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Communications

Airports [time series]

46 total, 42 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

4 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

11,960 km total; 560 km paved; 850 km gravel and laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,200 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 25 km

Ports [time series]

Pointe-Noire (ocean port), Brazzaville (river port)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km that are privately owned)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 4.6% of GDP (1987 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 526,058; 267,393 fit for military service; 23,884 reach military age (20) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops - rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over 90% of food needs

Budget [time series]

revenues $522 million; expenditures $767 million, including capital expenditures of $141 million (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $338 million

Electricity [time series]

140,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 135 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$751 million (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds partners: US, France, other EC

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.5 billion (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $1,070; real growth rate 0.5% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$564 million (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures, capital equipment partners: France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 1.2% (1989); accounts for 33% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.6% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Congo's economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, a beginning industrial sector based largely on oil, supporting services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. A reform program, supported by the IMF and World Bank, ran into difficulties in 1990-91 because of problems in changing to a democratic political regime and a heavy debt-servicing burden. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. During the period 1987-91, however, growth has slowed to an average of roughly 1.5% annually, only half the population growth rate.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

169 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Montana

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them

Area (Land area) [time series]

341,500 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

5,504 km; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 62%; other 7%

Maritime claims [time series]

Territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas

Terrain [time series]

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Area (Total area) [time series]

342,000 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Capital [time series]

Brazzaville

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

small number of Communists and sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

8 July 1979, currently being modified

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Roger ISSOMBO; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-5500 US: Ambassador James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO AE 09828); telephone (242) 83-20-70; FAX [242] 83-63-38

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Assembly: transitional body selected by National Conference in May 1991; election for new legislative body to be held spring 1992 President: last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held June 1992); results - President SASSOU-NGUESSO unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically made him president

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

red, 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

Independence [time series]

15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979); stripped of most powers by National Conference in May 1991 Head of Government: Prime Minister Andre MILONGO (since May 1991)

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch [time series]

a transitional National Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of the Congo

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, leader; note - multiparty system legalized, with over 50 parties established

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

42 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

109 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

79,100 wage earners; agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)

Languages [time series]

French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

53 years male, 56 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

57% (male 70%, female 44%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Congolese (singular and plural); adjective - Congolese or Congo

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

20% of labor force (1979 est.)

Population [time series]

2,376,687 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.7 children born/woman (1992)

Congo, Republic of the