The 1992 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

new legislative body to be held spring 1992

       President:

       last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held June 1992); results - President

       SASSOU-NGUESSO unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party

       Congress, which automatically made him president

       Communists:

       small 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:

       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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,

       WTO

       Diplomatic representation:

       Ambassador Roger ISSOMBO; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington,

       DC 20011; telephone [phone]

      :Congo Government

      US:

       Ambassador James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral,

       Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO AE

       09828); 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, a

       beginning industrial sector based largely on oil, supporting 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 development projects with growth averaging 5% annually,

       one of the highest rates in Africa. During the period 1987-91, however,

       growth has slowed to an average of roughly 1.5% annually, only half the

       population growth rate.

       GDP:

       exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $1,070; real growth rate

       0.5% (1990 est.)

       Inflation rate (consumer prices):

       4.6% (1989 est.)

       Unemployment rate:

       NA%

       Budget:

       revenues $522 million; expenditures $767 million, including capital

       expenditures of $141 million (1989)

       Exports:

       $751 million (f.o.b., 1988)

       commodities:

       crude petroleum 72%, lumber, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds

       partners:

       US, France, other EC

       Imports:

       $564 million (c.i.f., 1988)

       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 1.2% (1989); accounts for 33% of GDP, including petroleum

       Electricity:

       140,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 135 kWh per capita (1991)

       Industries:

       crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes

       Agriculture:

       accounts for 10% 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 90% of food needs

       Economic aid:

       US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $60 million; Western (non-US)

       countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.3 billion; OPEC

       bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $338

       million

       Currency:

       Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)

       = 100 centimes

      :Congo Economy

      Exchange rates:

       Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January

       1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54

       (1987)

       Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      :Congo Communications

      Railroads:

       797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km that are privately

       owned)

       Highways:

       11,960 km total; 560 km paved; 850 km gravel and laterite; 5,350 km improved

       earth; 5,200 km unimproved earth

       Inland waterways:

       the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially

       navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only

       Pipelines:

       crude oil 25 km

       Ports:

       Pointe-Noire (ocean port), Brazzaville (river port)

       Civil air:

       4 major transport aircraft

       Airports:

       46 total, 42 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways

       over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

       Telecommunications:

       services adequate for government use; primary network is composed of radio

       relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers are Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire,

       and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1

       Atlantic Ocean satellite earth station

      :Congo Defense Forces

      Branches: