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The Republic of the Congo

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.)

The Republic of the Congo 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 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 and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the Republic of the Congo’s budget deficit. Even with the IMF’s renewed confidence and high world oil prices, Congo is unlikely to realize growth of more than 5% in 2001-02. With the return to fragile peace, the IMF approved a $14 million credit in November 2000 to aid post-conflict reconstruction.

GDP: purchasing power parity – $3.1 billion (2000 est.)
GDP – real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.), 3.8% (2000 est.)
GDP – per capita: purchasing power parity – $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP – composition by sector:
agriculture:  10%
industry:  48%
services:  42% (1999 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1999 est.), 3.5% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $870 million
expenditures: $970 million (1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making
Electricity – production: 302 million kWh (1999)
Electricity – production by source:
fossil fuel:  0.66%
hydro:  99.34%
nuclear:  0%
other:  0% (1999)
Agriculture – products: cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999), $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports – commodities: petroleum 50%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports – partners: US 23%, Benelux 14%, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, China (1998)
Imports: $770 million (f.o.b., 1999), $870 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports – commodities: petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports – partners: France 23%, United States 9%, Belgium 8%, United Kingdom 7%, Italy (1997 est.)
Debt – external: $5 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid – recipient: $159.1 million (1995)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note – responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Map of the Republic of the Congo