Republic of the Congo
Republique du Congo
republicIndependence 15 August 1960 (from France)
Republic of the Congo as the 2013 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 162 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. 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.
Geography
Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
20 fieldsLand useshare of 342,000 sq km
Climate
- tropical;
- rainy season (March to June);
- dry season (June to October);
- persistent high temperatures and humidity;
- particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Natural resources
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.05 cu km/yr (69%/26%/4%)
- per capita:
- 13.99 cu m/yr (2005)
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, 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
Geography - note
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
People and Society
36 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2013 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2013 est.)
Male · female
Languages
French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.79 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.69 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne disease:
- malaria and dengue fever
- animal contact disease:
- rabies
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis (2013)
Government
Republic; President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Senate, 139 seats, elected 5 August 2008one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of the Congo
- conventional short form:
- Congo (Brazzaville)
- local long form:
- Republique du Congo
- local short form:
- none
- former:
- Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Capital
- name:
- Brazzaville
- geographic coordinates:
- 4 15 S, 15 17 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
- 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 2 commune*;
- Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire*, Pool, Sangha
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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:
- President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997); note - the position of prime minister was abolished in September 2009
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 July 2009 (next to be held in 2016)
- election results:
- Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president;
- percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso 78.6%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 7.5%, Nicephore Fylla de SAINT-EUDES 7%, other 6.9%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (72 seats; members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (139 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - last held on 5 August 2008 (next to be held in July 2014); National Assembly - last held on 15 July and 5 August 2012 (next to be held in 2018)
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - RMP 33, FDU 23, UPADS 2, independents 7, other 7;
- National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PCT (and allies) 117, UPADS 7, independents 12, vacant 3
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
Political parties and leaders
Action Movement for Renewal or MAR
Congolese Labour Party or PCT
Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]
Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD
Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]
Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]
Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]
Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMP
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
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI (since 31 July 2001)
- chancery:
- 1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 726-5500
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 726-1860
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] 06 612-200
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
Economy
The economy is a mixture of subsistence hunting and agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending.
37 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
The economy is a mixture of subsistence hunting and agriculture, 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, that may enter production as early as 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.
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. 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.
The current administration faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. The drop in oil prices during the global crisis reduced oil revenue by about 30%, but the subsequent recovery of oil prices boosted the economy's GDP from 2009-12. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo, which received $1.9 billion in debt relief under the program in 2010.
Congo also restructured old defaulted London Club debt in 2007, which effectively cancelled 80% of its private debt. Contracts with China have increased Congo's publicly held debt. Officially the country became a net external creditor as of 2011, with external debt representing less than 22% of GDP and debt servicing less than 3% of government revenue.
Gross national saving
56.2% of GDP (2012 est.) · 61.3% of GDP (2011 est.) · 46.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Agriculture - products
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Central bank discount rate
4.25% (31 December 2009) · 4.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76
Commercial bank prime lending rate
14.8% (31 December 2012 est.) · 15% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Stock of narrow money
$4.403 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $3.341 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Stock of broad money
$3.753 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $2.882 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Stock of domestic credit
$-1.448 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $-2.392 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Current account balance
$187.9 million (2012 est.) · $1.003 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$5.568 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $5.658 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Debt - external
$2.999 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $2.523 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Exchange rates
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 510.53 (2012 est.) · 471.87 (2011 est.) · 495.28 (2010 est.) · 472.19 (2009) · 447.81 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 559,000 kW(2012 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 58
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
6.858 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- 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
- 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
- international:
- country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
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)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
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, thereby necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011) country comparison to the world: 62
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 155
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Pointe-Noire
- river port(s):
- Brazzaville (Congo);
- Impfondo (Oubangi);
- Ouesso (Sangha);
- Oyo (Alima)
- oil/gas terminal(s):
- Djeno
Military
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)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
- Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): ;
- Gendarmerie;
- Special Presidential Security Guard (GSSP) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women can serve in the Armed Forces (2012)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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
- refugees (country of origin):
- 8,404 (Rwanda); 89,424 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (2012)
- IDPs:
- 7,800 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2009)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Congo, Republic of the.” The World Factbook 2013. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/republic-of-the-congo/2013.