Congo

Republic of the Congo République du Congo (French) Repubilika ya Kongo (Kituba) Republiki ya Kongó (Lingala)
Flag
Motto: Unité, Travail, Progrès  (French) "Unity, Work, Progress"
Anthem: La Congolaise
Capital (and largest city)		Brazzaville 4°16′S 15°17′E / 4.267°S 15.283°E / -4.267; 15.283
Official languages		French
Recognised regional languages		Kongo/Kituba, Lingala
Demonym		Congolese
Government		Republic
-	President	Denis Sassou Nguesso
Independence		from France
-	Date	August 15, 1960
Area
-	Total	342,000 km2 (64th) 132,047 sq mi
-	Water (%)	3.3
Population
-	2009 estimate	3,686,000[1] (128th)
-	Density	10.8/km2 (204th) 27.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$14.305 billion[2]
-	Per capita	$3,919[2]
GDP (nominal)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$10.774 billion[2]
-	Per capita	$2,951[2]
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.619 [3] (medium) (130th)
Currency		Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone		WAT
Drives on the		right
Internet TLD		.cg
Calling code		242

The Republic of the Congo (French: République du Congo; Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville or the Congo, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.

The region was dominated by Bantu tribes, who built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The republic is a former French colony.^[4] Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. The People's Republic of the Congo was a Marxist-Leninist single-party state from 1970 to 1991. Multiparty elections have been held since 1992, although a democratically-elected government was ousted in a 1997 civil war. About half the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.^[5]

History

The earliest inhabitants of the region were Pygmy people, who later were largely displaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during the Bantu expansions. The Bakongo are a Bantu ethnicity that also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, forming the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those countries. Several Bantu kingdoms—notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke—built trade links leading into the Congo River basin.^[6]

The inhabitants of the Congo river delta first came into contact with Europeans in the late 15th century with Portuguese expeditions charting the African coastline. Commercial relationships were quickly established between the inland Bantu kingdoms and European merchants who traded various commodities, manufactured goods, and slaves captured from the hinterlands. For centuries, Congo river delta was a major commercial hub for transatlantic trade. However, when direct European colonization of the African continent began in the late 19th century, the power of the Bantu societies in the region eroded.^[7] The area came under French sovereignty in the 1880s. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa (AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon, Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (modern Central African Republic). Brazzaville was selected as the federal capital. Economic development during the first 50 years of colonial rule in Congo centered on natural resource extraction. Conference of 1944 heralded a period of major reform in French colonial policy. Congo benefited from the postwar expansion of colonial administrative and infrastructure spending as a result of its central geographic location within AEF and the federal capital at Brazzaville.^[6]

Following independence as the Congo Republic on August 15, 1960, Fulbert Youlou ruled as the country's first president until labour elements and rival political parties instigated a three-day uprising that ousted him. The Congolese military took charge of the country briefly and installed a civilian provisional government headed by Alphonse Massamba-Débat. Under the 1963 constitution, Massamba-Débat was elected President for a five-year term.^[6] The regime adopted "scientific socialism" as the country's constitutional ideology.^[8] In 1965, Congo established relations with the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, North Korea and North Vietnam.^[8] Massamba-Débat was unable to reconcile various institutional and ideological factions^[8] and his regime was ended abruptly with an August 1968 coup d'état. Marien Ngouabi, who had participated in the coup, assumed the presidency on December 31, 1968. One year later, President Ngouabi proclaimed Congo to be Africa's first "people's republic" and announced the decision of the National Revolutionary Movement to change its name to the Congolese Labour Party (PCT). On March 16, 1977, President Ngouabi was assassinated. An 11-member Military Committee of the Party (CMP) was named to head an interim government with Joachim Yhombi-Opango to serve as President of the Republic. Two years later, Yhombi-Opango was forced from power and Denis Sassou Nguesso become the new president.^[6]

Sassou Nguesso aligned the country with the Eastern Bloc and signed a twenty-year friendship pact with the Soviet Union. Over the years, Sassou had to rely more on political repression and less on patronage to maintain his dictatorship.^[9]

After decades of turbulent politics bolstered by Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sassou regime started to falter. Protesting Congolese students, workers, religious groups succeeded to bring end to Sassou's dictatorship.^[9] Congo had multi-party elections in August 1992. Sassou Nguesso conceded defeat and Congo's new president, Pascal Lissouba was inaugurated on August 31, 1992. At least two thousand people died after fighting broke at the end of 1993 between the troops loyal to Lissouba and the militia supporting Bernard Kolelas.^[10] Lissouba, another socialist, did not bring much change. He delayed economic reforms.^[11]

Congo's democratic progress was derailed in 1997 Lissouba and Sassou started to fight over power. As presidential elections scheduled for July 1997 approached, tensions between the Lissouba and Sassou camps mounted. On June 5, President Lissouba's government forces surrounded Sassou's compound in Brazzaville and Sassou ordered members of his private militia (known as "Cobras") to resist. Thus began a four-month conflict that destroyed or damaged much of Brazzaville and caused tens of thousands of civilian deaths. In early October, Angolan socialist regime began invasion of Congo to install Sassou to power. In mid-October, the Lissouba government fell. Soon thereafter, Sassou declared himself President.^[6] In 1998, Sassou adopted a dual strategy of co-opting with some Congolese politicians and assassinating others.^[11] The Congo Civil War continued for another year and a half until a peace deal was struck between the various factions in December 1999.^[6] Sassou has received military backing from Angola and financial support from French interests.^[11]

Controversial elections in 2002 saw Sassou win with almost 90% of the vote cast. His two main rivals Lissouba and Bernard Kolelas were prevented from competing and the only remaining credible rival, Andre Milongo, advised his supporters to boycott the elections and then withdrew from the race.^[12] A new constitution, agreed upon by referendum in January 2002, granted the president new powers and also extended his term to seven years as well as introducing a new bicameral assembly. International observers took issue with the organization of the presidential election as well as the constitutional referendum, both of which were reminiscent in their organization of Congo's era of the single-party state.^[13] Following the presidential elections, fighting restarted in the Pool region between the government forces and rebels lead by Pastor Ntumi; peace treaty to end the conflict was signed in April 2003.^[14]

The regime held presidential election in July 2009.^[15] According to the Congolese Observatory of Human Rights, a non-governmental organisation, the election was marked by "very low" turnout and "fraud and irregularities."^[16] The regime announced Sassou as the winner.

Government and politics

The Republic of the Congo is an authoritarian regime, according to the Democracy Index. It is ruled by Denis Sassou Ngessuui. Internationally, Sassou's socialist regime has been hit by corruption revelations despite attempts to censor them. One French investigation found over 110 bank accounts and dozens of lavish properties in France; Sassou denounced embezzlement investigations as "racist" and "colonial".^[17][18][19]

Human rights

As of 2008, main media is owned by the government. There is one government-owned television station, three government-owned radio stations, and three private pro-government radio stations, and a government-owned newspaper.^[20]

Many Pygmies in Congo live as slaves to Bantu masters.^[21] The nation is deeply stratified between these two major ethnic groups.^[21] The Pygmy slaves belong from birth to their Bantu masters in a relationship that the Bantus call a time-honored tradition.^[21] Even though the Pygmies are responsible for much of the hunting, fishing and manual labor in jungle villages, Pygmies and Bantus alike say Pygmies are often paid at the master's whim; in cigarettes, used clothing, or even nothing at all.^[21] Now UNICEF and human-rights activists are speaking out.^[21] A law that would grant special protections to the Pygmy people is awaiting a vote by the Congo parliament.^[21]

Administrative divisions

The Republic of the Congo is divided into 12 départements (départements). Departments are divided into communes and/or districts.^[22] These are:

Geography and climate

Map of the Republic of the Congo

View of Livingstone Falls.

Climate diagram for Brazzaville

Congo is located in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa, along the Equator. To the south and east of it is the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is also bounded by Gabon to the west, Cameroon and the Central African Republic to the north, and Cabinda (Angola) to the southwest. It has a short Atlantic coast.

The capital, Brazzaville, is located on the Congo River, in the south of the country, immediately across from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The country is the site for the most lightning strikes in the world.

The southwest of the country 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 two basins to the south and north. Forests are under increasing exploitation pressure.^[23]

Since the country is located on the Equator, the climate is consistent year-round, with the average day temperature being a humid 24 °C (75.2 °F) and nights generally between 16 °C (60.8 °F) and 21 °C (69.8 °F). The average yearly rainfall ranges from 1,100 millimetres (43.3 in) in south in the Niari valley to over 2,000 millimetres (78.7 in) in central parts of the county. The dry season is from June to August while in the majority of the country the wet season has two rainfall maxima: one in March–May and another in September–November.^[24]

In 2006-07, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society studied gorillas in heavily forested regions centered on the Ouesso district of the Sangha Region. They suggest a population on the order of 125,000 Western Lowland Gorillas, whose isolation from humans has been largely preserved by inhospitable swamps.^[25]

Economy

Cassava is an important food crop in the Republic of Congo.

The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on petroleum,^[26] support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Petroleum extraction has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy. In 2008, oil sector accounted for 65% of the GDP, 85% of government revenue, and 92% of exports.^[27] In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its petroleum earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The January 12, 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 46% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since.^[28] Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. When Sassou Nguesso returned to power at the war ended in October 1997, he publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, 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. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic problems of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty, despite record-high oil prices since 2003. Natural gas and diamonds are also recent major Congolese exports, although 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 Congo; it was re-admitted to the group in 2007.^[29][30] Republic of the Congo also has base metal, gold, iron and phosphate deposits.^[31] The Republic of the Congo is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).^[32] The Congo government has signed an agreement to lease 200,000 hectares of land to South African farmers to reduce its dependence on imports.^[33][34]

Demographics

Congolese woman.

The Republic of the Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with 70% of its total population living in a few urban areas, namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities or villages lining the 332-mile (534 km) railway which connects the two cities. In rural areas, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in recent years, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence.^[35]

Ethnically and linguistically the population of the Republic of the Congo is diverse—Ethnologue recognises 62 spoken languages in the country^[36]—but can be grouped into three categories. The Kongo are the largest ethnic group and form roughly half of the population. The most significant subgroups of the Kongo are Laari in Brazzaville and Pool regions and Vili around Pointe-Noire and along the Atlantic coast. The second largest group are the Teke who live to the north of Brazzaville with 17% of the population. Boulangui (M’Boshi) live in northwest and in Brazzaville and form 12% of the population.^[37][38] Before the 1997 war, about 9,000 Europeans and other non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French; only a fraction of this number remains.^[35] Around 100 American expatriates reside in the Congo.^[35] Nearly 2,000 South Africa’s white farmers have expressed interest in going to Congo.^[39] Pygmies make up between 5 to 10 percent of Congo's population.^{[21][dubious – discuss]}

The people of Republic of the Congo are largely a mix of Christians and Animists, accounting for 50% and 48% of the population, respectively. The majority of Christians in the country are Catholic, amounting to 90%, while the remaining 10% comprises various other Christian denominations. Two percent follow Islam and this is primarily due to an influx of foreign workers into the urban centres.^[4][40]

Health

Public expenditure on health was at 1.2 % of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure was at 1.3 %. ^[41] HIV prevalence is at several % among 15-49 year olds. ^[42] Health expenditure was at US$ 30 per capita in 2004 ^[43] A large proportion of the population are undernourished. ^[44] There were 20 physicians per 100,000 persons in the early 2000s. ^[45]

Culture

Literacy is high, particularly among men. ^[46] Public expenditure of the GDP was less in 2002-05 than in 1991. ^[47] Public education is free and compulsory for under-16-year olds. ^[48] In practice, expenses exist. ^[49] Net primary enrolment rate was 44 % in 2005, much less than the 79 % in 1991. ^[50] See also:

• List of Congolese
• List of writers from the Republic of the Congo
• Music of the Republic of the Congo
• Public holidays in the Republic of the Congo

See also

• French Congo
• French Equatorial Africa

References

Further reading

• Maria Petringa, Brazza, A Life for Africa (2006) ISBN 9781-4259-11980

External links

Find more about Republic of the Congo on Wikipedia's sister projects:

Definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity

Government

• Congolese Government Portal
• Presidency of the Republic
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General

• Country Profile from BBC News
• Republic of the Congo entry at The World Factbook
• Republic of the Congo from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Republic of the Congo at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of the Republic of the Congo
• Crisis briefing on the Republic of Congo's struggle for peace from Reuters AlertNet
• Review of Congo by the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, May 6, 2009.
• Humanitarian news and analysis from IRIN – Congo

Culture

• Congolese literature
• Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and Congo Culture and music of the first inhabitants of Congo

Tourism

• Republic of the Congo travel guide from Wikitravel

Articles Related to the Republic of the Congo    Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 4°16′S 15°17′E / 4.267°S 15.283°E / -4.267; 15.283 (Brazzaville) v • d • e Countries and territories of Africa West Africa Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo North Africa Algeria · Egypt1 · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia · Western Sahara 2 Central Africa Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe East Africa Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rwanda · Seychelles · Somalia · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Southern Africa Botswana · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland  Partially in Africa Iles Eparses / Mayotte / Réunion (France) · Pantelleria (Italy) · Madeira (Portugal) · Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha3 (UK) · Socotra (Yemen)  Disputed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · Somali states 1 Partly in Asia.  2 Status undetermined.  3 Includes Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.   International Membership v • d • e South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Members Angola • Argentina • Benin • Brazil • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Republic of the Congo • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Côte d'Ivoire • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Liberia • Namibia • Nigeria • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Sierra Leone • South Africa • Togo • Uruguay Ministerial Meetings 2nd (1993) · 3rd (1994) · 4th (1996) · 5th (1998) · 6th (2007) v • d • e African Union (AU) Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe v • d • e South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Members Angola • Argentina • Benin • Brazil • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Republic of the Congo • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Côte d'Ivoire • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Liberia • Namibia • Nigeria • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Sierra Leone • South Africa • Togo • Uruguay Ministerial Meetings 2nd (1993) · 3rd (1994) · 4th (1996) · 5th (1998) · 6th (2007)   Languages v • d • e Niger-Congo-speaking nations   Kordofanian  Sudan   Mande      Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Mali  Mauritania  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Liberia  Côte d'Ivoire  Nigeria  Burkina Faso  Benin  Togo   Atlantic-Congo     Atlantic  Benin  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  CAR Ijoid  Nigeria  Chad  Côte d'Ivoire  Gambia  Guinea Dogon  Mali  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Sudan  Togo   Volta-Congo     Senufo  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Mali Gur  Benin  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Mali  Nigeria  Togo Adamawa-Ubangi  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria Kru  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Nigeria  Togo   Benue-Congo     Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC Yoruba and Igbo  Nigeria  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Lesotho  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic • DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo v • d • e Member states and observers of the Francophonie Members Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Belgium (French Community) · Benin · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada (New Brunswick • Quebec) · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Cyprus1 · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Dominica · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · France (French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Martinique • St. Pierre and Miquelon) · Gabon · Ghana1 · Greece · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Laos · Luxembourg · Lebanon · Macedonia2 · Madagascar · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Moldova · Monaco · Morocco · Niger · Romania · Rwanda · St. Lucia · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Switzerland · Togo · Tunisia · Vanuatu · Vietnam Observers Austria · Croatia · Czech Republic · Georgia · Hungary · Latvia · Lithuania · Mozambique · Poland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Thailand · Ukraine 1 Associate member. 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute.