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National Map
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Congo, Republic of the |
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National Flag
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Congo, Republic of the |
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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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
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Congo, Republic of the |
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National Anthem
Of |
Congo, Republic of the |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Congo, Republic of the |
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Background:
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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, but ushered in a
period of ethnic unrest. Southern-based rebel groups
agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the
calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a
humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of
Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant
potential for offshore development. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Angola and Gabon |
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Geographic coordinates:
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1 00 S,
15 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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169 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to
October); constantly high temperatures and humidity;
particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
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Terrain:
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coastal
plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper,
phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable
land: 0.51%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 99.36% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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10 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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seasonal
flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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air
pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from
the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable;
deforestation |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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about 70%
of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or
along the railroad between them |
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Population:
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3,039,126
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 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 37.3% (male 571,011/female 563,414)
15-64 years: 59% (male 886,297/female 907,348)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,799/female
65,257) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
20.7 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 21.1 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.31%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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27.88
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.82
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
92.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 98.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 86.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 52.26 years
male: 51.17 years
female: 53.39 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.54
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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4.9%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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90,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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9,700
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo |
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Ethnic groups:
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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 |
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Religions:
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Christian
50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% |
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Languages:
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French
(official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade
languages), many local languages and dialects (of which
Kikongo is the most widespread) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8%
male: 89.6%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)
local long form: Republique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Brazzaville |
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Administrative divisions:
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10
regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*;
Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou,
Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha |
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Independence:
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15 August
1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 August (1960) |
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Constitution:
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approved
by referendum 20 January 2002 |
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Legal system:
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based on
French civil law system and customary law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Cour Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT,
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Roger A. MEECE
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) |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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
challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.324
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.7%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 52%
services: 40.6% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA (2003)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.8%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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25.8% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $870.1 million
expenditures: $1.102 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cassava
(tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables,
coffee, cocoa; forest products |
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Industries:
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petroleum
extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil,
soap, flour, cigarettes |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0% (2002
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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348
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 0.3%
hydro: 99.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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573.6
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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250
million kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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227,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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5,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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93.5
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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495.5
million cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$266
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$2.224
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee,
diamonds |
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Exports - partners:
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China
26.8%, Taiwan 19.2%, North Korea 8.4%, US 7.3%, France
5.5%, South Korea 4.8% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$749.3
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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capital
equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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France
32.7%, US 10.1%, Germany 6.2%, Italy 6%, China 5.2%,
Netherlands 4.5% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$40.42
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$5
billion (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$159.1
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African
States |
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Currency code:
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XAF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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7,000
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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330,000
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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: country code - 242; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
5, shortwave 3 (2001) |
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Radios:
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341,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2002)
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Televisions:
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33,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.cg |
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Internet hosts:
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46 (2003)
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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15,000
(2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
12,800 km
paved: 1,242 km
unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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4,385 km
(on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 53
km; oil 646 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Brazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
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Airports:
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32 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Congolese
Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Air Force (Armee de l'Air
Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 686,123 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 360,492 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
34,281 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$126.5
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.8%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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about
7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil
conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the
boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic
Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool
Malebo/Stanley Pool area |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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IDPs:
60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are
ethnic Lari) (2004) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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