Congo, Republic of the

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

.cg

total: 437,865 | percent of population: 8.65% (July 2018 est.)

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; youth are seeking the Internet more than their parents and often gaining access in cyber cafes, only the most affluent have Internet access in their homes (2020) | domestic: fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed-line infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged to 95 per 100 persons (2019) | international: country code - 242; WACS submarine cables to Europe and Western and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019) | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

total subscriptions: 17,076 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions: 4,933,529 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95.34 (2019 est.)

cassava (manioc, tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

revenues: 1.965 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 2.578 billion (2017 est.)

-7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Fitch rating: CCC (2019) | Moody's rating: Caa2 (2018) | Standard & Poors rating: CCC+ (2020)

-$1.128 billion (2017 est.) | -$5.735 billion (2016 est.)

$4.605 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $4.721 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

39.5 (2020)

The Republic of the Congo’s economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, 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, which entered production in late 2013, may add as much as $1 billion to annual government revenue. The Republic of the Congo is a member of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and shares a common currency – the Central African Franc – with five other member states in the region. The current administration faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. The drop in oil prices that began in 2014 has constrained government spending; lower oil prices forced the government to cut more than $1 billion in planned spending. The fiscal deficit amounted to 11% of GDP in 2017. The government’s inability to pay civil servant salaries has resulted in multiple rounds of strikes by many groups, including doctors, nurses, and teachers. In the wake of a multi-year recession, the country reached out to the IMF in 2017 for a new program; the IMF noted that the country’s continued dependence on oil, unsustainable debt, and significant governance weakness are key impediments to the country’s economy. In 2018, the country’s external debt level will approach 120% of GDP. The IMF urged the government to renegotiate debts levels to sustainable levels before it agreed to a new macroeconomic adjustment package.

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - | 579.8 (2017 est.) | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.)

$4.193 billion (2017 est.) | $4.116 billion (2016 est.)

petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds

China 53.8%, Angola 6.2%, Gabon 5.7%, Italy 5.4%, Spain 5.4%, Australia 4.8% (2017)

calendar year

$8.718 billion (2017 est.)

$29.39 billion (2017 est.) | $30.33 billion (2016 est.) | $31.22 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

household consumption: 47.6% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 9.6% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 42.5% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 62.9% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -62.7% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 9.3% (2017 est.) | industry: 51% (2017 est.) | services: 39.7% (2017 est.)

$6,800 (2017 est.) | $7,200 (2016 est.) | $7,500 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

-3.1% (2017 est.) | -2.8% (2016 est.) | 2.6% (2015 est.)

19.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | -12.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 6.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.1% | highest 10%: 37.1% (2005)

$2.501 billion (2017 est.) | $5.639 billion (2016 est.)

capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs

France 15%, China 14%, Belgium 12.2%, Norway 8.1% (2017)

-3% (2017 est.)

petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes

2.2% (2019 est.) | 1.1% (2018 est.) | 0.4% (2017 est.)

2.055 million (2016 est.)

agriculture: 35.4% | industry: 20.6% | services: 44% (2005 est.)

46.5% (2011 est.)

130.8% of GDP (2017 est.) | 128.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$505.7 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $727.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

22.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

36% (2014 est.)

5.239 million Mt (2017 est.)

254,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

340,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

1.6 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

912 million kWh (2016 est.)

22 million kWh (2015 est.)

64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

18 million kWh (2016 est.)

591,500 kW (2016 est.)

1.696 billion kWh (2016 est.)

population without electricity: 2 million (2019) | electrification - total population: 72% (2019) | electrification - urban areas: 89% (2019) | electrification - rural areas: 36% (2019)

1.387 billion cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

1.387 billion cu m (2017 est.)

90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

17,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

5,766 bbl/day (2015 est.)

7,162 bbl/day (2015 est.)

15,760 bbl/day (2015 est.)

total: 342,000 sq km | land: 341,500 sq km | water: 500 sq km

slightly smaller than Montana; about twice the size of Florida | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Congo, Republic of the Print Image Description slightly smaller than Montana; about twice the size of Florida

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

169 km

mean elevation: 430 m | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation; wildlife protection

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

1 00 S, 15 00 E

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

20 sq km (2012)

total: 5,008 km | border countries (5): Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1229 km, Gabon 2567 km

agricultural land: 31.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 1.6% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 29.3% (2011 est.) | forest: 65.6% (2011 est.) | other: 3.3% (2011 est.)

Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon

Africa

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm

seasonal flooding

petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

12 departments (departments, singular - department); Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha

name: Brazzaville | geographic coordinates: 4 15 S, 15 17 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: named after the Italian-born French explorer and humanitarian, Pierre Savorgnan de BRAZZA (1852-1905), who promoted French colonial interests in central Africa and worked against slavery and the abuse of African laborers

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Republic of the Congo | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 25 October 2015 | amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; passage of presidential proposals requires Supreme Court review followed by approval in a referendum; such proposals may also be submitted directly to Parliament, in which case passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote of both houses in joint session; proposals by Parliament require three-fourths majority vote of both houses in joint session; constitutional articles including those affecting the country’s territory, republican form of government, and secularity of the state are not amendable

conventional long form: Republic of the Congo | conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) | local long form: Republique du Congo | local short form: Congo | former: French Congo, Middle Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Congo/Brazzaville | etymology: named for the Congo River, which makes up much of the country's eastern border; the river name derives from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom that occupied its mouth at the time of Portuguese discovery in the late 15th century and whose name stems from its people the Bakongo, meaning "hunters"

chief of mission: Ambassador Todd P. HASKELL (since July 2017) | telephone: [242] 06 612-2000 | embassy: 70-83 Section D, Maya-Maya Boulevard, Brazzaville | mailing address: B.P. 1015, Brazzaville

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

chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997) | head of government: Prime Minister Clement MOUAMBA (since 24 April 2016); note - a constitutional referendum held in 2015 approved the change of the head of government from the president to the prime minister (2019) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms); election last held on 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 60.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 15.1%, Jean-Marie MOKOKO (independent) 13.9%, Pascal Tsaty MABIALA (UPADS) 4.4%, other 6.2%

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

presidential republic

15 August 1960 (from France)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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

highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - a High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by Parliament and serve until age 65; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president of the republic - 3 directly by the president and 6 nominated by Parliament; members appointed for renewable 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years | subordinate courts: Court of Audit and Budgetary Discipline; courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of: Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-half of membership renewed every 3 years) National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 31 August 2017 for expiry of half the seats (next to be held in 2020) National Assembly - last held on 16 and 30 July 2017 (next to be held in July 2022) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46, independent 12, MAR 2, RDPS 2, UPADS 2, DRD 1, FP 1, MCDDI 1, PRL 1, Pulp 1, PUR 1, RC 1; composition - men 58, women 14, percent of women 19.4% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 96, UPADS 8, MCDDI 4, other 23 (less than 4 seats) independent 20; composition - men 134, women 17, percent of women 11.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 13.9%

name: "La Congolaise" (The Congolese) | lyrics/music: Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE | note: originally adopted 1959, restored 1991

Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

lion, elephant; national colors: green, yellow, red

Action Movement for Renewal or MAR [Roland BOUITI-VIAUDO] Citizen's Rally or RC [Claude Alphonse NSILOU] Congolese Labour Party or PCT [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO] Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS] Movement for Unity, Solidarity, and Work or MUST [Claudine MUNARI] Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Pascal Tsaty MABIALA] Party for the Unity of the Republic or PUR Patriotic Union for Democracy and Progress or UPDP [Auguste-Celestin GONGARD NKOUA] Prospects and Realities Club or CPR Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Bernard BATCHI] Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMP Republican and Liberal Party or PRL [Bonaventure MIZIDY] Union for the Republic or UR Union of Democratic Forces or UDF Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR many smaller parties

18 years of age; universal

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 two-year civil war that ended in 1999 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, who had ruled from 1979 to 1992, and sparked a short period of ethnic and political unrest that was resolved by a peace agreement in late 1999. A new constitution adopted three years later provided for a multi-party system and a seven-year presidential term, and elections arranged shortly thereafter installed SASSOU-Nguesso. Following a year of renewed fighting, President SASSOU-Nguesso and southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. SASSOU-Nguesso was reeelected in 2009 and, after passing a referendum allowing him to run for a third term, was reelected again in 2016. 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.

Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise); Gendarmerie; Presidential Guard (2019)

the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) have an estimated 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1-1,200 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2019 est.)

the FAC is armed with mostly ageing Russian/former Soviet Union weapons, with some French and South African equipment; the leading suppliers of arms to the FAC since 2010 are Russia and South Africa (2019 est.)

2.7% of GDP (2019) | 2.5% of GDP (2018) | 4.3% of GDP (2017) | 6.4% of GDP (2016)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2013)

0-14 years: 41.57% (male 1,110,484/female 1,089,732) | 15-24 years: 17.14% (male 454,981/female 452,204) | 25-54 years: 33.5% (male 886,743/female 886,312) | 55-64 years: 4.59% (male 125,207/female 117,810) | 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 75,921/female 93,676) (2020 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Congo, Republic of the Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Republic of the Congo. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

32.6 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

12.3% (2015)

30.1% (2014/15)

2.9% (2017)

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio: 78.7 | youth dependency ratio: 73.7 | elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 | potential support ratio: 20.3 (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 97.5% of population | rural: 56.4% of population | total: 83.7% of population | unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population | rural: 43.6% of population | total: 16.3% of population (2017 est.)

3.5% of GDP (2018)

Kongo 40.5%, Teke 16.9%, Mbochi 13.1%, foreigner 8.2%, Sangha 5.6%, Mbere/Mbeti/Kele 4.4%, Punu 4.3%, Pygmy 1.6%, Oubanguiens 1.6%, Duma 1.5%, Makaa 1.3%, other and unspecified 1% (2014-15 est.)

3.1% (2019 est.)

4,500 (2019 est.)

100,000 (2019 est.)

total: 50.7 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 55.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 45.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

French (official), French Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

total population: 61.3 years | male: 59.9 years | female: 62.7 years (2020 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 80.3% | male: 86.1% | female: 74.6% (2018)

degree of risk: very high (2020) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis | animal contact diseases: rabies

2.388 million BRAZZAVILLE (capital), 1.214 million Pointe-Noire (2020)

378 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

total: 19.5 years | male: 19.3 years | female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)

19.8 years (2011/12 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

noun: Congolese (singular and plural) | adjective: Congolese or Congo

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

9.6% (2016)

0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

5,293,070 (July 2020 est.) | 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

the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map

2.26% (2020 est.)

Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)

improved: urban: 73.4% of population | rural: 15.1% of population | total: 53.9% of population | unimproved: urban: 26.6% of population | rural: 84.9% of population | total: 46.1% of population (2017 est.)

total: 11 years | male: 11 years | female: 11 years (2012)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

4.45 children born/woman (2020 est.)

urban population: 67.8% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 3.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

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 (country of origin): 20,700 (Central African Republic), 19,780 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2020) | IDPs: 304,430 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2020)

current situation: the Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for children, men, and women, subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; most trafficking victims are from Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and, to a lesser extent, other neighboring countries and are subjected to domestic servitude and market vending by West African and Congolese nationals; adults and children, the majority from the DRC, are also sex trafficked in Congo, mainly Brazzaville; internal trafficking victims, often from rural areas, are exploited as domestic servants or forced to work in quarries, bakeries, fishing, and agriculture | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Republic of the Congo does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the country drafted an action plan based on anti-trafficking legislation, which remains pending in the Supreme Court; the government made minimal anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts in 2014, failing to prosecute or convict suspected traffickers from cases dating back to 2010; serious allegations of official complicity continue to be reported; the government lacks a systematic means of identifying victims and relies on NGOs and international organizations to identify victims and NGOs and foster families to provide care to victims; the quality of care varied widely because the foster care system was allegedly undermined by inadequate security and official complicity (2015)

27 (2013)

total: 8 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 2 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2017)

total: 19 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013) | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

TN (2016)

total: 11 | by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 9 (2019)

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 333,899 (2018) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 4.6 million mt-km (2018)

232 km gas, 4 km liquid petroleum gas, 982 km oil (2013)

major seaport(s): Pointe-Noire | oil terminal(s): Djeno | river port(s): Brazzaville (Congo) | Impfondo (Oubangi) Ouesso (Sangha) Oyo (Alima)

total: 510 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 510 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

total: 23,324 km (2017) | paved: 3,111 km (2017) | unpaved: 20,213 km (2017) | note: road network in Congo is composed of 23,324 km of which 17,000 km are classified as national, departmental, and routes of local interest: 6,324 km are non-classified routes

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, necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011)