1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Montana
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
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
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, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
1 00 S, 15 00 E
Geography--note
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Irrigated land
10 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 29% forests and woodland: 62% other: 9% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 nm
Natural hazards
seasonal flooding
Natural resources
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas
Terrain
coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 579,940; female 573,847) 15-64 years: 54% (male 718,820; female 751,911) 65 years and over: 4% (male 36,987; female 55,309) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
37.96 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
16.33 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
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
Infant mortality rate
100.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 47.14 years male: 45.42 years female: 48.92 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.9% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
2,716,814 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
2.16% (1999 est.)
Religions
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.89 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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 but is now being redrafted by President SASSOU-NGUESSO
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Data code
CF
Executive branch
chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: normally the prime minister, appointed from the majority party by the president; however, since his inauguration, President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO has been both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 August 1992 (next was to be held 27 July 1997 but will be delayed for several years pending the drafting of a new constitution) election results: Pascal LISSOUBA elected president in 1992; percent of vote--Pascal LISSOUBA 61%, Bernard KOLELAS 39%; note--LISSOUBA was deposed in 1997, replaced by Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO
Flag 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
Government type
republic
Independence
15 August 1960 (from France)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Serge MOMBOULI chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador J. Aubrey HOOKS embassy: Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville mailing address: B. P. 1015, Brazzaville note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Association for Democracy and TCHICAYA, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA] Political pressure groups and leaders: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC; Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Transitional Council (75 seats, members elected by reconciliation forum of 1,420 delegates; note--the National Transitioanl Council replaced the bicameral Paarliament in mid-1997 elections: National Transitional Council--last held NA January 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); note--at that election the National Transitional Council is to be replaced by a bicameral assembly election results: National Transitional Council--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NA
National holiday
Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Budget
revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Currency
1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Debt--external
$6 billion (1996)
Economic aid--recipient
$159.1 million (1995)
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. Subsequently, falling oil prices cut GDP growth by half. 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 in 1998, which worsened the Republic of the Congo's budget deficit. A second blow was the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998.
Electricity--consumption
553 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
115 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
438 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 0.68% hydro: 99.32% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--550 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Exports
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
petroleum 50%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports--partners
US 37%, Belgium-Luxembourg 34%, Taiwan, China (1997 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$3.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 10% industry: 59% services: 31% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
2.5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$803 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Imports--commodities
intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports--partners
France 22%, Italy 16%, US 9%, UK 6% (1997 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (1997 est.)
Labor force
NA
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios
NA
Telephone system
services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; inter-city lines frequently out-of-order 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
1 (1997)
Televisions
8,500 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
36 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 32 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 25 km Ports and harbors: Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Railways
total: 795 km (includes 285 km private track) narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (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
Military and Security
Military branches
NA
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$110 million (1993)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
3.8% (1993)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 641,543 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 326,834 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
20 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 28,976 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)