The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
(1999)
Imports: $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners: South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)
Debt - external: $13 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $195.3 million (1995)
Currency: Congolese franc (CDF)
Currency code: CDF
Exchange rates: Congolese francs per US dollar - 50 (January 2001), 4.5 (January 2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997), 0.50 (1996)
note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
Fiscal year: calendar year
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 21,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,900 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 12, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios: 18.03 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 20 (1999)
Televisions: 6.478 million (1997)
Internet country code: .cd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 1,500 (1999)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Transportation
Railways: total: 5,138 km (1995)
note: severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2000)
Highways: total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Waterways: 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km
Ports and harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie,
Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)
Airports: 232 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 208
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 96
under 914 m: 92 (2000 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential
Security Group
Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49: 11,615,554 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15–49: 5,915,251 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (FY97)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; most of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
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@Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Introduction
Background: Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.
Congo, Republic of the Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 5,504 km
border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 29%
forests and woodland: 62%
other: 9% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonal flooding
Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer
Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville,
Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Congo, Republic of the People
Population: 2,894,336
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower