1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (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 (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Environment
deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
Land area
341,500 km2
Land boundaries
5,504 km; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 62%; other 7%
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
People and Society
Birth rate
42 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
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
109 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
79,100 wage earners; agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
Languages
French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used
Life expectancy at birth
53 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Literacy
57% (male 70%, female 44%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Congolese (singular and plural); adjective - Congolese or Congo
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
20% of labor force (1979 est.)
Population
2,376,687 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Religions
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Total fertility rate
5.7 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Capital
Brazzaville
Chief of State
President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979); stripped of most powers by National Conference in May 1991
Communists
small number of Communists and sympathizers
Constitution
8 July 1979, currently being modified
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Roger ISSOMBO; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-5500
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
red, 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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Andre MILONGO (since May 1991)
Independence
15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch
a transitional National Assembly
Long-form name
Republic of the Congo
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National Assembly
transitional body selected by National Conference in May 1991; election for new legislative body to be held spring 1992
National holiday
Congolese 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
Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, leader; note - multiparty system legalized, with over 50 parties established
President
last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held June 1992); results - President SASSOU-NGUESSO unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically made him president
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 10% 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
Budget
revenues $522 million; expenditures $767 million, including capital expenditures of $141 million (1989)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $338 million
Electricity
140,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 135 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)
Exports
$751 million (f.o.b., 1988) 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
exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $1,070; real growth rate 0.5% (1990 est.)
Imports
$564 million (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures, capital equipment partners: France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
Industrial production
growth rate 1.2% (1989); accounts for 33% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.6% (1989 est.)
Overview
Congo's economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, a beginning industrial sector based largely on oil, supporting services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. A reform program, supported by the IMF and World Bank, ran into difficulties in 1990-91 because of problems in changing to a democratic political regime and a heavy debt-servicing burden. 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. During the period 1987-91, however, growth has slowed to an average of roughly 1.5% annually, only half the population growth rate.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
46 total, 42 usable; 6 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
11,960 km total; 560 km paved; 850 km gravel and laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,200 km unimproved earth
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; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 4.6% of GDP (1987 est.)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 526,058; 267,393 fit for military service; 23,884 reach military age (20) annually