deforestation; about 70% of the population lives inBrazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
- People
Population: 2,242,274 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective—Congolese or Congo
Ethnic divisions: about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
Religion: 50% Christian, 48% animist, 2% Muslim
Language: French (official); many African languages with Lingala and
Kikongo most widely used
Literacy: 62.9%
Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, and government; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (1979 est.)
- Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of the Congo
Type: people's republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular—region); Bouenza, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha; note—there may be a new capital district of Brazzaville
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
Constitution: 8 July 1979
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
National holiday: National Day, 15 August (1960)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly
(Assemblee Nationale Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Denis
SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979);
Prime Minister Alphonse POATY-SOUCHLATY (since 6 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party—Congolese Labor Party
(PCT), President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President—last held 26–31 July 1989 (next to be held July 1993);
results—President Sassou-Nguesso unanimously reelected leader of the
PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically makes him president;
People's National Assembly—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held 1993); results—PCT is the only party; seats—(153 total) single list of candidates nominated by the PCT
Communists: unknown number of Communists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth
(UJSC), Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC), Revolutionary Union of Congolese
Women (URFC), General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Conference of East and Central African
States, EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC,
UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Benjamin BOUNKOULOU; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726–5500; US—Ambassador-designate James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO New York 09662–0006); telephone 83–20-70 or 83–26-24
Flag: red with the national emblem in the upper hoist-side corner; the emblem includes a yellow five-pointed star above a crossed hoe and hammer (like the hammer and sickle design) in yellow, flanked by two curved green palm branches; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
- Economy Overview: Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The world decline in oil prices, however, has forced the government to launch an austerity program to cope with declining receipts and mounting foreign debts.
GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $382 million; expenditures $575 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (1988)
Exports: $912 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds; partners—US, France, other EC
Imports: $494.4 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—foodstuffs, consumer goods, intermediate manufactures, capital equipment; partners—France, Italy, other EC, US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
External debt: $4.5 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.9% (1987)
Electricity: 133,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 130 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops—rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over
