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| Introduction | Congo, Republic of the |
| 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, but ushered in a period of ethnic 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 with significant potential for offshore development. |
| People | Congo, Republic of the |
| Population: | 2,998,040 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 37.9% (male 571,224; female 563,723) 15-64 years: 58.5% (male 865,596; female 888,125) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 45,093; female 64,279) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 20.4 years male: 20 years female: 20.9 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.42% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 28.66 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 14.49 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 93.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 87.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 99.95 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.51 years male: 48.51 years female: 50.55 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.54 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 4.9% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 90,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 9,700 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| Nationality: | noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo |
| Ethnic groups: | Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997 |
| Religions: | Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% |
| Languages: | French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Congo, Republic of the |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Brazzaville |
| Administrative divisions: | 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha |
| Independence: | 15 August 1960 (from France) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 15 August (1960) |
| Constitution: | constitution approved by referendum 20 January 2002 |
| Legal system: | based on French civil law system and customary law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| 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, 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 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president 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) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7% |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| 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 or UDR [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 |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 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) |
| 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 |
| Communications | Congo, Republic of the |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 7,000 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 330,000 (2003) |
| 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: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001) |
| Radios: | 341,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2002) |
| Televisions: | 33,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .cg |
| Internet hosts: | 46 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 15,000 (2003) |
| Transportation | Congo, Republic of the |
| Railways: | total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 53 km; oil 646 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire |
| Airports: | 32 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Congo, Republic of the |
| Military branches: | Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Air Force, Navy |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 773,790 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 390,884 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 31,964 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $68.6 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.8% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Congo, Republic of the |
| Disputes - international: | the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic Lari) (2004) |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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