#_Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Party for
Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO, party leader

_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

_#_Elections:

President--last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996);
results--President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was
reelected without opposition;

Chamber of People's Representatives--last held 10 July 1988 (next
to be held 10 July 1993);
results--PDGE is the only party;
seats--(41 total) PDGE 41

_#_Communists: no significant number

_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate),
NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Amba