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.
Government type:
republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Geography of the Republic of the Congo
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and
Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Area:
total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km
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, hydropower
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, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville,
Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them.
People of the Republic of the Congo
Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of
the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north
virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in
Africa, with 85% of its total population living in a few urban areas, namely
in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities or villages lining
the 332-mile railway which connects the two cities. In rural areas,
industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in recent years,
leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and
subsistence. Before the 1997 war, about 9,000 Europeans and other
non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French. Only a fraction of
this number remains.
Population: 3,039,126 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.43%
15-64 years: 54.23%
65 years and over: 3.34%
Population growth rate: 2.2%
Birth rate: 38.24 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 16.22 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 99.73 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.57 years
male: 44.38 years
female: 50.85 years
Total fertility rate: 5 children born/woman
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.)
SOURCES: The World Factbook, U.S. Department of State |