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| Congo, Republic of the |
 Click to enlarge |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes
| Background: |
Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO. |
| Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
1 00 S, 15 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Africa |
| Area: |
total: 342,000 sq km water: 500 sq km land: 341,500 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Montana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km |
| Coastline: |
169 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea: 200 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
| Terrain: |
coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0.5% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 99.37% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
seasonal flooding |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them |
| Population: |
2,954,258 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 38.4% (male 570,491; female 563,079) 15-64 years: 58% (male 844,655; female 868,851) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 44,166; female 63,016) (2003 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 20.2 years male: 19.8 years female: 20.7 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.53% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
29.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
14.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 95.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 101.45 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 50.02 years male: 49.04 years female: 51.02 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
7.2% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
110,000 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
11,000 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997 |
| Religions: |
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% |
| Languages: |
French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users) |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Capital: |
Brazzaville |
| Administrative
divisions: |
9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha |
| Independence: |
15 August 1960 (from France) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 15 August (1960) |
| Constitution: |
constitution approved by referendum in January 2002 |
| Legal
system: |
based on French civil law system and customary law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa) |
| Flag
description: |
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
| Economy
- overview: |
The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic problems of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $900 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
4% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| Unemployment
rate: |
NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
0% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
358.1 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 0.3% hydro: 99.7% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
633 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
300 million kWh (2001) |
| Oil
- production: |
275,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
NA (2001) |
| Oil
- imports: |
NA (2001) |
| Oil
- proved reserves: |
93.5 million bbl (January 2002 est.) |
| Natural
gas - proved reserves: |
495.5 million cu m (January 2002 est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products |
| Exports: |
$2.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 17.2%, South Korea 12.7%, China 9.9%, Germany 5.6%, France 2.4% (2001) |
| Imports: |
$730 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 20.5%, Italy 10.9%, US 9.5%, Belgium 5.1%, South Africa 2.5% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$5 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$159.1 million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Currency
code: |
XAF |
| Exchange
rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 697 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
22,000 (1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3,300 (1998) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (2002) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cg |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2001) |
| Railways: |
total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2002) |
| Highways: |
total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 25 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire |
| Airports: |
31 (2002) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 11 (2002) |
| |
