The 1994 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer

       Protection

       Note:

       about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or

       along the railroad between them

      @Congo, People

      Population: 2,446,902 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 2.38% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 40.27 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 16.49 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 111 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.56 years male: 45.76 years female: 49.41 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo Ethnic divisions: south: Kongo 48% north: Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12% center: Teke 17%, Europeans 8,500 (mostly French) Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% Languages: French (official), African languages (Lingala and Kikongo are the most widely used) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 57% male: 70% female: 44% Labor force: 79,100 wage earners by occupation: agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25% note: 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)

      @Congo, Government

      Names:

       conventional long form:

       Republic of the Congo

       conventional short form:

       Congo

       local long form:

       Republique Populaire du Congo

       local short form:

       Congo

       former:

       Congo/Brazzaville

       Digraph:

       CF

       Type:

       republic

       Capital:

       Brazzaville

       Administrative divisions:

       9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza,

       Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux,

       Pool, Sangha

       Independence:

       15 August 1960 (from France)

       National holiday:

       Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)

       Constitution:

       new constitution approved by referendum March 1992

       Legal system:

       based on French civil law system and customary law

       Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

       Executive branch:

       chief of state:

       President Pascal LISSOUBA (since August 1992); election last held 2–16

       August 1992 (next to be held August 1997); results - President Pascal

       LISSOUBA won with 61% of the vote

       head of government:

       Prime Minister Jacques Joachim YHOMBI-OPANGO (since 23 June 1993)

       cabinet:

       Council of Ministers; named by the president

       Legislative branch:

       bicameral

       National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):

       election last held 3 October 1993; results - percentage vote by party

       NA; seats - (125 total) UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3

       Senate:

       election last held 26 July 1992 (next to be held July 1998); results -

       percentage vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) UPADS 23, MCDDI 14,

       RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8

       Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

       Political parties and leaders:

       Congolese Labor Party (PCT), Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president;

       Pan-African Union for Social Development (UPADS), Pascal LISSOUBA,

       leader; Association for Democracy and Development (RDD) - Joachim

       Yhombi OPANGO, president; Congolese Movement for Democracy and

       Integral Development (MCDDI), Bernard KOLELAS, leader; Association for

       Democracy and Social Progress (RDPS), Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA,

       president; Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), David Charles GANAO,

       leader; Union for Development and Social Progress (UDPS), Jean-Michael

       BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader

       note:

       Congo has many political parties of which these are among the most

       important

       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:

       ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD,

       ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,

       LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,

       WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

       Diplomatic representation in US:

       chief of mission:

       Ambassador Pierre Damien BOUSSOUKOU-BOUMBA

       chancery:

       4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011

       telephone:

       (202) 726–5500 or 5501

       US diplomatic representation:

       chief of mission:

       Ambassador William RAMSEY

       embassy:

       Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville

       mailing address:

       B. P. 1015, Brazzaville

       telephone:

       [phone]

       FAX:

       [242] 83–63-38

       Flag:

       red, 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

      @Congo, Economy

      Overview:

       Congo's 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. A reform

       program, supported by the IMF and World Bank, ran into difficulties in

       1990–91 because of problems in changing to a democratic political

       regime and a heavy debt-servicing burden. 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