Congo, Republic of

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Congo, Republic of

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name République du Congo/Republic of Congo Area 342,000 sq km/132,046 sq mi Capital Brazzaville Language French (official), Kongo, Monokutuba and Lingala (both patois), and other dialects Religion Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 18 March, 1 May, 31 July, 13–15 August, 1 November, 25, 31 December; variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Pointe-Noire, Nkayi, Loubomo, Bouenza, Mossendjo, Ouesso, Owando Major ports Pointe-Noire Physical features narrow coastal plain rises to central plateau, then falls into northern basin; Congo River on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo; half the country is rainforest Airports two international airports, five regional airports, and 12 smaller airfields; total passengers carried: 95,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 1,152 km/716 mi; total passenger journeys: 742,000 (2001) Roads total road network: 12,800 km/7,954 mi, of which 9.7% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 16.4 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Denis Sassou-Nguessou from 1997 Head of government Isidore Mvouba from 2005 Political system nationalistic socialist Political executive unlimited presidency Administrative divisions nine regions and one capital district Political parties Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), moderate, left of centre; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI), moderate, left of centre; Congolese Labour Party (PCT), left wing Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice; date of last known execution 1982 Armed forces 10,000; plus paramilitary forces of 2,000 (2006 est) Conscription national service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1.2 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency franc CFA GDP (US$) 5.1 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 7.4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 3.8 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 810 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.5% (2006 est) Labour force 41% agriculture, 19% industry, 40% services (2000) Foreign debt (US$) 5.8 billion (2004 est) Major trading partners China, France, USA, Italy, North Korea Resources petroleum, natural gas, lead, zinc, gold, copper, phosphate, iron ore, potash, bauxite Industries mining, food processing, textiles, cement, metal goods, chemicals, forest products Exports petroleum and petroleum products, saw logs and veneer logs, veneer sheets, sugar. Principal market: China 45.7% (2005) Imports petroleum, machinery, chemical products, iron and steel, transport equipment, foodstuffs. Principal source: France 30% (2005) Arable land 1.5% (2006 est) Agricultural products cassava, plantains, sugar cane, palm oil, maize, coffee, cocoa; forestry


POPULATION

Population 4,117,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.9% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 12 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 54 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 47%, 15–59 48%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups predominantly Bantu; population comprises 15 main ethnic groups and 75 tribes. The Kongo, or Bakongo, account for about 48% of the population, then come the Sanga at about 20%, the Bateke, or Teke, at about 17%, and then the Mboshi, or Boubangui, about 12% Life expectancy 52 (men); 55 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 108 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 89% (men); 77% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 2.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.4 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 5.3 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 11,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 72 (urban); 17 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 0.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 2 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 124 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 13 (2004) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 0.5 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 1 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

late 15th century First visited by Portuguese explorers, at which time the Bakongo (a six-state confederation centred south of the Congo River in Angola) and Bateke, both Bantu groups, were the chief kingdoms. 16th century The Portuguese, in collaboration with coastal peoples, exported slaves from the interior to plantations in Brazil and São Tomé; missionaries spread Roman Catholicism. 1880 French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza established French claims to coastal region, with the makoko (king) of the Bateke accepting French protection. 1905 International outrage at revelations of brutalities of forced labour as ivory and rubber resources ruthlessly exploited by private concessionaries. 1910 Moyen-Congo became part of French Equatorial Africa (also comprising Gabon and Central African Republic) with capital at Brazzaville. 1920s Over 17,000 died during forced labour on Congo-Ocean railway construction; first Bakongo political organization founded. 1940–44 Supported ‘Free French’ anti-Nazi resistance cause during World War II; Brazzaville served as capital for Gen Charles de Gaulle's forces. 1946 Became autonomous with territorial assembly and representation in French parliament. 1960 Achieved independence, with Abbé Fulbert Youlou, a moderate Catholic Bakongo priest, as first president. 1963 Alphonse Massamba-Débat became president and single-party state was established under socialist National Revolutionary Movement (MNR). 1968 Military coup led by Capt Marien Ngouabi. 1970 Marxist People's Republic declared, with Ngouabi's Congolese Labour Party (PCT) the only legal party. 1977 Ngouabi assassinated in plot by Massamba-Débat, who was executed. 1979 Denis Sassou-Nguesso elected PCT chairman and became head of state (until 1992). early 1980s Petroleum production increased fivefold. 1990 PCT abandoned Marxist-Leninism; promised multiparty politics and free-market reform of economy crippled by foreign debt. 1992 Multiparty elections gave coalition dominated by Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) assembly majority; Pascal Lissouba elected president. 1995 New broad-based government formed, including opposition groups; economic reforms instigated, including privatization. 1997 Civil war between rival political factions and their militias; Sassou-Nguesso deposed Lissouba and took over presidency. 1999 Peace negotiations between government and rebel militias. 2002 New constitution approved in referendum; Sassou-Nguesso elected president; PCT and allies won parliamentary majority; further militia violence. 2003 Government concluded fragile peace agreement with rebels. 2007 Landslide victory for PCT and allies in parliamentary elections.


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