-
You are here:
- Homepage » Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo Country Guide
Explore Republic of the Congo in Africa
Republic of the Congo with the capital city Brazzaville is located in Africa (Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 342,000 square kilometres (slightly smaller than Montana) with 3,039,126 citizens.
The topography includes coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin. The average density of population is approximately 9 per km². The notable climate conditions in Republic of the Congo can be described as tropical with rainy season (March to June), dry season (June to October), persistent high temperatures and humidity and particularly enervating climate astride the Equator. Possible natural disasters include seasonal flooding.
To reach someone in Republic of the Congo dial +242 prior to a number. There are 24,300 installed telephones. And there are 2,171,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".cg". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Republic of the Congo
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.
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 brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. 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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Central African Republic, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Angola Capital: Brazzaville |
| Size | 342,000 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 132,046 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Montana |
| Population | 3,039,126 |
| Currency | Name Franc, Currency Code:XAF |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .cg |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +242 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 2,171,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 24,300 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 342,000 (sq km) | 64 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,492,689 | 123 |
| Population growth rate | 2.86 (%) | 15 |
| Birth rate | 39.63 (births/1,000 population) | 9 |
| Death rate | 11.03 (deaths/1,000 population) | 38 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 560.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 15 |
| Infant mortality rate | 72.45 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 16 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 55.60 (years) | 201 |
| Total fertility rate | 5.49 (children born/woman) | 11 |
| Health expenditures | 2.50 (% of GDP) | 187 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 3.40 (%) | 18 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 77,000 | 46 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 5,100 | 37 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 4.70 (%) | 163 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 11.80 (%) | 60 |
| Education expenditures | 6.20 (% of GDP) | 33 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 19,410,000,000 | 135 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.80 (%) | 88 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 4,700 | 164 |
| Labor force | 2,890,000 | 104 |
| Unemployment rate | 53.00 (%) | 195 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 45.20 (% of GDP) | 4 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 58.80 (% of GDP) | 8 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | 15.50 (% of GDP) | 4 |
| Public debt | 18.30 (% of GDP) | 131 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.10 (%) | 140 |
| Central bank discount rate | 4.75 (%) | 77 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 15.00 (%) | 45 |
| Stock of narrow money | 3,341,000,000 | 115 |
| Stock of broad money | 3,753,000,000 | 136 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 2,392,000,000 | 135 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 12.00 (%) | 5 |
| Current account balance | 1,277,000,000 | 41 |
| Exports | 12,350,000,000 | 86 |
| Imports | 4,751,000,000 | 130 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 6,033,000,000 | 84 |
| Debt - external | 4,225,000,000 | 123 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 559,000,000 (kWh) | 160 |
| Electricity - consumption | 588,000,000 (kWh) | 166 |
| Electricity - imports | 470,000,000 (kWh) | 79 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 559,000 (kW) | 133 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 51.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 156 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 48.80 (% of total installed capacity) | 42 |
| Crude oil - production | 298,000 (bbl/day) | 36 |
| Crude oil - exports | 290,000 (bbl/day) | 26 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 1,600,000,000 (bbl) | 36 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 10,460 (bbl/day) | 105 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 10,710 (bbl/day) | 153 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 5,146 (bbl/day) | 97 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 5,326 (bbl/day) | 153 |
| Natural gas - production | 946,000,000 (cu m) | 66 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 930,000,000 (cu m) | 91 |
| Natural gas - exports | 39,000,000 (cu m) | 47 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 90,610,000,000 (cu m) | 59 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 6,518,000 (Mt) | 116 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 14,200 | 196 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,885,000 | 117 |
| Internet hosts | 45 | 216 |
| Internet users | 245,200 | 136 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 25 | 129 |
| Railways | 886 (km) | 94 |
| Roadways | 17,289 (km) | 117 |
| Waterways | 1,120 (km) | 62 |
| Merchant marine | 1 | 147 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 1.70 (% of GDP) | 86 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases