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Tropical rainforest between Dolosie and Pointe-Noire in Congo-Brazzaville
Tropical rainforest, view from the new highway between Dolosie and Pointe-Noire in Congo-Brazzaville.
Image: Bobulix
 

Flag of Republic of the Congo
Flag of Republic of the Congo
Location map of the Republic of the Congo. Where in Africa is the Republic of the Congo
Location map of the Republic of the Congo
A virtual guide to the Republic of the Congo, also known as the Congo Republic, Congo-Brazzaville or just Congo. The country was until independence in 1960 part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa.

The country is located in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa along the Equator, it has a short (170 km) coastline at the South Atlantic Ocean. Congo is bordered by
Angola (the enclave of Cabinda), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo(Kinshasa), and Gabon.

With an area of 342,000 km² the country is lightly smaller than Germany, or slightly smaller than the US state of Montana.

Congo-Brazzaville has a population of about 4 million people. Capital and largest city is Brazzaville, the city is located on the Congo River, in the south of the country, across Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


Republic of the Congo | République du Congo


Country Profile




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 ethnic 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 with significant potential for offshore development.
 

 


Official Name:
République du Congo
short form: Congo
int'l long form: Republic of the Congo
abbreviation: ROC, CGO
former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

ISO Country Code: cg

Time:
Local Time = UTC +1h
Actual Time: Mon-Mar-18  04:21

Country Calling Code: +242

Capital City: Brazzaville (pop. 1 million)

Other Cities: Pointe-Noire (450 000), Dolisie (150 000), Djambala, Ewo, Impfondo, Madingou, Ouésso, Owando, Sibiti.

Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France).
Constitution: New constitution adopted in nationwide referendum on 20 January 2002.

Geography:
Location: Astride the Equator in west-central Africa, west of the Congo and Oubangui (Ubangi) rivers.
Area: 342,000 km² (132,000 sq. mi.)
Terrain: North-East: two thirds of the country are covered by equatorial forest, savanna in the south, coastal plains, fertile valleys, forested flood plains.

Climate: Tropical. (climate is equatorial with two reversed seasons--half of the country lies above, half below the Equator).

People:
Nationality: Congolese
Population: 4 million (2012 UN est.)
Ethnic groups: 15 principal Bantu groups: BaCongo, Vili, BaTeke, M'Bochi, and Sangha; more than 70 subgroups. A small population of Pygmies (less than 100 000), ethnically unrelated to the Bantu majority.
Religions: Traditional beliefs 50%, Christianity 45%, Muslim 2%.
Languages: French (official), Lingala and Munukutuba (national), Kikongo, Sangho, Lari, Vili.
Literacy: male: 89%, female: 78%

Natural resources: Oil, wood, potash, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphate, natural gas, hydropower.

Agriculture products: Cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products.

Industries: Petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes.

Exports partners: China 42.1%, Italy 16.9%, USA 4.9%, India 4.7%, Portugal 4.2% (2015)

Imports partners: China 20.3%, France 14.2%, South Korea 9.8%, USA 4.9%, UK 4.4%, Italy 4.1%, India 4.1% (2015)

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF)

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.


Official Government Sites of Republic of the Congo

The Republic of Congo has had a multiparty political system since the early 1990's.

Présidence de la République du Congo
Official website of the President of the Republic of the Congo (in French)


Diplomatic Missions:
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Congo
Congo's Permanent Mission to the UN.
Embassy of the Republic of Congo
Embassy of the Republic of Congo in the US.
Ambassade de France en République du Congo
Embassy of France, Brazzaville with consular information (in French).



Maps

Map of Republic of the Congo
Political map of Republic of the Congo.
Administrative Map of Republic of the Congo
Map showing the administrative divisions of the Republic of the Congo.

Google Earth Google Earth Republic of the Congo
Searchable map and satellite view of Republic of the Congo.
Google Earth Google Earth Brazzaville
Searchable map and satellite view of the country's capital city.

Map of Africa
Political Map of Africa.
Relief Map of Africa




People live along and on the Congo river.
Image: Julien Harneis

News

Congopage
Congo Brazzaville news (in French).
Les Dépêches de Brazzaville -L'Agence d'Information de l'Afrique Centrale
Congo-Brazzaville news (in French).
MwindaPress
Online newspaper of the Association of the Congolese Democrats, with news from Congo-Brazzaville based in France, (in French)

Radio
Radio Okapi
Kinshasa based radio sttion with recent Congo news (in French).

Int'l News Sources
ReliefWeb: Congo
Updates specific to Congo.
 

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Arts & Culture


Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Site about Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza the founder of Brazzaville.
 
Fondation École de Peinture de Poto-Poto
Art Brazzaville

Business & Economy


Banque Centrale des Etats d'Afrique Centrale - BEAC
Central Bank of Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (in French)
IZF.net, le portail de la Zone Franc CFA
Information about business and investment in the African countries within the monetary system of the Franc Zone - CFA. (in French)

Ministère des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, chargé de l'Artisanat
Ministry for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Craft (in French)


Annuaire Téléphonique République du Congo
Yellow Pages ROC.
 
 
Travel and Tour Consumer Information



Destination Republic of the Congo - Travel and Tour Guides


Republique-Congo.com
Congo portal site with country information (in French).

Congopage
A Congo Brazzaville portal site (in French)

Le-Congo.net
Afrique Congo le Voyage en Photos - images of a journey through South-Congo (in French).

Skyblog de congoinfos
Congo Brazzaville blog a "a crossroads of information" (in French)
 
 

Education

Ecole Supérieure de Technologie du Littoral
Information about the advanced technical college, Pointe-Noire (in French).

International Network for Higher Education in Africa - Congo
INHR article about higher education in Congo.
 
 

Environment & Nature


Bushmeat Crisis Task Force
BCTF is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife populations threatened by commercial hunting of wildlife for sale as meat.
Central African Regional Program for the Environment - CARPE
CARPE is a long-term initiative by USAID to address the issues of deforestation and biodiversity loss in the Congo Basin forest zone.
Conservation and rational use of forest ecosystem in Central Africa (ECOFAC)
Information about the conservation and development of the Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa, the European Union's commitment to a sustainable exploitation of natural resources. (PDF)
Outpost: Congo Trek
A journey through the heart of Central Africa (National Geographic)
WCS-Congo
Site about the work of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Congo.
 
 

History


History of the Republic of the Congo
History of the Republic of the Congo by Wikipedia.
 
 

Additional Information on Republic of the Congo


Africa South of the Sahara: Republic of the Congo
Stanford University.

BBC Country Profile: Republic of the Congo

FAO: Republic of the Congo

GlobalEDGE: Republic of the Congo

Open Directory Project: Republic of the Congo

Wikipedia: Republic of the Congo

The World Factbook -- Republic of the Congo
 
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