2002 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2002 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.
Geography
Area
total: 342,000 sq km water: 500 sq km land: 341,500 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: 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 (1998 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: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 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, hydropower
Terrain
coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Ethnic groups
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
6.43% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
8,600 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
86,000 (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate
97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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
51.24 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 4.94 children born/woman (2002 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 (2002 est.)
Population
2,958,448 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
2.18% (2002 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: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 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
constitution approved by referendum in January 2002
Country name
Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo
Diplomatic representation from the US
NA mailing address: is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
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 elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) head of government: civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
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, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
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 in January 1998); note - the National Transitional Council will be replaced by a bicameral Parliament, with a National Assembly and Senate, following elections in 2002 elections: National Transitional Council - last held NA January 1998 (next to be held in 2002); note - at that election the National Transitional Council is to be replaced by a bicameral legislature election results: National Transitional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Political parties and leaders
the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
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
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code
XAF
Debt - external
$5 billion (1999 est.)
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. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a 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 and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.
Electricity - consumption
406.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
126 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
302 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 0.66% hydro: 99.34% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0%
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Exports
$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities
petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners
US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.2% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$725 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities
petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2001 est.)
Labor force
NA
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Internet country code
.cg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
500 (2000)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios
341,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity 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 - main lines in use
22,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular
250,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2002)
Televisions
33,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
33 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 12 (2001)
Highways
total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996)
Pipelines
crude oil 25 km
Ports and harbors
Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Railways
total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)
Waterways
1,120 km note: 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
Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$84 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.8% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 702,048 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 356,388 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age
20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 32,350 (2002 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) This page was last updated on 1 January 2002 Congo, Democratic Republic of the