2015 Edition

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 took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.

Area

land

341,500 sq km

total

342,000 sq km

water

500 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Montana

Climate

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

Coastline

169 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Berongou 903 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

13.99 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.05 cu km/yr (69%/26%/4%)

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

20 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (5)

Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,229 km, Gabon 2,567 km

total

5,008 km

Land use

arable land 1.6%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 29.3%

agricultural land

31.1%

forest

65.6%

other

3.3% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

seasonal flooding

Natural resources

petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Terrain

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Total renewable water resources

832 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.33% (male 991,327/female 973,745)

15-24 years

17.48% (male 415,282/female 415,817)

25-54 years

34.12% (male 819,204/female 803,062)

55-64 years

4.08% (male 95,755/female 98,295)

65 years and over

3% (male 62,332/female 80,278) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

35.85 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

25% (2005 est.)

total number

252,171

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.8% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

44.7% (2011/12)

Death rate

10 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.8%

potential support ratio

14.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

86.2%

youth dependency ratio

79.4%

Drinking water source

urban: 95.8% of population

rural: 40% of population

total: 76.5% of population

urban: 4.2% of population

rural: 60% of population

total: 23.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.2% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

Health expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.75% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,400 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

80,700 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2005)

Infant mortality rate

female

52.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

62.97 deaths/1,000 live births

total

57.92 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

Life expectancy at birth

female

59.98 years (2015 est.)

male

57.64 years

total population

58.79 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

72.9% (2015 est.)

male

86.4%

total population

79.3%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria and dengue fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2013)

Major urban areas - population

BRAZZAVILLE (capital) 1.888 million; Pointe-Noire 969,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

442 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

19.9 years (2015 est.)

male

19.6 years

total

19.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Congolese or Congo

noun

Congolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.7% (2014)

Physicians density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

Population

4,755,097

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 20% of population

rural: 5.6% of population

total: 15% of population

urban: 80% of population

rural: 94.4% of population

total: 85% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2012)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.68 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.22% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

65.4% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

12 departments (departments, singular - department); Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha

Capital

geographic coordinates

4 15 S, 15 17 E

name

Brazzaville

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Republic of the Congo

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

previous 1992; latest approved by referendum 20 January 2002 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of the Congo

conventional short form

Congo (Brazzaville)

former

French Congo, Middle Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Congo/Brazzaville

local long form

Republique du Congo

local short form

Congo

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephanie S. SULLIVAN (since 12 August 2013)

embassy

70-83 Section D, Maya-Maya Boulevard, Brazzaville

mailing address

B.P. 1015, Brazzaville

telephone

[242] 06 612-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI (since 31 July 2001)

FAX

[1] (202) 726-1860

telephone

[1] (202) 726-5500

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

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 chief of state and head of government

election results

Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (FDU) 78.6%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU (independent) 7.5%, Nicephore Fylla de SAINT-EUDES 7%, other 6.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 July 2009 (next to be held in 2016)

head of government

President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997); note - the position of prime minister was abolished in September 2009

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; green symbolizes agriculture and forests, yellow the friendship and nobility of the people, red is unexplained but has been associated with the struggle for independence

note

uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

republic

Independence

15 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); note - the High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic

judge selection and term of office

judges elected by parliament and serve until retirement age

subordinate courts

courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-half of membership renewed every three years) and the National Assembly (139 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RMP 33, FDU 23, UPADS 2, other 7, independent 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 89, MCDDI 7, UPADS 7, RDPS 5, MAR 4, RC 3, MUST 2, UPDP 2, CPR 1, PRL 1, PUR 1, UFD 1, UR 1, independent 12, vacant 3

elections

Senate - last held on 12 October 2014 for 36 of the expiry seats (next to be held in 2020); National Assembly - last held on 15 July and 5 August 2012 (next to be held in July 2017)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE

name

"La Congolaise" (The Congolese)

note

originally adopted 1959, restored 1991

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

lion, elephant; national colors: green, yellow, red

Political parties and leaders

Action Movement for Renewal or MAR [Roland BOUITI-VIAUDO]

Citizen's Rally or RC

Congolese Labour Party or PCT [Denis SASSOY-NGUESSO]

Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Guy Price Parfait KO]

Movement for Unity, Solidarity, and Work or MUST [Claudine MUNARI]

Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Pascal Tsaty MABIALA]

Party for the Unity of the Republic or PUR

Patriotic Union for Democracy and Progress or UPDP [Auguste-Celestin GONGARD NKOUA

Prospects and Realities Club or CPR

Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Bernard BATCHI]

Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMP

Republican and Liberal Party or PRL

Union for the Republic or UR

Union of Democratic Forces

Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR

United Democratic Forces or FDU [Sebastian EBAO]; many smaller parties

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

Agriculture - products

cassava (manioc, tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

Budget

expenditures

$6.838 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$5.791 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009)

4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.8% (31 December 2014 est.)

14.8% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.273 billion (2014 est.)

-$601 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$3.763 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.452 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

The economy is a mixture of subsistence farming and hunting, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. Natural gas is increasingly being converted to electricity rather than being flared, greatly improving energy prospects. New mining projects, particularly iron ore, which entered production in late 2013 may add as much as $1 billion to annual government revenue. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF, including recently concluded Article IV consultations. The current administration faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. The recent drop in oil prices has constrained government spending; lower oil prices forced the government to cut more than $1 billion in planned spending. Officially the country became a net external creditor as of 2011, with external debt representing only about 16% of GDP and debt servicing less than 3% of government revenue.

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

494.42 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

510.53 (2012 est.)

471.87 (2011 est.)

495.28 (2010 est.)

Exports

$9.12 billion (2014 est.)

$9.463 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds

Exports - partners

China 52%, Australia 8.3%, Italy 8.2%, US 4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

80.1%

government consumption

15.8%

household consumption

40.8%

imports of goods and services

-70.5%

investment in fixed capital

33.8%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.8%

industry

69.4%

services

25.8% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,600 (2014 est.)

$6,200 (2013 est.)

$6,000 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (2014 est.)

3.3% (2013 est.)

3.8% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.55 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$28.36 billion (2014 est.)

$26.54 billion (2013 est.)

$25.69 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

32.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

26.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

23.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

37.1% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.1%

Imports

$4.939 billion (2014 est.)

$4.789 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Algeria 47.8%, China 10.6%, France 9%, Italy 4.3% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

5.1% (2014 est.)

Industries

petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2014 est.)

4.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.807 million (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

46.5% (2011 est.)

Public debt

36.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

32.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.939 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$5.119 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$4.795 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$44.13 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$-1.136 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.223 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.192 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

42.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

53% (2012 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.691 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

278,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

250,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

1.6 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

740 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

12.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

87.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

55 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

238,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

1.303 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.65 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

39 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.65 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

15,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

5,160 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,571 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

17,740 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV and 3 state-owned radio stations; several privately owned TV and radio stations; satellite TV service is available; rebroadcasts of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.cg

Internet users

percent of population

1.9% (2014 est.)

total

89,500

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed-line infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged to 90 per 100 persons

general assessment

primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order

international

country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

16,300

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2014 est.)

total

4.9 million

Television broadcast stations

1 (2001)

Airports

27 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

5 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

over 3,047 m

2

total

8

Airports - with unpaved runways

2 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

8

914 to 1,523 m

9

total

19

Merchant marine

registered in other countries

1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo 1) (2010)

Pipelines

gas 232 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 982 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Pointe-Noire

oil terminal(s)

Djeno

river port(s)

Brazzaville (Congo); Impfondo (Oubangi); Ouesso (Sangha); Oyo (Alima)

Railways

narrow gauge

510 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

total

510 km

Roadways

paved

1,212 km

total

17,000 km

unpaved

15,788 km (2006)

Waterways

1,120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui Rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids, necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

914,265 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

928,664

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

566,587 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

577,944

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

49,641 (2010 est.)

male

50,000

Military branches

Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise); Gendarmerie; Special Presidential Security Guard (GSSP) (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2012)

Disputes - international

the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undefined except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

7,800 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2014)

refugees (country of origin)

23,376 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 9,104 (Rwanda) (2014); 29,884 (Central African Republic) (2015)