Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Capital: Brazzaville
History
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
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
342,000
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
5,504
km
|
| Border Countries |
Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km |
| Coastline |
169
km
|
| Terrain |
coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
903
m
|
| Climate |
tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
1.46% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.18% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$12.35 billion |
| Export Items |
petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds |
| Export Partners |
China 38.5%, US 20.3%, Australia 6.4%, France 6.1%, Spain 4.9%, Italy 4.4%, Netherlands 4.4% (2011) |
| Imports |
$4.75 billion |
| Import Items |
capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
France 17.2%, China 12.5%, India 9.2%, Italy 7.5%, Brazil 7.3%, US 5.8% (2011) |
People
| Population |
4,492,689 |
| Population Growth |
2.86% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% |
| Religion |
Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% |
| Life Expectancy |
55.6 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
