Republic of the Congo Guide

Republic of the Congo Guide

Congo – country information

Country name Congo
Official name Republic of the Congo
Capital Brazzaville
Continent Africa
Area 342,000 km2
Population 4,448,000 (2013)
Foundation of a state 8/15/1960
The highest mountains Léketi 1040 m
Longest rivers Congo/Zaire 750 km, Ubangi 550 km
State system a pluralist republic with a bicameral parliament
The biggest cities Brazzaville (capital) 1,025,000, Pointe-Noire 630,000, Loubomo 95,000
Official language French
Ethnicity/National Composition Congolese 53%, Teke groups 17.5%, Mboshi 11.5%, Mbete 4.7%, Punu 3%, Sango 2.6%, Maka 1.6%, Pygmies 1.5%, others 4.5%
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic 55%, Protestant 24%, African Christian 14.5%, traditional faith 5%, other 1.5%
Currency 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
gross domestic product (GDP) US$4,616 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population 52.80 years (2006)

Congo – neighboring states

State Capital Area Population
Angola Luanda 1,246,700 km2 20,609,294
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa 2,344,860 km2 67,514,000
Gabon Libreville 267,668 km2 1,672,000
Cameroon Yaoundé 475,442 km2 20,386,799
Central African Republic Bangui 622,984 km2 4,616,000

Country overview

According to Abbreviationfinder, Congo stretches from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of Africa and is bordered by Zaire, the Central African Republic, Cameroon and Gabon.

Country data

Location: CET (during summer time CET – 1)

Time zone: unknown

Total area: 342,000 km km²

Land area: 341,500 km²

Water area: 500 km²

Length of the state border: 5,008 km

Bordering countries:
Angola: 231 km
Gabon: 2,567 km
Cameroon: 494 km
Congo, Democratic Rep.: 1,229 km
Central African Republic: 487 km

Coastline: 169 km

Capital: Brazzaville

Governorates: 12
Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha

Telephone code: 00 242 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

Population

Population: approx. 4.7 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 2% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 14

Life expectancy: 57 (male), 60 (female)

Official language: French

Religions:

  • 33% Roman Catholic
  • 20% Protestants
  • 2% Muslim
  • 45% other

Climate

Congo is located in a tropical climate zone.

Republic of the Congo

The summer time lasts from June to September and the rainy season from October to May.

Currency / finance

Currency unit: CFA Franc (XAF)

Classification: 1 Franc = 100 Centimes

ATMs: not available

International credit cards: only accepted in some Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire hotels.

Regulations: There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies that can be imported. There is an obligation to declare. The export is permitted in the amount of the declared import.

The import and export of the local currency is not permitted.

Since it is almost impossible to exchange the local currency back, you should only exchange amounts that are actually required.

As a foreign currency, it is recommended to take small denominations of US dollars with you. These are the easiest to exchange and are often accepted for direct payment.

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

  • 200 cigarettes
  • 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
  • small amounts of perfume

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

Travel advice

The northern and eastern regions of the Congo in particular pose a high security risk.

Some districts of Brazzaville (Bakongo, Makélékélé, Ouenze, Poto Poto, Talangaï) should not be visited after nightfall due to the high crime rate.

Economy

The main export goods of the country are oil and petroleum products.

Since over half of the country’s area is forested, a large part of the population works in this branch of industry.

A very high unemployment rate, corruption in many areas of public life and three civil wars in the 1990s have caused great damage to the economy from which the country has still not been able to recover.

Industries: Oil extraction and processing, wood processing

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, copper, uranium, hydropower, zinc

Land use:

  • Usable land: 0%
  • Grain cultivation: 0%
  • Pasture area: 29%
  • Forests: 62%
  • other: 9%
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