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Template:Distinguish2

For other uses, see Congo (disambiguation).
Republic of the Congo
République du Congo Template:Fr icon
Repubilika ya Kongo (Kituba)
Republiki ya Kongó (Lingala)
Flag of the Republic of the Congo
Motto: Unité, Travail, Progrès  Template:Fr icon
"Unity, Work, Progress"
Anthem: La Congolaise
Location of the Republic of the Congo
Capital
and largest city
Brazzaville
Official languagesFrench
Recognised regional languagesKongo/Kituba, Lingala
Demonym(s)Congolese
GovernmentRepublic
• President
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Isidore Mvouba
Independence 
from France
• Date
August 15, 1960
Area
• Total
342,000 km2 (132,000 sq mi) (64th)
• Water (%)
3.3
Population
• 2009 estimate
3,686,000[1] (128th)
• Density
10.8/km2 (28.0/sq mi) (204th)
GDP (PPP)2008 estimate
• Total
$14.282 billion[2]
• Per capita
$3,913[2]
GDP (nominal)2008 estimate
• Total
$10.774 billion[2]
• Per capita
$2,951[2]
HDI (2007)Increase 0.619 [3]
Error: Invalid HDI value (130th)
CurrencyCentral African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zoneWAT
Drives onright
Calling code242
ISO 3166 codeCG
Internet TLD.cg

The Republic of the Congo (Template:Lang-fr; Template:Lang-kg; Template:Lang-ln), 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 an Soviet Bloc Marxist-Leninist single-party state from 1970 until the regime was replaced by multi-party elections in 1992. However, a brief civil war in 1997 resulted in the overthrowing of democratically elected president Pascal Lissouba and the installation of the country's former socialist dictator Denis Sassou Nguesso to power. About half the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[5]

History

Main article: History of the Republic of the Congo

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 Sessou 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

Main article: Politics of the Republic of the Congo
See also: Foreign relations of the Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo is an authoritarian regime, according to the Democracy Index. It is ruled by Denis Sassou Nguesso. 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

Main article: Human rights in the Republic of the Congo

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

Main articles: Departments of the Republic of the Congo, Communes of the Republic of the Congo, and Districts of the Republic of the Congo

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

Column-generating template families

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"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
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Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of the Republic of the Congo
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 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 °F) and nights generally between 16-21 °C (60-70 °F). The average yearly rainfall ranges from 1,100 millimetres (43 in) in south in the Niari valley to over 2,000 millimetres (79 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

Main article: Economy of the Republic of the Congo
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]

Demographics

Congolese woman.
Main article: Demographics of the Republic of the Congo

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.[33]

Ethnically and linguistically the population of the Republic of the Congo is diverse—Ethnologue recognises 62 spoken languages in the country[34]—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.[35][36] 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.[33] Around 100 American expatriates reside in the Congo.[33] 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][37]

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Republic of the Congo

See also

Main articles: Outline of the Republic of the Congo and Index of Republic of the Congo-related articles

References

  1. ^ Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009). "World Population Prospects, Table A.1" (.PDF). 2008 revision. United Nations. Retrieved 2009-03-12. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); line feed character in |author= at position 42 (help)
  2. ^ a b c d "Republic of the Congo". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  3. ^ http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_Tables.pdf
  4. ^ a b "CIA - The World Factbook - Congo, Republic of the". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  5. ^ Human Development Indices, Table 3: Human and income poverty, p. 35. Retrieved on 1 June 2009
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Background Note: Republic of the Congo". Department of State. March 2009.
  7. ^ C. R. Boxer, The Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1415-1825
  8. ^ a b c Kevin Shillington. Encyclopedia of African history. p. 301.
  9. ^ a b Kevin Shillington. Encyclopedia of African history. p. 302.
  10. ^ Galloy, Martine-Renée; Gruénais, Marc-Éric (November 1997). "Fighting for power in the Congo". Le Monde diplomatique. Retrieved 2009-06-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b c Kevin Shillington. Encyclopedia of African history. p. 303.
  12. ^ "Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville)". Freedom House. 2006. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  13. ^ "Congo approves new constitution". BBC. 24 January, 2002. Retrieved 2009-06-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Congo peace deal signed". BBC. 18 March, 2003. Retrieved 2009-06-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "17 candidates in Congo presidential race: commission". AFP. June 13, 2009‎. Retrieved 2009-06-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Vote results expected as opposition alleges fraud. France24
  17. ^ "Congo leader son fails in gag bid". BBC. 15 August 2007.
  18. ^ "Propping Up Africa's Dictators". Foreign Policy In Focus. June 22, 2009.
  19. ^ "FACTBOX-African leaders' French assets under scrutiny". Reuters. April 29, 2009.
  20. ^ 2008 Human Rights Report: Republic of the Congo
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas, Katie (2007-03-12). "Congo's Pygmies live as slaves". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  22. ^ With inconsistent figures:
  23. ^ Map: Situation de l'exploitation forestière en République du Congo
  24. ^ Samba G., Nganga D., Mpounza M. (2008). "Rainfall and temperature variations over Congo-Brazzaville between 1950 and 1998". Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 91 (1–4): 85–97. doi:10.1007/s00704-007-0298-0. Retrieved 2008-06-11.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "'Mother Lode' Of Gorillas Found In Congo Forests : NPR". Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  26. ^ "Congo-Brazzaville". Energy Information Administration, U.S. Government. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  27. ^ Republic of Congo World Bank
  28. ^ "Congo, Republic of". EconStats. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  29. ^ "Kimberley Process Removes the Republic of Congo from the List of Participants". Kimberley Process. 2004-07-09. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  30. ^ "2007 Kimberley Process Communiqué". Kimberley Process. 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  31. ^ "Mining in Congo". MBendi. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  32. ^ OHADA.com: The business law portal in Africa, retrieved 2009-03-22
  33. ^ a b c Background Note: Republic of the Congo United States Department of State. Accessed on August 21, 2008.
  34. ^ "Languages of Congo". SIL International. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  35. ^ Levinson, David (1998). Ethnic groups worldwide. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 120–121. ISBN 9781573560191.
  36. ^ "Congo Overview". Minority Rights Group International. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  37. ^ "Congo, Republic of the". U.S. Department of the State. Retrieved 2009-06-14.

Further reading

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