Congo, Republic of the (2006) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 46.4% (male 864,407/female 853,728)
15-64 years: 50.7% (male 930,390/female 945,545) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,430/female 63,814) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
32.58% (male 2,996; female 2,908) 15-64 years: 63.51% (male 6,050; female 5,459) 65 years and over: 3.91% (male 316; female 393) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | 32 (2006) | 8 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2006) |
total:
4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km |
total:
430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Montana | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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 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 was once one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 42.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 24.89 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.328 billion
expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues:
$47 million expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-1998 est.) |
Capital | name: Brazzaville
geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk) |
Climate | tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 169 km | 389 km |
Constitution | approved by referendum 20 January 2002 | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 12.93 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $5 billion (2000 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mark BIEDLINGMAIER
embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa) |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $159.1 million (1995) | $4.1 million (1997) |
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 through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, the reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. Economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. The Republic of Congo may be eligible for an IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in early 2006, provided it meets the strict fiscal and monetary targets set out for it under a new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the IMF. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
Electricity - consumption | 619 million kWh (2003) | 4.6 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 300 million kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 343 million kWh (2003) | 5 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
- |
Ethnic groups | Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% | black |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7% |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27 January 2000) head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $4.7 million (1993) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | China 38.9%, US 29%, Taiwan 11.8%, South Korea 7.2% (2005) | US, UK |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 57% services: 36.9% (2005 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8.2% (2005 est.) | 8.7% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 15 00 E | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them | 30 islands (eight inhabited) |
Highways | - | total:
121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $46.6 million (1993) |
Imports - commodities | capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005) | US, UK |
Independence | 15 August 1960 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 0% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Industries | petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: 85.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 79.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2005 est.) | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 14 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme | Supreme Court |
Labor force | NA | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.) |
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 |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 1.45%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 98.4% (2005) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1993 est.) |
Languages | French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) | English (official) |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and customary law | based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45 |
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 52.8 years
male: 51.65 years female: 53.98 years (2006 est.) |
total population:
73.52 years male: 71.37 years female: 75.77 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1) (2006) | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $85.22 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 15 August (1960) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo |
noun:
none adjective: none |
Natural hazards | seasonal flooding | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | -3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 13.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 89 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 744 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president] (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal); Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC | NA |
Population | 3,702,314
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) |
18,122 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.6% (2006 est.) | 3.41% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Grand Turk, Providenciales |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001) | AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 8,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) |
0 km |
Religions | Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% | Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
fair cable and radiotelephone services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 13,800 (2004) | 3,000 (1994) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 490,000 (2005) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997) |
Terrain | coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | 6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 3.22 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 10% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | 4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2005) | none |