Map of Congo | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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 took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO and ushered in a period of ethnic and political 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 was once one of Africa's largest petroleum producers but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.


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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
Total: 342,000 km²
Rank: 63
Land: 341,500 km²
Water: 500 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 5,504 km
Border countries: (5) Angola 201 km; Cameroon 523 km; Central African Republic 467 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km; Gabon 1903 km

Coastline: 169 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent 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
Extremes highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 1.45%
Permanent crops: 0.15%
Other: 98.4% (2005)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 832 km³ (1987)

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: 4,012,809
Rank: 127
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 2.754% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 20
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Congolese
Adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups: Kongo 48% Sangha 20% M'Bochi 12% Teke 17% Europeans and other 3%

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

Religions: Christian 50% animist 48% Muslim 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.9%
15-64 years: 51.2% (male 1,021,975/female 1,034,119)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 46,687/female 66,889) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.8 years
Male: 16.6 years
Female: 17.1 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.754% (2009 est.)
Rank: 20

Birth rate: 41.37 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 15

Death rate: 12.01 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 38

Net migration rate: -1.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 136

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 61% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 79.78 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 22
Male: 85.29 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 74.1 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 54.15 years
Rank: 196
Male: 52.9 years
Female: 55.43 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.84 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 13

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.5% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 19
People living with hivaids: 79,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 51
Deaths: 6,400 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 41

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Animal contact disease: rabies
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 169

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 83.8%
Male: 89.6%
Female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 8 years (2003)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Brazzaville
Geographic coordinates: 4 15 S 15 17 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza Brazzaville* Cuvette Cuvette-Ouest Kouilou Lekoumou Likouala Niari Plateaux Pool Sangha

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 15 August (1960)

Constitution: approved by referendum 20 January 2002

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso ; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997); note - the position of Prime Minister was abolished in September 2009
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 July 2009 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 78.6% Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 7.5% Nicephore Fylla de SAINT-EUDES 7%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by indirect 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 5 August 2008 (next to be held in 2013); National Assembly - last held 24 June and 5 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RMP 33 FDU 23 UPADS 2 independents 7 other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46 MCDDI 11 UPADS 11 MAR 5 MSD 5 independents 37 other 22

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Action Movement for Renewal or MAR; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Congolese Labour Party or PCT; Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMP; 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; United Democratic Forces or FDU [Sebastian EBAO]; many less important parties

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AU BDEAC CEMAC FAO FZ G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
In the us chancery: 4,891 Colorado Avenue NW Washington DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-5,500
In the us fax: [1] (202) 726-1860
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Allan EASTHAM
From the us embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution BDEAC Building 4th Floor Brazzaville; note - a new embassy is expected to open in 2009
From the us mailing address: B.P. 1015 Brazzaville
From the us telephone: [242] 281-1481 281-3,368; note - until the new embassy in Brazzaville becomes operational some duties will still be handled in the US embassy in Kinshasha Democratic Republic of the Congo

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
Note: 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 subsistence agriculture an industrial sector based largely on oil and 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 through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations notably the World Bank and the IMF. However 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. 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. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. In March 2006 the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 133
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 48

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 154
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.6%
Industry: 57.1%
Services: 37.3% (2006 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum extraction cement lumber brewing sugar palm oil soap flour cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2008 est.)
Rank: 28

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.515 billion
Expenditures: $2.721 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.7% (2007 est.)
Rank: 118

Central bank discount rate: 5.25% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 88

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 46

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit:

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$2.181 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 48

Exports: $5.808 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 84
Commodities: petroleum lumber plywood sugar cocoa coffee diamonds
Partners: US 45.1% China 32.3% France 6% (2008)

Imports: $2.858 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 139
Commodities: capital equipment construction materials foodstuffs
Partners: France 22.1% China 18.7% US 5.6% Italy 5.2% India 5.1% Belgium 4.4% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.184 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 87

Debt external: $5 billion (2000 est.)
Rank: 106

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.) 483.6 (2007) 522.59 (2006) 527.47 (2005) 528.29 (2004)
Note: since 1 January 1999 the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; Central African CFA franc (XAF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using West African CFA francs (XOF) and vice versa even though the two currencies trade at par


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Electricity
Production: 400 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 164
Consumption: 471 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 164
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 449 million kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 180 million m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 76
Consumption: 180 million m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 100
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 193
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 195
Proven reserves: 90.61 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 56

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 22,200 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 191
Mobile cellular: 1.807 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 125

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; fixed-line infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed line infrastructure mobile-cellular subscribership has surged and is approaching 50 per 100 persons
Domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
International: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .cg
Hosts: 18 (2009)
Hosts rank: 216
Users: 155,000 (2008)
Users rank: 142

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 46

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women allowed to serve (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 25 (2009)
Rank: 131
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 19
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 7 km; oil 207 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 795 km
Rank: 103
Narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 17,289 km
Rank: 119
Paved: 864 km
Unpaved: 16,425 km (2004)

Waterways: 1120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2008)
Rank: 62

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 1 (2008)
Rank: 148

Ports and terminals: Brazzaville Djeno Impfondo Ouesso Oyo Pointe-Noire


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 46,341 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 6,564 (Rwanda)
Idps: 48,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic Lari) (2007)

Illicit drugs