1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

1 00 S, 15 00 E -- Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Montana

land area

341,500 sq km

total area

342,000 sq km

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

Environment

current issues

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

seasonal flooding

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 15 00 E

Geographic note

about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them

International disputes

long segment of boundary with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

border countries

Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km

total

5,504 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forest and woodland

62%

meadows and pastures

29%

other

7%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

200 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas

Terrain

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

highest point

Mount Berongou 903 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 550,971; female 545,096) 15-64 years: 53% (male 657,035; female 688,441) 65 years and over: 4% (male 34,973; female 51,325) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

39.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

17.35 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

center

Teke 17%, Europeans 8,500 (mostly French)

north

Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%

south

Kongo 48%

Infant mortality rate

108.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official), African languages (Lingala and Kikongo are the most widely used)

Life expectancy at birth

female

47.37 years (1996 est.)

male

44.21 years

total population

45.77 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

67.2%

male

83.1%

total population

74.9%

Nationality

adjective

Congolese or Congo

noun

Congolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

2,527,841 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.19% (1996 est.)

Religions

Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

5.15 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Capital

Brazzaville

Constitution

new constitution approved by referendum March 1992

Data code

CF

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniel MOUELLET

telephone

[1] (202) 726-0825

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Pascal LISSOUBA (since August 1992); elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held NA August 1992 (next to be held NA August 1997); results - President Pascal LISSOUBA won 61% of the vote

head of government

Prime Minister Jacques Joachim YHOMBI-OPANGO (since 23 June 1993) appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 726-1860

[242] 83 63 38

Flag

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

Independence

15 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch

bicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of the Congo

conventional short form

Congo

former

Congo/Brazzaville

local long form

Republique Populaire du Congo

local short form

Congo

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (125 total) UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3

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

of Congo's many political parties, the most important are Congolese Labor Party (PCT), Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president; Association for Democracy and Development (RDD), Joachim Yhombi OPANGO, president; Association for Democracy and Social Progress (RDPS), Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI), Bernard KOLELAS, leader; Pan-African Union for Social Development (UPADS), Pascal LISSOUBA, leader; Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), David Charles GANAO, leader; Union for Democratic Renewal (URD); Union for Development and Social Progress (UDPS), Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader

Senate

election last held 26 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) UPADS 23, MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador William C. RAMSEY

embassy

Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville

mailing address

B. P. 1015, Brazzaville

telephone

[242] 83 20 70

Agriculture

cassava (tapioca) accounts for 90% of food output, sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$2.18 billion (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Congo's 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 about 90% of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. Subsequently, falling oil prices cut GDP growth by half. Moreover, the Congolese 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. Recent efforts to implement economic reforms have begun to show progress; the IMF has recommended approval of an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility agreement in 1996.

Electricity

capacity

120,000 kW

consumption per capita

201 kWh (1993)

production

400 million kWh

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991)

note

beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Exports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

crude oil 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds

partners

Italy, France, Spain, other EU countries, US, Taiwan

External debt

$5 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

11.4%

industry

35.2%

services

53.4% (1993)

GDP per capita

$3,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3.3% (1995 est.)

Imports

$600 million (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities

intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, petroleum products

partners

France, Italy, other EU countries, US, Japan, Thailand

Industrial production growth rate

3.7% (estimated average annual growth rate for 1980-92)

Industries

petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

61% (1994 est.)

Labor force

79,100 wage earners

by occupation

agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $110 million, 3.8% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

582,103

males fit for military service

296,602

males reach military age (20) annually

25,247 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

services adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo

domestic

primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

18,000 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1987 est.)

Televisions

8,500 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

34

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

3

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

9

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

7

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

14 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

1,236 km

total

12,745 km

unpaved

11,509 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

total

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,218 GRT/4,100 DWT (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 25 km

Ports

Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire

Railways

narrow gauge

795 km 1.067-m gauge (includes 285 km that are privately owned)

total

795 km (1995 est.)

Waterways

the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only