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$Unique_ID{COW00932}
$Pretitle{291}
$Title{Congo, the
Statistical Profile of the Congo}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Central Intelligence Agency}
$Affiliation{United States Government}
$Subject{km
rate
congo
congolese
brazzaville
government
population
million
national
oil}
$Date{1990}
$Log{National Anthem*54500010.aud
Map of the Congo*0093201.scf
Flag of the Congo*0093202.scf
}
Country: Congo, the
Book: CIA World Factbook
Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Affiliation: United States Government
Date: 1990
[Hear National Anthem]
[See Map of the Congo]
[See Flag of the Congo]
Statistical Profile of the Congo
Geography
Total area: 342,000 km2; land area: 341,500 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: 5,504 km total; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km,
Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claim:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite
(no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June
to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating
climate astride the Equator
Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium,
copper, phosphates, natural gas
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and
pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in
Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
People
Population: 2,227,744 (July 1989), growth rate 3.4% (1989)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1989)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1989)
Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1989)
Nationality: noun--Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective--Congolese or Congo
Ethnic divisions: about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes,
almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south,
Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about
8,500 Europeans, mostly French
Religion: 50% Christian, 42% animist, 2% Muslim
Language: French (official); many African languages with Lingala and
Kikongo most widely used
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry,
and government; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically
active (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (1979 est.)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of the Congo
Type: people's republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular--region);
Bouenza, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha;
note--there may be a new capital district of Brazzaville
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
Constitution: 8 July 1979
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
National holiday: National Day, 15 August (1960)
Branches: presidential executive, Council of State; judiciary; all policy
made by Congolese Labor Party Central Committee and Politburo
Leaders:
Chief of State--President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Ange Edouard POUNGUI (since 11
August 1984)
Suffrage: universal over age 18
Elections: elections for local and regional organs and the National
Assembly were held in July 1979--the first elections since June 1973
Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT) is the only
legal party; Party Congress held in July 1984--Sassou unanimously elected to
another five-year term as President and party chairman
Communists: unknown number of Communists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth
(UJSC), Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC), Revolutionary Union of Congolese
Women (URFC), General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)
Member of: AfDB, CCC, Conference of East and Central African States,
EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UEAC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Benjamin BOUNKOULOU; Chancery at
4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-5500;
US--Ambassador Leonard G. SHURTLEFF; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral,
Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C,
APO New York 09662-0006); telephone 83-20-70 or 83-26-24
Flag: red with the national emblem in the upper hoist-side corner; the
emblem includes a yellow five-pointed star above a crossed hoe and hammer (like
the hammer and sickle design) in yellow, flanked by two curved green palm
branches; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: Oil is the mainstay of the economy, providing about
90% of exports and two-thirds of government revenues. In the early
1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the Congo to finance large-scale
development projects, and the country briefly achieved one of the highest
real growth rates in Africa. The world decline in oil prices, however, has
ended the period of rapid economic growth. The government has been forced
to launch an austerity program to cope with declining receipts and to meet
mounting foreign debts.
GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,060; real growth rate - 5.2% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $453.2 million; expenditures $742.7 million,
including capital expenditures of $101.2 million (1987)
Exports: $912 million (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities--crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa,
sugar, diamonds;
partners--US, France, other EC
Imports: $494.4 million (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures,
capital equipment;
partners--France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
External debt: $4.5 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.9% (1987)
Electricity: 133,000 kW capacity; 301 million kWh produced,
140 kWh per capita (1988)
Industries: crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm
oil, soap, cigarettes
Agriculture: imports 90% of annual food requirements;
cash crops are coffee and cacao; cassava, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables
Aid: NA
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs);
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF)
per US $1--312.52 (January 1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986),
449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km
that are privately owned)
Highways: 11,980 km total; 560 km bituminous surface treated; 850 km
gravel, laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,220 km unimproved roads
Inland waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km
of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic
only
Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
Ports: Pointe-Noire (ocean port), Brazzaville (river port)
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 52 total, 48 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with
runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: services adequate for government use; primary network
is composed of radio relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers are
Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM,
4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National People's M