The 1990 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

second-largest producer of vanilla; large net food importer

      Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80–88), $9 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $371 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979–89), $22 million; Communist countries (1970–88), $18 million

      Currency: Comoran franc (plural—francs); 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes

      Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per US$1—287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985); note—linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc

      Fiscal year: calendar year

      - Communications Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km bituminous, remainder crushed stone or gravel

      Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni

      Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft

      Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220–2,439 m

      Telecommunications: sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; over 1,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV

      - Defense Forces

       Branches: Army, Presidential Guard, Gendarmerie

      Military manpower: males 15–49, 97,504; 58,274 fit for military service

      Defense expenditures: 3% of GDP (1981)

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       Country: Congo

       - Geography

       Total area: 342,000 km2; land area: 341,500 km2

      Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana

      Land boundaries: 5,504 km total; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km,

       Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km

      Coastline: 169 km

      Maritime claims:

      Territorial sea: 200 nm

      Disputes: long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)

      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

      Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas

      Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other

      Environment: deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in

       Brazzaville, 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 [phone]; 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

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