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Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo (French: Rpublique du Congo; Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kong), also known as Congo-Brazzaville or the Congo, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.

Country name:
  • conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
  • conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)
  • local long form: Republique du Congo
  • former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Nationality:
  • Congolese (singular and plural)
  • Congolese or Congo
Capital:
  • Brazzaville
  • 4 15 S, 15 17 E
  • UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence:
  • 15 August 1960 (from France)
Population:
  • 3,903,318
  • 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 2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
  • 2.696% (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  • 4.9% (2003 est.)
Ethnic groups:
  • African 97% (Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%)
  • European and other 3%
Religions:
  • Christian 50%
  • Indigenous beliefs 48%
  • Muslim and other 2%
Languages:
  • French (official)
  • Lingala
  • Monokutuba
  • Kikongo  and many local languages and dialects
Literacy:
  • Ages 15 and over can read and write French
  • Total literacy population 83.8%
  • Males: 89.6%
  • Females: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Government type:
  • Republic
Location:
  • Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Area - comparative:
  • Slightly smaller than Montana
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
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
Economy - overview:

The economy is a mixture of subsistence agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on oil, and 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 through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, 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. 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 presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo.

GDP - real growth rate:
  • 10.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
  • $3,800 (2008 est.)
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, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once 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.

Environment - current issues:
  • Air pollution from vehicle emissions
  • Water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage
  • tap water is not potable
  • Deforestation

 

For more info please contact:
African Studies
(310) 825-3686
africa@international.ucla.edu