Map of Congo | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Angola and Gabon

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S 15 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries

Coastline: 169 km

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources: petroleum timber potash lead zinc uranium copper phosphates natural gas hydropower

Land use

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: seasonal flooding

Geography
Note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville Pointe-Noire or along the railroad between them


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Population: 2,830,961
Growth rate: 2.23% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Kongo 48% Sangha 20% M'Bochi 12% Teke 17% Europeans NA%; note - Europeans estimated at 8,500 mostly French before the 1997 civil war; may be half of that in 1998 following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997

Languages: French (official) Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages) many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)

Religions: Christian 50% animist 48% Muslim 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.23% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 38.61 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 16.35 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 101.55 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 5.06 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 areas

Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Congolese National Day 15 August (1960)

Constitution: new constitution approved by referendum March 1992 but is now being redrafted by President SASSOU-NGUESSO

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Transitional Council (75 seats members elected by reconciliation forum of 1420 delegates on NA January 1998); note - the National Transitional Council replaced the bicameral Parliament

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many parties are the Congolese Labor Party or PCT [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO president]; Association for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB BDEAC CCC CEEAC ECA FAO FZ G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ITU NAM OAU OPCW UDEAC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Moreover the government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings contributing to the government's 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 in 1998 which worsened the Republic of the Congo's budget deficit. A second blow was the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998. Even with high world oil prices Congo is unlikely to realize growth of more than 5% in 2000-01.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1530 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cassava (tapioca) sugar rice corn peanuts vegetables coffee cocoa; forest products

Industries: petroleum extraction cement kilning lumbering brewing sugar milling palm oil soap cigarette making

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: petroleum 50% lumber plywood sugar cocoa coffee diamonds
Partners: US 23% Benelux 14% Germany Italy Taiwan China (1998)

Imports: $770 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: petroleum products capital equipment construction materials foodstuffs
Partners: France 23% US 9% Belgium 8% UK 7% Italy (1997 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5 billion (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 503 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 588 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 120 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 21,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville Pointe-Noire and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $110 million (FY93)
Percent of gdp: 3.8% (FY93)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 36 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 25 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: most of the Congo river boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs