1987 Edition

Administrative divisions

nine regions, divided into districts, and capital district

Boundary disputes

section with Zaire is indefinite

Branches

presidential executive, Council of State; judiciary; all policy made by Congolese Labor Party Central Committee and Politburo

Capital

Brazzaville

Climate

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

169 km

120 km

Communists

unknown number of Communists and sympathizers

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Montana

slightly larger than Washington, D. C.

Continental shelf

200 meters or edge of continental margin

Elections

elections for local and regional organs and the National Assembly were held in July 1979—the first elections since June 1973 Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT) is the only legal party; Party Congress held in July 1984—Sassou unanimously elected to another five-year term as President and party chairman

Environment

deforestation

subject to typhoons from November to March

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Government leaders

Col. Denis SASSOUNGUESSO, President and party chairman (since 1979); Ange Edouard POUNGUI, Prime Minister (since July 1984)

Gulf of

Guinea PointeBoundary representaton is Noirs not necessarily authoritative

Land boundaries

4,514 km total

Land use

2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other

4% arable land; 22% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 74% other

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 8 July 1979

Member of

Af{DB, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

National Day, 15 August

Other political or pressure groups

Union of Congolese Socialist Youth (UJSC), Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC), Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women (URFC), General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)

Special notes

none

none

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Terrain

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Territorial sea

200 nm

12 nm

Total area

200 km Loubomo BRAZZAVILLE

342,000 km?; land area: 341,500 km?

230 km?; land area: 230 km?

Type

people's republic

Ethnic divisions

about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) Congo (continued) and M’Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French

81.3% Polynesian (full blood), 7.7% Polynesian and European, 7.7% Polynesian and other, 2.4% European, 0.9% other

Infant mortality rate

200/1,000 (1985)

Labor force

about 40% of population economically active (1985); 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, government; 79,100 wage earners; 40,000-60,000 unemployed

Language

French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used

English

Life expectancy

46.5

Literacy

over 80%

Nationality

noun—Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective—Congolese or Congo

noun—Cook Islander(s); adjective—Cook Islander

Organized labor

20% of total labor force (1979 est.)

Population

2,082,154 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.38%

17,898 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.55%

Religion

42% animist, 50% Christian, 2% Muslim

Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church

Branches

New Zealand Governor General appoints Representative to Cook Islands, who represents the Queen and the New Zealand Government; Representative appoints the Prime Minister; popularly elected 24-member Parliament; 15-member House of Arikis (chiefs), appointed by Representative, is an advisory body only

Capital

Avarua

Elections

every five years, latest in November 1983 Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Sir Thomas Davis; Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey Henry

Government leader

Sir Thomas DAVIS, Prime Minister (since July 1978)

Member of

ADB, IDA, IFC, IMF, SPF, SPEC, ESCAP (associate member)

Official name

People’s Republic of the

Cook Islands

Suffrage

universal adult

Type

self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands Government fully responsible for internal affairs and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands Government

Voting strength

(1983) Parliament— Democratic Party, 18 seats; Cook Islands Party, 11 seats

Agriculture

cash crops—sugarcane, wood, coffee, cocoa beans, palm kernels, bananas, peanuts, tobacco; food crops—root crops, rice, corn, bananas, manioc, fish, goats, chickens

export crops include copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, and bananas, with subsistence crops of yams and taro

Aid

$9.34 million (1983) New Zealand, Australia, and Western sources

Budget

revenues, $721 million; current expenditures, $508 million; development expenditures, $241 million (1984)

$121 million (1977)

Electric power

120,000 kW capacity; 262 million kWh produced, 140 kWh per capita (1986)

4,750 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 880 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.0.b., 1984); oil (90%), lumber, tobacco, veneer, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar

$4.20 million (1983); copra, fresh and canned fruit

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 31,000 metric tons (1983)

GDP

about $1.8 billion, $1,140 per capita; real growth rate 2.5% per year (1984); 80% of economy is private sector, predominantly French owned and operated

$21.0 million, $1,170 per capita (1983)

Imports

$618 million (f.0.b., 1984); machinery, transport equipment, manufactured consumer goods, iron and steel, foodstuffs, chemical products,

$24.36 million (1983); foodstuffs, textiles, fuels

Major industries

crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes

Major industry

fruit processing, tourism

Major trade partners

France, Italy, FRG, US

(1970) exports— 98% New Zealand; imports—76% New Zealand, 7% Japan

Monetary conversion rate

331.24 Communauté Financiére Africaine (CFA) francs=US$1 (November 1986)

$1.94 New Zealand=US$1 (November 1986)

Natural resources

petroleum, wood, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, phosphates, natural gas

Airfields

55 total, 51 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

7 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft

Highways

11,970 km total; 555 km bituminous surface treated; 848 km gravel, laterite, 5,347 km improved earth, and 5,220 km unimproved roads

187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

the Congo and Ubangi Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the remainder of the inland waterways are used for loca! traffic only

none

Pipelines

crude oil 25 km

Ports

1 major (Pointe-Noire)

2 minor

Railroads

727 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track

none

Telecommunications

services adequate for government use; primary network is composed of radio-relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers are Brazzaville, PointeNoire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones (1.1 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station

2 AM, no FM, no TV stations; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 satellite station

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National People’s Militia

Military manpower

males 15-49, 426,000; 215,000 fit for military service; about 20,000 reach military age (20) annually Cook Islands Rakshenge, Panrhyn Lee, “Menihiki “Nassau Island . Suwerraw South Pacific Ocean Palmerston, Aitutaki Mantes . -Mitiara “‘Meuks +-xAVARUA Tekutae 400 km . Rerotonga