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. The Republic of Congo is 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: Central 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
Land: 341,500 km²
Water: 500 km²
Rank: 65
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 5,008 km
Border countries: (5) Angola 231 km; Cameroon 494 km; Central African Republic 487 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 1229 km; Gabon 2,567 km

Coastline: 169 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 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
Mean elevation: 430 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m: highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 31.1%
Forest: 65.6%
Other: 3.3%

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2012)

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
Distribution: the population is primarily located in the south in and around the capital of Brazzaville: 4,954,674
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
Rank: 122
Growth rate: 2.11% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 44
Below poverty line: 46.5% (2011 est.)

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: Roman Catholic 33.1% Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3% Protestant 19.9% Salutiste 2.2% Muslim 1.6% Kimbanguiste 1.5% other 8.1% none 11.3% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.67%
15-24 years: 17.1%
25-54 years: 33.89%
55-64 years: 4.29%
65 years and over: 3.06% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 84.5
Youth dependency ratio: 78.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.2
Potential support ratio: 16.1

Median age
Total: 19.7 years
Male: 19.5 years
Female: 19.8 years
Rank: 192

Population growth rate: 2.11% (2017 est.)
Rank: 44

Birth rate: 34.4 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 22

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 52

Net migration rate: -3.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 181

Population distribution: the population is primarily located in the south in and around the capital of Brazzaville

Urbanization
Urban population: 66.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BRAZZAVILLE (capital) 1.888 million; Pointe-Noire 969,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from 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
0-14 years: 1.02 male/female
15-24 years: 1 male/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male/female
55-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.8 years
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.9 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 59.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 49.9 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 22

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.8 years
Male: 58.6 years
Female: 61.1 years
Rank: 206

Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 22

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 30.1% (2014/15)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.11 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 19
People living with hivaids: 91,000 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 45
Deaths: 3,800 (2016 est.)
Deaths rank: 37

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 dengue fever
Animal contact disease: rabies
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.6% (2016)
Rank: 143

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.3% (2015)
Rank: 61

Education expenditures: 6.2% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 39

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79.3%
Male: 86.4%
Female: 72.9%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
Conventional short form: Congo
Local long form: Republique du Congo
Local short form: Congo
Former: French Congo Middle Congo People's Republic of the Congo Congo/Brazzaville
Etymology: named for the Congo River which makes up much of the country's eastern border; the river name derives from Kongo a Bantu kingdom that occupied its mouth at the time of Portuguese discovery in the late 15th century and whose name stems from its people the Bakongo meaning 'hunters'

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Brazzaville
Geographic coordinates: 4 15 S 15 17 E
Time difference: UTC+1

Administrative divisions: 12 departments (departments singular - department); Bouenza Brazzaville Cuvette Cuvette-Ouest Kouilou Lekoumou Likouala Niari Plateaux Pointe-Noire Pool Sangha

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 15 August (1960)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved by referendum 25 October 2015
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; passage of presidential proposals requires Supreme Court review followed by approval in a referendum; such proposals may also be submitted directly to Parliament in which case passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote of both houses in joint session; proposals by Parliament require three-fourths majority vote of both houses in joint session; constitutional articles including those affecting the country’s territory republican form of government and secularity of the state are not amendable

Legal system: mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Republic of the Congo
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso
Head of government: Prime Minister ; Prime Minister Clement MOUAMBA (since 23 April 2016) resigned on 18 August 2017; note - a constitutional referendum held in 2015 approved the change of the head of government from the president to the prime minister
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso 60.4% Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 15.1% Jean-Marie MOKOKO (independent) 13.9% Pascal Tsaty MABIALA (UPADS) 4.4% other 6.2%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate and the National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 12 October 2014 for expiry of half the seats ; National Assembly - last held on 16 and 30 July 2017 (next to be held in July 2022)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RMP 33 FDU 23 UPADS 2 other 7 independent 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 89 MCDDI 7 UPADS 7 RDPS 5 MAR 4 RC 3 MUST 2 UPDP 2 CPR 1 PRL 1 PUR 1 UFD 1 UR 1 independent 12 vacant 3

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ; Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - a High Court of Justice outside the judicial authority tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by Parliament and serve until age 65; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president of the republic - 3 directly by the president and 6 nominated by Parliament; members appointed for renewable 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: Court of Audit and Budgetary Discipline; courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts

Political parties and leaders:

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
In the us chancery: 1720 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] 726-5,500
In the us FAX: [1] 726-1860
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Mary DASCHBACH (since January 2015)
From the us embassy: 70-83 Section D Maya-Maya Boulevard Brazzaville
From the us mailing address: B.P. 1015 Brazzaville
From the us telephone: [242] 06 612-2000

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; green symbolizes agriculture and forests yellow the friendship and nobility of the people red is unexplained but has been associated with the struggle for independence
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols: lion elephant; national colors: green yellow red

National anthem
Name: 'La Congolaise'
Lyrics and music: Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE
Note: originally adopted 1959 restored 1991

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 130

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 207

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 158

Gross national saving:
Rank: 49

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 56.5%
Government consumption: 15.5%
Investment in fixed capital: 50.4%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 57.1%
Imports of goods and services: -79.4%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.7%
Industry: 50.2%
Services: 41.1%

Agriculture products: cassava (manioc 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: -4.7% (2016 est.)
Rank: 187

Labor force: 2.055 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 124
By occupation agriculture: 35.4%
By occupation industry: 20.6%
By occupation services: 44%

Unemployment rate: 36% (2014 est.)
Rank: 208

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 46.5% (2011 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.1%
Highest 10: 37.1%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.085 billion
Expenditures: $3.507 billion
Surplus or deficit: -17.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 214

Taxes and other revenues: 26.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 112

Public debt:
Rank: 32

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 156

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 88

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 52

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 123

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 142

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 139

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 153

Exports:
Rank: 112
Commodities: petroleum lumber plywood sugar cocoa coffee diamonds
Partners: China 39.8% Italy 10.2% Australia 7% Gabon 6.6% Angola 6% Singapore 4.2% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 134
Commodities: capital equipment construction materials foodstuffs
Partners: South Korea 18.2% France 12.8% China 12.2% Norway 11.2% Belgium 6.9% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 132

Debt external:
Rank: 135

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 2,600,000
Access electrification total population: 42%
Access electrification urban areas: 62%
Access electrification rural areas: 5%
Production: 1.676 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 143
Consumption: 900.5 million kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 22 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 90
Imports: 18 million kWh (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 109
Installed generating capacity: 545,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 144
Generation sources fossil fuels: 61.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 125
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 64
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 38.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 55
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 173

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 308,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 31
Crude oil exports: 254,400 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 28
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 108
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.6 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 40

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 16,530 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 95
Products consumption: 18,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 144
Products exports: 6,058 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 92
Products imports: 6,821 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 153

Natural gas
Production: 1.5 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Production rank: 62
Consumption: 2.6 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 82
Exports: 39 million m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 51
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 105
Proven reserves: 90.61 billion m³ (1 January 2017 es)
Proven reserves rank: 56

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.5 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 121

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 17,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 193
Mobile cellular total: 5.216 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110
Mobile cellular rank: 118

Telephone system
General assessment: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville Pointe-Noire and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order
Domestic: 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 to 110 per 100 persons
International: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV and 3 state-owned radio stations; several privately owned TV and radio stations; satellite TV service is available; rebroadcasts of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cg
Users total: 362,000
Users percent of population: 7.6%
Users rank: 171

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 657,926
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,987,493 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TN (2016)

Airports: 27 (2013)
Rank: 125
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways total: 19
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 232 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 982 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 510 km
Narrow gauge: 510 km 1.067-m gauge
Rank: 113

Roadways
Total: 17,000 km
Paved: 1212 km
Unpaved: 15,788 km
Rank: 119

Waterways: 1120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui Rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011)
Rank: 61

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 1 (2010)
Rank: 149

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Pointe-Noire
River port: Brazzaville ; Impfondo (Oubangi); Ouesso (Sangha); Oyo (Alima)
Oil terminal: Djeno


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Disputes international: the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undefined except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 9,202 (Rwanda) (2016); 49,974 (Central African Republic); 12,280 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2017)
IDPs: 33,000 (2016)

Illicit drugs