Republic of the Congo Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Congo, Congo (Brazzaville), State of Central Africa; 342,000 km², 5.2 million residents (2019).The country’s eastern border, towards Congo (Kinshasa), is largely the Congo River; in the north, Congo borders on the Central African Republic, in the northwest to Cameroon, in the west to Gabon, in the southwest to the Atlantic, and to the Angolan Exclave Cabinda, and in the south to the Congo (Kinshasa). The equator cuts through the northern part of the country. The capital is Brazzaville (1.6 million residents, 2012).

Country facts

Republic of the Congo / Republic of the Congo
Country abbreviation: CG
Area: 342 000 km²
Population (2019): 5.2 million residents
Capital: Brazzaville
Main languages: French, diet
State: Republic
Head of State: Denis Sassou-Nguesso (President)
Head of Government: Clément Mouamba
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 2,148
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 1,640
Currency unit: 1 CFA franc = 100 centimes
Currency code: XAF
Country number (telephony): 242
Internet domain name: cg
Time difference compared to Sweden: 0
National Day: August 15 (Independence Day, 1960)

Nature

Land use: forest (62%), other (38%)
Highest mountain: Lékéti (1,040 m above sea level)
Longest river: Congo (4,670 km)

Population

Population density (2019): 15 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 2.6%; birth number 33 ‰, death number 7 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (42%), 15-64 (55%), 65- (3%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 63 years, women 65 years
Infant mortality (2019): 36 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 11 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.606 (place 137 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2017): 67%
Most populous cities (2012): Brazzaville (1.6 million residents), Pointe-Noire (822,800)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (9%), industry (51%), service (40%)
Exports (2017): US $ 4,193 million
Main export products: oil, timber
Main exporting countries: China, Angola, Gabon
Imports (2017): US $ 2,501 million
Main import products: capital goods, building materials, food
Main importing countries: France, China, Belgium
Railway network (2014): 500 km

The middle part of Congo consists of a highland, while the eastern part is a plain, where the rivers Congo and Oubangui form a border with Congo (Kinshasa). In the southwest, 100 km from the Atlantic coast, the land surface falls quite steeply down to a narrow, treeless coastal plain. The climate is tropical.

Since the outbreak of civil war in 1997, former President Denis Sassou-Nguesso withdrew power by force in October of that year, and the 1992 democratic constitution was repealed. A new constitution began to form after the end of the war in 2000 and was adopted by a referendum in 2002. The new constitution gives the president, who is elected in general elections for seven years, a very strong position. The National Assembly is elected in general elections for five years.

The country became independent in 1960. Congo has good conditions for a well-functioning economy. There is plenty of oil, natural gas, minerals and forest. However, many years of internal turmoil and neglect have meant that the country is highly dependent on loans and assistance. The most important sector in the business sector is the oil industry, which accounts for almost all export revenue. In 2012, major infrastructure investments – roads, telecommunications and power plants – were initiated, which will be financed through bilateral agreements with China.