Geography of Equatorial Guinea
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Bioko Island, called Fernando Po until the 1970s, is the largest island in the Gulf of Guinea — 2,017 square kilometers (779 sq mi). It is shaped like a boot, with two large volcanic formations separated by a valley that bisects the island at its narrowest point. The 195-kilometer (121 mi) coastline is steep and rugged in the south but lower and more accessible in the north, with excellent harbors at Malabo and Luba, and several scenic beaches between those towns.
On the continent, Río Muni covers 26,003 square kilometers (10,040 sq mi). The coastal plain gives way to a succession of valleys separated by low hills and spurs of the Crystal Mountains. The Rio Benito (Mbini) which divides Río Muni in half, is unnavigable except for a 20-kilometer stretch at its estuary. Temperatures and humidity in Río Muni are generally lower than on Bioko Island.
Annobon Island, named for its discovery on New Year's Day 1472, is a small volcanic island covering 18 square kilometers (6.9 sq mi). The coastline is abrupt except in the north; the principal volcanic cone contains a small lake. Most of the estimated 1,900 inhabitants are fisherman specializing in traditional, smallscale tuna fishing and whaling. The climate is tropical—heavy rainfall, high humidity, and frequent seasonal changes with violent windstorms.
Location: Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon.
Area and boundaries
- Area
- Total: 28,051 km²
- country rank in the world: 141st
- Land: 28,051 km²
- Water: negligible km²
- Total: 28,051 km²
Equatorial Guinea's land boundaries total 539 km. It borders Cameroon (189 km) in the north and Gabon (350 km) in the east and south.
- Area comparative
- Australia comparative: approximately 3/7 the size of Tasmania
- Canada comparative: approximately 1/2 the size of Nova Scotia
- United Kingdom comparative: approximately 1/3 larger than Wales
- United States comparative: slightly larger than Massachusetts
- EU comparative: slightly smaller than Belgium
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Exclusive economic zone: 303,509 km2 (117,185 mi2) with 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
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Terrain
Coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic.
Total renewable water resources: 26 km3 (2011)
Natural hazards: violent windstorms, flash floods
Environment — current issues: tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment — international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Geography note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated
Climate
The climate of both the continental region and the islands is typically equatorial, with high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and much cloud cover most of the year. Local variations are due to differences in altitude and proximity to the sea. The wet seasons in the continental region are from February to June and from September to December. Rainfall is higher on the coast than inland. In Bata the rainiest months are September, October, and November, with rainfall averaging more than 94 in (2,388 mm) a year. At Calatrava, farther south on the coast, it sometimes reaches 180 in (4,572 mm). Inland, however, rainfall diminishes; Mikomeseng, for example, receives only about 58 in (1,473 mm). The average annual temperature is about 79 °F (26.1 °C) and is fairly constant throughout the year. The temperature maxima are somewhat lower than in Bioko. The relative humidity, however, is higher than in Bioko. Bioko has a rather debilitating climate. The so-called dry season lasts from November to March, and the rest of the year is rainy. The average annual temperature of about 77 °F (25 °C) varies little throughout the year. Afternoon temperatures reach the high 80s °F (low 30s °C) and drop to only about 70 °F (21.1 °C) at night. Most of the time the sky is cloudy and overcast. Extreme rainfall occurs in the south, with rain brought by monsoon winds amounting to about 450 in (11,430 mm) a year around San Antonio de Ureca.
Forests
Tree cover extent and loss
Global Forest Watch publishes annual estimates of tree cover loss and 2000 tree cover extent derived from time-series analysis of Landsat satellite imagery in the Global Forest Change dataset. In this framework, tree cover refers to vegetation taller than 5 m (including natural forests and tree plantations), and tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover canopy for a given year, regardless of cause.
For Equatorial Guinea, country statistics report cumulative tree cover loss of 155,331 ha (1,553.31 km2) from 2001 to 2024 (about 5.9% of its 2000 tree cover area). For tree cover density greater than 30%, country statistics report a 2000 tree cover extent of 2,654,600 ha (26,546 km2). The charts and table below display this data. In simple terms, the annual loss number is the area where tree cover disappeared in that year, and the extent number shows what remains of the 2000 tree cover baseline after subtracting cumulative loss. Forest regrowth is not included in the dataset.
Annual tree cover loss in Equatorial Guinea, 2001–2024. View chart definition.Tree cover extent in 2000 minus cumulative tree cover loss in Equatorial Guinea, 2001–2024 (loss-only residual; does not account for gain). View chart definition.
Extreme points
This is a list of the extreme points of Equatorial Guinea, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.
- Northernmost point — Punta Europa, Bioko Island
- Easternmost point — near Obileville village
- Southernmost point — A Dyibó, Annobón Island
- Westernmost point — Punta Dyiscoj, Annobón Island