Republic of the Congo · page 2

Sassou won the following presidential election in July 2009.[48]88 According to the Congolese Observatory of Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, the election was marked by "very low" turnout and "fraud and irregularities".[49]89 In March 2015, Sassou announced that he wanted to run for yet another term in office and a constitutional referendum in October resulted in a changed constitution that allowed him to run during the 2016 presidential election.90 He won the election believed by some to be fraudulent.91 After violent protests in the capital, Sassou attacked the Pool region where the Ninja rebels of the civil war used to be based, in what was believed to be a distraction.92 This led to a revival of the Ninja rebels who launched attacks against the army in April 2016, leading 80,000 people to flee their homes.93 A ceasefire deal was signed in December 2017.[50]94

In 2023, the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua was listed as a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site.[51]95

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Republic of the Congo

Natural landscapes range from the savanna plains in the North Niari flooded forests, to the Congo River, to the rugged mountains and forests of Mayombe, and 170 km of beaches along the Atlantic coast.[52]96

Congo is located in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa, along the Equator, lying between latitudes 4°N and 5°S, and longitudes 11° and 19°E. To the south and east of it is the Democratic Republic of the Congo corpus.97 It is bounded by Gabon to the west, Cameroon corpus and the Central African Republic corpus to the north, and Cabinda (Angola corpus) to the southwest.98 It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean.99

The southwest is a coastal plain for which the primary drainage is the Kouilou-Niari River; the interior of the country consists of a central plateau between 2 basins to the south and north.100 Forests are under increasing exploitation pressure.[53]101 Congo had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.89/10, ranking it 12th globally out of 172 countries.[54]102

Congo lies within four terrestrial ecoregions: Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests, Northwestern Congolian lowland forests, Western Congolian swamp forests, and Western Congolian forest–savanna mosaic.[55]103 Since the country is located on the Equator, the climate is more consistent year-round, with the average day temperature a humid 24 C and nights generally between 16 C and 21 C. The average yearly rainfall ranges from 1100 mm in the Niari Valley in the south to over 2000 mm in central parts.104 The dry season is from June to August, while in the majority of the country, the wet season has 2 rainfall maxima: 1 in March–May and another in September–November.[56]105

In 2006–07, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society studied gorillas in "heavily forested" regions centered on the Ouesso District of the Sangha Region.106 They suggest a population on the order of 125,000 western lowland gorillas whose isolation from humans has been mostly preserved by "inhospitable" swamps.[57]107

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of the Republic of the Congo

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of the Republic of the Congo, Cabinet of the Republic of the Congo

See also: Constitution of the Republic of the Congo, Foreign relations of the Republic of the Congo, Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo, Biens mal acquis

The government of the republic is a semi-presidential system with an elected president who appoints the Council of Ministers, or Cabinet.108 The council, including the prime minister, is selected from the elected representatives in Parliament.109 Since the 1990s, the country has had a multi-party political system that is dominated by President Denis Sassou Nguesso.110 Sassou Nguesso is backed by his own Congolese Labour Party (Parti Congolais du Travail ) as well as a range of smaller parties.111

Sassou's regime has seen corruption revelations, with attempts to censor them.112 One French investigation found over 110 bank accounts and dozens of "lavish properties" in France.[58]113 Sassou denounced embezzlement investigations as "racist" and "colonial".[59][60][61]114 Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso, son of Denis Sassou Nguesso, has been named in association with the Panama Papers.[62]115

On 27 March 2015, Sassou Nguesso announced that his government would hold a referendum on changing the country's 2002 constitution to allow him to run for a third consecutive term in office.[63]116 On 25 October, the government held a referendum on allowing Sassou Nguesso to run in the next election.117 The government claimed that the proposal was approved by 92% of voters, with 72% of eligible voters participating.118 The opposition who boycotted the referendum said that the government's statistics were false and the vote was a fake one.[64]119 The election raised questions and was accompanied by civil unrest and police shootings of protesters;[65] at least 18 people were killed by security forces during opposition rallies leading up to the referendum held in October.120

Administrative divisions

Main article: Departments of the Republic of the Congo, Communes of the Republic of the Congo, Districts of the Republic of the Congo

The republic has been divided into 15 departments since the adoption of the corresponding laws in October 2024.[66][67]121 Departments are divided into communes and districts.[68]122 These are as follows:123

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in the Republic of the Congo

See also: LGBT rights in the Republic of the Congo

Some Pygmies belong from birth to Bantus in a relationship some refer to as slavery.[69][70]124 The Congolese Human Rights Observatory says that the Pygmies are treated as property in the same way as pets.[69]125 On 30 December 2010, the Congolese parliament adopted a law to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.126 This law is "the first" of its kind in Africa.[71]127

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Republic of the Congo

See also: Hydrocarbon exploration, List of companies of the Republic of the Congo

The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based mainly on petroleum,[16][72] support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and "overstaffing".128 Petroleum extraction has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy.129 In 2008, the oil sector accounted for 65% of the GDP, 85% of government revenue, and 92% of exports.[73]130 The country has untapped mineral wealth.[16]131

In the 1980s, rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance larger-scale development projects.132 GDP grew an average of 5% annually.133 The government has mortgaged a portion of its petroleum earnings, contributing to a "shortage of revenues".134 On 12 January 1994, the devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in an inflation of 46% in 1994, and inflation has subsided since.[74]135

Between 1994 and 1996, the economy underwent a difficult transition.136 The Congo took a number of measures to liberalize its economy, including reforming the tax, investment, labor, timber, and hydrocarbon codes.137 In 2002–03, Congo privatized banks, telecommunications, and transportation monopolies, to help improve an unreliable infrastructure.138 By the end of 1996 Congo had made progress in various areas targeted for reform.139 It made great strides toward macroeconomic stabilization through improving public finances and restructuring external debt.140 This change was accompanied by improvements in the structure of expenditures, with a reduction in personnel expenditures.141 Before June 1997, Congo and the United States ratified a bilateral investment treaty designed to facilitate and protect foreign investment.142 The country also adopted a new investment code intended to attract foreign capital.143 Despite these success, Congo's investment climate has challenges, offering few meaningful incentives for new investors.[75]144

Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.145 The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted.146 When Sassou Nguesso returned to power in October 1997, he publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions.147 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.148

The administration presides over an "uneasy internal peace" and faces "difficult" economic problems of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty, with record-high oil prices since 2003.149 Natural gas and diamonds are other exports, while Congo was excluded from the Kimberley Process in 2004 amid allegations that most of its diamond exports were, in fact, being smuggled out of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo corpus; it was re-admitted to the group in 2007.[76][77]150

The Republic of the Congo has untapped base metal, gold, iron, and phosphate deposits.[78]151 It is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).[79]152 The Congolese government signed an agreement in 2009 to lease 200,000 hectares of land to South African farmers to reduce its dependence on imports.[80][81]153 The GDP of the Republic of the Congo grew by 6% in 2014 and is expected to have grown by 7.5% in 2015.[82]154

In 2018, the Republic of the Congo joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.[83]155

Congo–Ocean Railway was built by forced laborers during the 1930s.156 Some colonial architectural heritage is preserved.157 Restoration of architectural works is underway in Brazzaville, for example, at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne du Congo, which was completed in 2011.[84]158

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Republic of the Congo

Population159

According to the official 2023 census, the population of the Congo numbers 6,142,180 people, up from 3,697,490 recorded by the 2007 census.[85]160 Its population is concentrated in the southwestern portion, leaving the areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited.161 70% of its total population lives in urban areas, namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the cities or villages lining the 534 km, railway which connects the two cities.162 In rural areas, industrial and commercial activity has declined in some years, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence.[25]163

Before the 1997 war, about 9,000 Europeans and other non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French; a fraction of this number remains.[25]164 Around 300 American immigrants reside in the Congo.[25]165

The government 2025 demographic and health survey (DHS) reported the total fertility rate had declined to 3.5 children born per woman, with a rate of 3.0 in urban areas and 5.3 in rural areas.[86]166 The 2011–12 DHS found the TFR was 5.1 children born per woman, with 4.5 in urban areas and 6.5 in rural areas.[87]167

Languages

Main article: Languages of the Republic of the Congo

French is the official language of the Republic of the Congo.168 Kituba and Lingala are recognized as national languages.169 In addition, Ethnologue recognizes 62 spoken languages in the country.[88]170 The Kongo are the largest ethnic group and form roughly half of the population.171 The most significant subgroups of the Kongo are Laari, in Brazzaville and Pool regions, and the Vili, around Pointe-Noire and along the Atlantic coast.172 The second largest group is the Teke, who live to the north of Brazzaville, with 16.9% of the population.173 Mbochi live in the north, east and in Brazzaville and form 13.1% of the population.[89][90]174 Pygmies make up 2% of Congo's population.[91]175

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Republic of the Congo

According to CIA World Factbook, the people of the Republic of the Congo are largely a mix of Catholics (33.1%), adherents of Awakening Churches and Christian Revivalism (22.3%), and other Protestants (19.9%) as of 2007.176 Followers of Islam make up 1.6%; this is primarily due to an influx of foreign workers into the urban centers.[3]177

Education

Main article: Education in the Republic of the Congo

Public expenditure of the GDP was less in 2002–05 than in 1991.[92]178 Public education is theoretically free and mandatory for under-16-year-olds[93] but in practice educational expenses must be borne by parents.[93]179 In 2005 the net primary enrollment rate was 44%, a drop from 79% in 1991.[92]180 The investment in education has significantly dropped in recent years, leading to a dip in quality.181 In 2018, the school completion rate was 66% for girls and 64% for boys.[94]182 Although the government has made attempts to provide Vocational training and tertiary education, they remain poor and inaccessible to most young adults in the country.[95]183

Health

Main article: Health in the Republic of the Congo

Public expenditure health was at 8.9% of the GDP in 2004 whereas private expenditure was at 1.3%.[92] as of 2012, the HIV/AIDS prevalence was at 2.8% among 15- to 49-year-olds.[3]184 Health expenditure was at US$30 per capita in 2004.[92]185 A proportion of the population is undernourished,[92] and malnutrition is a problem in Congo.[96]186 There were 20 physicians per 100,000 persons in the 2000s (decade).[92]187

as of 2010, the maternal mortality rate was 560 deaths/100,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate was 59.34 deaths/1,000 live births.[3]188 Female genital mutilation (FGM) is confined to limited geographic areas.[97]189

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Republic of the Congo

Music

Main article: Music of the Republic of the Congo

Media

Main article: Mass media in the Republic of the Congo* Rural Congolese often receive their news via state-run radio; broadcast media is the main source of news for the majority of Congolese. Government-owned and private media are usually pro-government. Programs are broadcast in a variety of languages. Print media is often circulated in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Important news papers include Le Choc, Les Echos du Congo, L'Observateur, and Le Semaine Africaine.[98]

Sports

The most popular sports in the country are basketball, football, rugby union, volleyball, and tennis.[99]190 Basketball and football are extremely popular amongst the Congolese youth.191

See also

List of people from the Republic of the Congo

Further reading

Petringa, Maria (2006). Brazza, A Life for Africa. ISBN 978-1-4259-1198-0.

External links

Presidency of the Republic

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

Country Profile from BBC News

Republic of the Congo from *UCB Libraries GovPubs