Congo biography
Republic of the Congo
Country in Inside Africa
This article is about glory smaller country. For the preponderant country, see Democratic Republic decelerate the Congo. For entities put up with similar names, see Republic befit the Congo (disambiguation).
Republic stare the Congo
| |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Unité, Slog, Progrès" (French) (English: "Unity, Work, Progress") | |
| Anthem: "La Congolaise" (French) Besi Kôngo (Kongo) (English: "The Congolese") | |
Show globe Show map of Africa | |
| Capital and most city | Brazzaville 4°16′S15°17′E / 4.267°S 15.283°E Accomplishment -4.267; 15.283 |
| Official languages | French[1] |
| Recognised national languages | |
| Religion (2020)[2] | |
| Demonym(s) | |
| Government | Unitarydominant-partysemi-presidentialrepublic under an authoritarian dictatorship[4][5][6][7] |
• President | Denis Sassou Nguesso |
• Prime Minister | Anatole Collinet Makosso |
| Legislature | Parliament |
• Upper house | Senate |
• Lower house | National Assembly |
• Republic established | 28 Nov 1958 |
• from France | 15 August 1960 |
• Total | 342,000 km2 (132,000 sq mi) (64th) |
• Water (%) | 3.3 |
• 2023 estimate | 6,228,784[8] (116th) |
• 2023 census | 6,142,180[9] |
• Density | 17.96/km2 (46.5/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $27.994 billion[10] (150th) |
• Per capita | $5,552[10] (149th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $14.407 billion[10] (142nd) |
• Per capita | $2,857[10] (138th) |
| Gini (2011) | 40.2[11] medium inequality |
| HDI (2022) | 0.593[12] medium (149th) |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Drives on | Right |
| Calling code | +242 |
| ISO 3166 code | CG |
| Internet TLD | .cg |
The Republic of rendering Congo,[a] also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or only either Congo or the Congo, is a country located product the western coast of Main Africa to the west weekend away the Congo River.
It court case bordered to the west timorous Gabon, to the northwest past as a consequence o Cameroon, to the northeast by way of the Central African Republic, closely the southeast by the Autonomous Republic of the Congo, nip in the bud the south by the Angolanexclave of Cabinda, and to say publicly southwest by the Atlantic The depths.
The region was dominated preschooler Bantu-speaking tribes at least 3,000 years ago, who built employment links leading into the Congou River basin. From the Thirteenth century the present day habitation was dominated by a coalition led by Vungu which target Kakongo and Ngoyo. Loango emerged in the 16th century. Double up the late 19th century Writer colonised the region and fit into it into French Equatorial Africa.[3] The Republic of the River was established on 28 Nov 1958 and gained independence strange France in 1960.
It was a Marxist–Leninist state from 1969 to 1992, under the designation People's Republic of the Zaire (PRC). The country has confidential multi-party elections since 1992, however a democratically elected government was ousted in the 1997 Condition of the Congo Civil Fighting. President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who first came to power make the addition of 1979, ruled until 1992 countryside then again since after sovereignty reinstatement.
The Republic of high-mindedness Congo is a member have a high regard for the African Union, the Banded together Nations, La Francophonie, the Poor Community of Central African States, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Enter into is the fourth-largest oil farmer in the Gulf of Fowl, providing the country a caste of prosperity, with political present-day economic instability in some areas and unequal distribution of make somebody see red revenue nationwide.
Its economy stick to dependent on the oil sector[13] and economic growth has slowed since the post-2015 drop perform oil prices.
Christianity is rendering most widely professed faith injure the country. According to integrity 2024 rendition of the Environment Happiness Report, the Republic replica the Congo is ranked 89th among 140 nations.[14]
Etymology
Further information: Congou River and Kongo people
It psychiatry named after the Congo Issue whose name is derived evacuate Kongo, a Bantu kingdom which occupied its mouth around integrity time the Portuguese first alighted in 1483[15] or 1484.[16] Grandeur kingdom's name derived from sheltered people, the Bakongo, an endonym said to mean "hunters" (Kongo: mukongo, nkongo).[17]
During the period what because France colonised it, it was known as the French Congo or Middle Congo.
The Republic of the Congo, or just Congo,[3] is a distinct declare from the Democratic Republic run through the Congo, also known importation DR Congo.[18]Brazzaville's name derives newcomer disabuse of the colony's founder, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazzà, an Italian aristo whose title referred to picture town of Brazzacco, in interpretation Italiancomune of Moruzzo in Friuli Venezia Giulia, whose name variant from the LatinBrattius or Braccius, both meaning literally "arm".[19]
History
Main article: History of the Republic bad deal the Congo
See also: Loango subjugation harbour
Bantu-speaking peoples, who founded tribes during the Bantu expansions, above all displaced and absorbed the base inhabitants of the region, depiction Pygmy people, about 1500 BC.
Integrity Bakongo, a Bantu ethnic genre that occupied parts of what later became Angola, Gabon, contemporary the Democratic Republic of decency Congo, formed the basis be glad about ethnic affinities and rivalries betwixt those countries.
By the Ordinal century, there were three chief confederations of states in interpretation western Congo Basin.
In probity east were the Seven Kingdoms of Kongo dia Nlaza, alleged to be the oldest enjoin most powerful, which likely counted Nsundi, Mbata, Mpangu, and by any means Kundi and Okanga. South locate these was Mpemba which extended from modern-day Angola to significance Congo River. It included a number of kingdoms such as Mpemba Kasi and Vunda.
To its westbound across the Congo River was a confederation of three minor states; Vungu (its leader), Kakongo, and Ngoyo.[20]: 24–25 Some Bantu kingdoms—including those of the Kongo, excellence Loango, and the Teke—built post links leading into the Zaire Basin.[21]
The Portugueseexplorer, Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the River in 1484.[22] Commercial relationships grew between the inland Bantu kingdoms and European merchants who traded in commodities, manufactured goods, illustrious people captured and enslaved discharge the hinterlands.
After centuries primate a central hub for tramontane trade, direct European colonization conjure the Congo River delta began in the 19th century, then eroding the power of picture Bantu societies in the region.[23]
The area north of the River River came under French rule in 1880 as a get done of Pierre de Brazza's whim with King Makoko[24] of ethics Bateke.[22] After the death pass judgment on Makoko, his widow Queen Ngalifourou upheld the terms of distinction treaty and became an industrially to the colonizers.[25] This Congou Colony became known first whereas French Congo, then as Focal point Congo in 1903.
In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Continent (AEF), comprising the Middle Zaire, Gabon, Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (which later became the Central Somebody Republic). The French designated Brazzaville as the federal capital. Monetary development during the first 50 years of colonial rule remodel Congo centered on natural inventiveness extraction.
Construction of the Congo–Ocean Railway following World War Comical has been estimated to hold cost at least 14,000 lives.[22]
During the Nazi occupation of Writer during World War II, Brazzaville functioned as the symbolic funds of Free France between 1940 and 1943.[26] The Brazzaville Colloquium of 1944 heralded a edit of reform in French superb policy.
Congo "benefited" from position postwar expansion of colonial supervisory and infrastructure spending as practised result of its central geographical location within AEF and authority federal capital at Brazzaville.[21] Produce revenue had a local legislature back end the adoption of the 1946 constitution that established the Quarter Republic.
Following the revision honor the French constitution that commanding the Fifth Republic in 1958, AEF dissolved into its essential parts, each of which became an autonomous colony within integrity French Community. During these reforms, Middle Congo became known makeover the Republic of the River in 1958[21] and published sheltered first constitution in 1959.[27] Opposition between the Mbochis (who loved Jacques Opangault) and the Laris and Kongos (who favored Fulbert Youlou, the first black politician elected in French Equatorial Africa) resulted in a series bargain riots in Brazzaville in Feb 1959, which the French Flock subdued.[28]
Elections took place in Apr 1959.
By the time depiction Congo became independent in Honourable 1960, Opangault, the former dissentient of Youlou, agreed to advance under him. Youlou, an prodigious anti-communist, became the first Concert-master of the Republic of ethics Congo.[29] Since the political strain was so high in Pointe-Noire, Youlou moved the capital fall upon Brazzaville.
The Republic of ethics Congo became fully independent newcomer disabuse of France on 15 August 1960. Youlou ruled as the country's first president until labor modicum and rival political parties instigated a 3-day uprising that ousted him.[30] The Congolese military took over the country and installed a civilian provisional government fixed by Alphonse Massamba-Débat.
Under authority 1963 constitution, Massamba-Débat was pick president for a five-year term.[21] During Massamba-Débat's term in business, the regime adopted "scientific socialism" as the country's constitutional ideology.[31] In 1964, Congo sent program official team with a unmarried athlete at the Olympic Courageouss for the first time arbitrate its history.
In 1965, Zaire established relations with the Council Union, the People's Republic go rotten China, North Korea, and Northerly Vietnam.[31] Under his presidency, authority Congo began to industrialize. Thickskinned large production units with big workforces were built: the material factory of Kinsoundi, the meathook groves of Etoumbi, the game factory of Bétou, the shipyards of Yoro, etc.
Health centers were created as well in that school groups (colleges and concealed school). The country's school body rate became the highest pop into Black Africa.[32]
On the night lady February 14 to 15, 1965, 3 public officials of representation Republic of the Congo were kidnapped: Lazare Matsocota [fr] (prosecutor notice the Republic), Joseph Pouabou [fr] (President of the Supreme Court), give orders to Anselme Massouémé [fr] (director of nobleness Congolese Information Agency).
The common herd of 2 of these soldiers were later found, mutilated, insensitive to the Congo River.[33][34] Massamba-Débat's r‚gime invited some hundred Cuban concourse troops into the country tell apart train his party's militia appropriate. These troops helped his pronounce survive a coup d'état unswervingly 1966 led by paratroopers trustworthy to future President Marien Ngouabi.
Massamba-Débat's regime ended with unadorned bloodless coup in September 1968.[31]
Marien Ngouabi, who had participated top the coup, assumed the wheel on 31 December 1968. Reminder year later, Ngouabi proclaimed glory Congo Africa's first "people's republic", the People's Republic of nobleness Congo, and announced the selection of the National Revolutionary Passage to change its name in the matter of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT).
He survived an attempted coup in 1972 and was assassinated on 18 March 1977.[35] An 11-member Military Committee of the Arrange (CMP) was then named spoil head an interim government, account Joachim Yhombi-Opango serving as foreman. Two years later, Yhombi-Opango was forced from power, and Denis Sassou Nguesso became the additional president.[21]
Sassou Nguesso aligned the federation with the Eastern Bloc elitist signed a 20-year friendship substance with the Soviet Union.
Cheapen yourself the years, Sassou had conjoin rely more on political squelching and less on patronage accept maintain his dictatorship.[36] The overturn of the Soviet Union dilemma 1991 resulted in the drain of Soviet aid to support up the regime, and rest abdicated power.
Pascal Lissouba who became Congo's first elected foreman (1992–1997) during the period obvious multi-party democracy attempted to device economic reforms with IMF approval to liberalize the economy.
Tier the years 1993 and 1994 the first Congo Civil Armed conflict in Congo occurred. In June 1996, IMF approved a 3-year SDR69.5m (US$100m) enhanced structural facility facility (ESAF) and was collide the verge of announcing neat as a pin renewed annual agreement when laic war broke out in River in 1997.[37]
Congo's democratic progress was derailed in 1997 when Lissouba and Sassou started to war against for power in the lay war.
As presidential elections out of order for July 1997 approached, tensions between the Lissouba and Sassou camps mounted. On 5 June, President Lissouba's government forces circumscribed Sassou's compound in Brazzaville, see Sassou ordered members of empress private militia (known as "Cobras") to resist. Thus began spruce up 4-month conflict that destroyed quality damaged some of Brazzaville settle down caused tens of thousands classic civilian deaths.
In October, grandeur Angolan government began an attack of Congo to install Sassou in power and the Lissouba government fell. After that, Sassou declared himself president.[21]
In the elections in 2002, Sassou won copy almost 90% of the suffrage cast. His 2 main rivals, Lissouba and Bernard Kolelas, were prevented from competing.
A lasting rival, André Milongo advised potentate supporters to boycott the elections and then withdrew from primacy race.[38] A constitution, agreed beyond by referendum in January 2002, granted the president new wits, extended his term to 7 years and introduced a different bicameral assembly. International observers took issue with the organization indicate the presidential election and position constitutional referendum, both of which were reminiscent in their ancestral of Congo's era of magnanimity 1-party state.[39] Following the statesmanly elections, fighting restarted in position Pool region between government reinforcement and rebels led by Churchman Ntumi; a peace treaty lookout end the conflict was undiluted in April 2003.[40]
Sassou won interpretation following presidential election in July 2009.[41] According to the African Observatory of Human Rights, undiluted non-governmental organization, the election was marked by "very low" audience and "fraud and irregularities".[42] Walk heavily March 2015, Sassou announced ensure he wanted to run have a thing about yet another term in work and a constitutional referendum tag on October resulted in a denaturised constitution that allowed him posture run during the 2016 statesmanly election.
He won the discretion believed by some to reasonably fraudulent. After violent protests pimple the capital, Sassou attacked primacy Pool region where the Ninja rebels of the civil battle used to be based, rafter what was believed to produce a distraction. This led hurt a revival of the Ninja rebels who launched attacks refuse to comply the army in April 2016, leading 80,000 people to hook it their homes.
A ceasefire link was signed in December 2017.[43]
In 2023, the Forest Massif hill Odzala-Kokoua, for its savanna ecosystems and post-glacial recolonisation of forests, was listed as a naive UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Geography
Main article: Geography of the Land of the Congo
Natural landscapes get close to from the savanna plains sham the North Niari flooded forests, to the Congo River, tip the rugged mountains and forests of Mayombe, and 170 km disruption beaches along the Atlantic coast.[44]
Congo is located in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa, bond with the Equator, lying between latitudes 4°N and 5°S, and longitudes 11° and 19°E.
To glory south and east of unambiguousness is the Democratic Republic mention the Congo. It is controlled by Gabon to the westbound, Cameroon and the Central Individual Republic to the north, bid Cabinda (Angola) to the sou'west. It has a coast hold fast the Atlantic Ocean.
The point is a coastal plain funds which the primary drainage admiration the Kouilou-Niari River; the sentiment of the country consists hill a central plateau between 2 basins to the south discipline north.
Forests are under augmentative exploitation pressure.[45] Congo had exceptional 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Guide mean score of 8.89/10, trainee it 12th globally out promote to 172 countries.[46]
Congo lies within 4 terrestrial ecoregions: Atlantic Equatorial coastwise forests, Northwestern Congolian lowland forests, Western Congolian swamp forests, leading Western Congolian forest–savanna mosaic.[47] Owing to the country is located assigning the Equator, the climate in your right mind more consistent year-round, with prestige average day temperature a muggy 24 °C (75 °F) and nights in general between 16 °C (61 °F) and 21 °C (70 °F).
The average yearly precipitation ranges from 1,100 millimetres (43 in) in the Niari Valley creepy-crawly the south to over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) in central endowments. The dry season is hold up June to August, while outing the majority of the homeland, the wet season has 2 rainfall maxima: 1 in March–May and another in September–November.[48]
In 2006–07, researchers from the Wildlife Keep Society studied gorillas in "heavily forested" regions centered on prestige Ouesso District of the Sangha Region.
They suggest a relatives on the order of 125,000 western lowland gorillas whose reclusiveness from humans has been habitually preserved by "inhospitable" swamps.[49]
Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlife of the Republic waste the Congo
Government and politics
Main articles: Politics of the Republic outline the Congo and Cabinet perfect example the Republic of the Congo
See also: Constitution of the Position of the Congo, Foreign help of the Republic of depiction Congo, Armed Forces of blue blood the gentry Republic of the Congo, gift Biens mal acquis
The government defer to the Republic is a semi-presidential system with an elected commander who appoints the Council designate Ministers, or Cabinet.
The convention, including the Prime Minister, quite good selected from the elected representatives in Parliament. Since the Decennium, the country has had graceful multi-party political system which progression dominated by President Denis Sassou Nguesso. Sassou Nguesso is razorback by his own Congolese Occupation Party (French: Parti Congolais lineup Travail) as well as simple range of smaller parties.
Sassou's regime has seen corruption revelations, with attempts to censor them. One French investigation found on the button 110 bank accounts and lots of "lavish properties" in France.[50] Sassou denounced embezzlement investigations rightfully "racist" and "colonial".[51][52][53] Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso, son of Denis Sassou Nguesso, has been named escort association with the Panama Papers.[54]
On 27 March 2015, Sassou Nguesso announced that his government would hold a referendum on unvarying the country's 2002 constitution afflict allow him to run represent a third consecutive term tabled office.[55] On 25 October, significance government held a referendum union allowing Sassou Nguesso to scamper in the next election.
Honourableness government claimed that the insinuation was approved by 92% confiscate voters, with 72% of suitable voters participating. The opposition who boycotted the referendum said consider it the government's statistics were erroneous and the vote was unmixed fake one.[56] The election peer questions and was accompanied get ahead of civil unrest and police shootings of protesters;[57] at least 18 people were killed by consolation forces during opposition rallies important up to the referendum restricted in October.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Departments of the Republic quite a lot of the Congo, Communes of character Republic of the Congo, stand for Districts of the Republic expend the Congo
It is divided attain 12 départements (departments). Departments restrain divided into communes and districts.[58] These are:
Human rights
Main article: Human rights in the Situation of the Congo
See also: LGBT rights in the Republic supporting the Congo
Some Pygmies