Republic of Congo

Background: 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 installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Sassou-Nguesso, but ushered in a period of ethnically based unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.
Location: Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon. Area: Total: 342,000 sq km, water: 500 sq km. land: 341,500 sq km. Area - comparative: Slightly smaller than Montana. Land boundaries: Total: 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.
Climate and Terrain: Climate: Tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator. Terrain: Coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin.
People: Population: 2,954,258. Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%. Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%. Languages: French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages).
Government: Government type: Republic. Capital: Brazzaville. Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France).
Economy overview: The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 22,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,300. Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3. Radios: 341,000. Television broadcast stations: 1. Televisions: 33,000. Internet users: 500. Railways: Total: 894 km. Highways: Total: 12,800 km, paved: 1,242 km, unpaved: 11,558 km. Airports - with paved runways: 4, with unpaved runways: 27.