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Congo, Republic of the
Country Flag of Congo, Republic of the

Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
Country map of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Congo, Republic of the

Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries:
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

Coastline: 169 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

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 extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 29%
forests and woodland: 62%
other: 9% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: seasonal flooding

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

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography—note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them

People

Population: 2,658,123 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 569,382; female 563,327)
15-64 years: 54% (male 700,507; female 734,447)
65 years and over: 3% (male 36,383; female 54,077) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.5 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 16.45 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.07 years
male: 45.29 years
female: 48.89 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.98 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

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

Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.9%
male: 83.1%
female: 67.2% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

Data code: CF

Government type: republic

National capital: Brazzaville

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular—region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (inaugurated on 25 October 1997)
head of government: prime minister (vacant) appointed from the majority party by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 August 1992 (next was to be held 27 July 1997 but will be delayed for several years pending the drafting of a new constitution which will change term to seven years)
election results: Pascal LISSOUBA elected president; percent of vote—Pascal LISSOUBA 61%, Bernard KOLELAS 39%

Legislative branch: bicameral parliament consists of an Assemblee Nationale or National Assembly (125 seats, members are elected by direct popular vote for five-year terms) and a Senat or Senate (60 seats, members are elected by direct popular vote for six-year terms); note—the National Assembly which was elected on 3 October 1993 was dissolved; it has been replaced by a transitional advisory parliament of 75 members named by the National Reconciliation Forum of January 1998
elections: National Assembly—last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); Senate - last held November 1996 (next to be held NA)
election results: National Assembly—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party - UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3; Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—UPADS 23, MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many political parties are Congolese Labor Party or PCT Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president; Association for Democracy and Development or RDD Joachim YHOMBI-OPANGO, 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, leader; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS Martin MBERI, leader; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD Sebastian EBAO, leader; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD; Union for Development and Social Progress or UDPS Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader

Political pressure groups and leaders: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC; Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC

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, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Serge MONBOULI
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: 1 (202) 726-5500
FAX: 1 (202) 726-1860

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Aubrey HOOKS
embassy: Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville
mailing address: B. P. 1015, Brazzaville
telephone: 242 83 20 70
FAX: 242 83 63 38
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)

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

Economy

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 about 90% 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. Subsequently, falling oil prices cut GDP growth by half. 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 continue with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$5.25 billion (1996 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,000 (1996 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 35.2%
services: 53.4% (1993)

Inflation rate—consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $870 million
expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—capacity: 118,000 kW (1995)

Electricity—production: 438 million kWh (1995)

Electricity—consumption per capita: 220 kWh (1995)

Agriculture—products: cassava (tapioca) accounts for 90% of food output, sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

Exports:
total value: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: crude oil 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
partners: Belgium-Luxembourg 24.3%, Taiwan 20.2%, US 14.9%, Italy 14.8% (1995 est.)

Imports:
total value: $670 million (f.o.b. 1995)
commodities: intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, petroleum products
partners: France 31.2%, Netherlands 24.6%, Italy 11.4%, US 6.9% (1995 est.)

Debt—external: $5.3 billion (1996)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1—608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993)
note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 18,000 (1983 est.)

Telephone system: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; inter-city lines frequently out-of-order
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 4 (1987 est.)

Televisions: 8,500 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 795 km (includes 285 km private track)
narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (1995 est.)

Highways:
total: 12,800 km
paved: 1,242 km
unpaved: 11,558 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only

Pipelines: crude oil 25 km

Ports and harbors: Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire

Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,918 GRT/4,100 DWT (1997 est.)

Airports: 37 (1997 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 10 (1997 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Police

Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 623,924 (1998 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males: 317,997 (1998 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 27,354 (1998 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $110 million (1993)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 3.8% (1993)

Transnational Issues

Disputes—international: long segment of the boundary with Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)


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