Statistical information Congo 1992

Congo in the World
Congo - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 342,000 km²
Land: 341,500 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
5,504 km; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central
African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
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
ElevationNatural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 2%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 62%; other 7%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 2,376,687 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Congolese (singular and plural); adjective -
Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups:
about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south,
Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
Languages:
French (official); many African languages with Lingala and
Kikongo most widely used
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 42 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues:deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in
Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 57% (male 70%, female 44%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of the 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
Dependent areasIndependence: 15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
National holiday: Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)
Constitution: 8 July 1979, currently being modified
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
National Assembly:transitional body selected by National Conference in
May 1991; election for new legislative body to be held spring 1992
President: last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held June 1992); results - President SASSOU-NGUESSO unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically made him president
Communists: small number of Communists and sympathizers
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: a transitional National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Roger ISSOMBO; Chancery at 4,891
Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,011; telephone (202) 726-5,500
US:Ambassador James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral,
Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO AE 9,828); telephone (242) 83-20-70; FAX 242 83-63-38
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: red, 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Congo's economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, a beginning industrial sector based largely on oil, supporting services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. A reform program, supported by the IMF and World Bank, ran into difficulties in 1990-91 because of problems in changing to a democratic political regime and a heavy debt-servicing burden. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. During the period 1987-91, however, growth has slowed to an average of roughly 1.5% annually, only half the population growth rate.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $1,070; real growth rate 0.5% (1990 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry; cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops - rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over 90% of food needs
Industries: crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1.2% (1989; accounts for 33% of GDP, including petroleum
Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (1979 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $522 million; expenditures $767 million, including capital expenditures of $141 million (1989)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $751 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodoties: crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds
Partners: US, France, other EC
Imports: $564 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures, capital equipment
Partners: France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 140,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 135 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaCongo - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp:exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 4.6% of
GDP (1987 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsCongo - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
46 total, 42 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 25 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only
Merchant marinePorts and terminalsCongo - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs