1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Coastline
169 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Montana
Disputes
long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite
Environment
deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
Land boundaries
5,504 km total; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km
Land use
2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other
Natural resources
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas
Terrain
coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Territorial sea
200 nm
Total area
342,000 km2; land area: 341,500 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
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%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
Infant mortality rate
110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
79,100 wage earners; 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, and government; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
Language
French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used
Life expectancy at birth
52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Literacy
62.9%
Nationality
noun--Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective--Congolese or Congo
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
20% of labor force (1979 est.)
Population
2,242,274 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Religion
50% Christian, 48% animist, 2% Muslim
Total fertility rate
5.8 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 regions (regions, singular--region); Bouenza, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha; note--there may be a new capital district of Brazzaville
Capital
Brazzaville
Communists
unknown number of Communists and sympathizers
Constitution
8 July 1979
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Benjamin BOUNKOULOU; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-5500; US--Ambassador-designate James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO New York 09662-0006); telephone 83-20-70 or 83-26-24
Elections
President--last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held July 1993); results--President Sassou-Nguesso unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically makes him president; People's National Assembly--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held 1993); results--PCT is the only party; seats--(153 total) single list of candidates nominated by the PCT
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Flag
red with the national emblem in the upper hoist-side corner; the emblem includes a yellow five-pointed star above a crossed hoe and hammer (like the hammer and sickle design) in yellow, flanked by two curved green palm branches; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Independence
15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979); Prime Minister Alphonse POATY-SOUCHLATY (since 6 August 1989)
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch
unicameral People's National Assembly
Long-form name
People's Republic of the Congo
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, 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 (1960)
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)
Political parties and leaders
only party--Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, leader
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
people's republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 11% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops--rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over 90% of food needs
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $56 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $338 million
Budget
revenues $382 million; expenditures $575 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (1988)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Electricity
133,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 130 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Exports
$912 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds; partners--US, France, other EC
External debt
$4.5 billion (December 1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$2.2 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 3% (1988 est.)
Imports
$494.4 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures, capital equipment; partners--France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
Industrial production
growth rate - 5.9% (1987)
Industries
crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (1988)
Overview
Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The world decline in oil prices, however, has forced the government to launch an austerity program to cope with declining receipts and mounting foreign debts.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
51 total, 46 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft
Highways
12,000 km total; 560 km bituminous surface treated; 850 km gravel, laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,240 km unimproved roads
Inland waterways
the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only
Pipelines
crude oil 25 km
Ports
Pointe-Noire (ocean port), Brazzaville (river port)
Railroads
797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km that are privately owned)
Telecommunications
services adequate for government use; primary network is composed of radio relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers are Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National People's Militia
Defense expenditures
4.6% of GDP (1987)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 492,419; 250,478 fit for military service; 23,622 reach military age (20) annually