Republic of Congo

History

Old story

The Pygmy S Mbuti are the first inhabitants of Congo. The country was then touched by the great migration of the Bantou S, come from north while skirting the coast and the rivers. Several kingdoms follow one another, which one does not know the origins yet well: the Kingdom Téké in north in the grounds; several Kingdoms Kongo, on the coast and in the solid mass of Mayombe. The bantous introduce the work of the Fer and build a sales network in the basin of Congo

Schematically, the Congolese pre-colonial geopolitical structures can be simplified in two categories: the companies without State, founded on chefferies which are as many microphone-nations as geographical and demographic conditions difficult maintained in a relative insulation, this in the Northern half of the country, Mboshi grounds, Makaa etc; companies in organized State, in the Southern half, around three essential poles: the State Teke, perhaps founded as of XIII°s, the Northern province of the old Kongo empire, or province of Nsundi, and on the coast the very old kingdom of Loango of Vili, centered on its capital, Bwali, close to the throats of Diosso. It should be stressed that vestiges, thin certainly, but rather many, attest cultures rather advanced on the current Congolese territory, well before these States which we know: potteries, vestiges of furnaces with metals, great work (tunnel under the MT Albert meadows of Mouyondzi…)go up before XIII°s, sometimes before the year Thousand.

Colonization

The first contacts with Europeans took place at the 15th century, and of the commercial exchanges were quickly established with the local kingdoms. The coastal region was a major source during the draft of transatlantic slave, when this one ended at the 19th century, the capacities bantous eroded to leave room to the Colonialisme. In 1482, after the first recognitions carried out by Portuguese navigators, the explorer Don Diego CAD reaches the mouth of Congo. The contacts with the kingdom of Kongo cause tensions. The draft operated a gigantic demographic puncture and destabilized considerably the political entities and the companies of central Africa in general.

The French penetration began towards 1875 with Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza; it reaches Congo 1879 by going up the course of Ogoué. In 1880, it made sign a treaty of sovereignty to the Makoko , the king, Téké S in Mbé (100 km in the North of Brazzaville) and founds the station of Mfoa which will become later Brazzaville. In same time, the lieutenant Cordier explored the area of the Kouilou and the Niari and made sign in Maloango, chief principal of Vilis pertaining to mobility Kongo, a treaty which recognized the sovereignty of France on the Royaume of Loango and founds in its turn in 1883 Point-Black. In 1885, Congo becomes one of the four States of French equatorial Africa, and Brazzaville the capital of a.E.F. The colony of French Congo is created in 1891, the current territory Gabon board in fact part until in 1904.

Since 1899, the territory was yielded to companies Concession naires which poured a tax with the French administration. These companies exploited the rubber mainly. They received for thirty years of immense fields varying between 200.000 and 14 million hectares and were to pour 15% their benefit like taxes with the French administration. These companies exploited the natural resources of the colony as sugar, rubber, the ivory or wood invaluable. The principal defender of this economic system was Eugene Etienne, then under-secretary of State to the colonies. Another under-secretary of State to the colonies, Theophilus Delcassé, had granted discreetly, without official publication of the contract, a concession of 11 million hectares (that is to say 1/5 of France), located in the Haut-Ogooué. Then, from March to July 1899, the Minister for the Guillain Colonies granted, by decree, forty concessions in French Congo. Many concessionary companies were with the hands many shareholders, of which Léopold II of Belgium which had bought actions under a false name. This fact discovered after the death of the Belgian sovereign shocked much the French authorities of the time which had to note that their colony was exploited by a foreign country.

Independence sees

In 1926, André Grenard Matsoua founded friendly charged to come to assistance of the riflemen (war veterans who had taken share at the sides of the French Army to the First World War). The conditions of operating of the colony explain why nationalism quickly developed in Congo. This friendly quickly became a protest movement, the colonial administration took fear and made imprison Matsoua which died in prison in 1942, under conditions remained obscure. The movement was transformed then into a church which recruited especially in the ethnos group of origin.

Congolese nationalism shaped really after the second world war. In 1945, the Congoleses elected the first Congolese deputy, Felix Tchikaya, at the constituent assembly of Paris. This one founded in 1946 the Parti Congolese progressist (PPC), Congolese section of the African democratic Rassemblement (GDR). Tchikaya was opposed to Jacques Opangault. One and the other was taken speed by the abbot Fulbert Youlou, founder of the Democratic Union of Defense of the African Interests (UDDIA) which gained with glare the municipal elections of 1956. In 1958, the referendum on the French Community obtained 99% “yes” in Means-Congo. Congo became a autonomous République, with Fulbert Youlou for Prime Minister. In 1959, disorders burst in Brazzaville and the French Army intervenes: Youlou is elected president of the Republic and the August 15th 1960, Congo reaches independence.

Policy

See also: Political of the Republic of Congo

The constitution of Congo is supported on a type of presidential regime. The general Denis Sassou Nguesso arrived at the capacity with the favor of a civil war in 1997, is currently the president of the Republic and also proclaimed Prime Minister. The country also obtained a Parliament elected as well as room of senator.

Constitution

The Government of National union and Public Hello, in accordance with the conclusions of the National forum for the Reconciliation, the Unit, the Democracy and the Rebuilding, projected: The Supreme court, sitting out of matter nelle Constitution, examined; The National council of Transition deliberated and adopted; The Peuple Congolese adopted by Référendum on January 20th, 2002; The President of the République promulgates the Constitution.

See: copy constitution

Subdivisions

Congo is divided into 12 Département S:

Bouenza 12.260 km ² chief town Madingou,
Basin 74.850 km ² chief town Owando,
Basin-West chief town Ewo,
Kouilou 13.650 km ² chief town Loango,
Lékoumou 20.950 km ² chief town Sibiti,
Likouala 66.044 km ² chief town Impfondo,
Niari 25.925 km ² chief town Dolisie,
Plates 38.400 km ² chief town Djambala,
Pool 33.955 km ² chief town Kinkala,
Sangha 55.795 km ² chief town Ouesso;
Brazzaville,
Point-Black with 510 km of Brazzaville (Railroad);

and the urban communes are:

Dolisie to 110 km of Point-Black,
Nkayi to 70 km of Dolisie,
Mossendjo,
Ouesso,
Owando.

Those themselves are divided into 86 Sub-prefectures. Brazzaville is composed of 7 communes which are: (District) 1 - Makélékélé; 2 - Bacongo; 3 - Mangrove swamp mud; 4 - Moungali; 5 Ouenzé; 6 - Talangai; 7 - Mfilou

Geography

Congo this finds in Africa. This country is very large. it has a geograohic situation very interressante.

Economy

See also: Economy of the Republic of Congo

Congo is a country of the agricultural third world. The Congolese economy rests mainly on an agriculture of subsistence and the craft industry, like on an industrial sector being pressed largely on hydrocarbons. The majority of the population saw food agriculture. However, the economy of the country also depends on export on: oil, wood, potash, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphate, natural gas… The two pillars of export are the wood and oil all two exploited by French companies which pour in against part of the currencies in the State. However the incomes of exports are badly exploited. The currency CFA franc (financial Co-operation in central Africa) managed by the France is weak (1 euro=655,957 frank). Wood represents a big part of exports of Congo: the Mahogany tree, Okoumé, Limba, etc the industrial activity rests on the production of consumer goods: the tobacco, cement, textile, soap, alcoholic drink, shoes… Plus of 95% of the trade are with the hands from abroad or anybody of foreign origin.

Oil incomes

The oil resources of Congo are managed by an oil company of State (the National company of oils of Congo or SNPC), currently directed by Denis Gokana.

Since 1976, the refining of oil is carried out with Point-Black, the economic capital of Congo. It provides 90% of the public revenue, and constitutes the same percentage of exports.

With an annual growth of the P.N.B of 5%, one of the strongest rates of Africa, beginning of the year 80, the strong growth of the oil incomes made it possible Congo to finance development projects with large scales.

Thereafter, the fall of the courses of the crude reduced half the P.N.B. The devaluation of 50% of CFA franc, on January 12th, 1994, caused a record rate of inflation of 61% the same year.

In a general way the situation was worsened between 1992 and 1997 by heavy debts guaranteed by the authorities of then on the oil resources, with an aim of financing the tribal wars. The oil incomes of the republic of Congo are assembled to 2 billion $, that is to say 600$ per anybody (2005). It should be noted that two-third of the population gains less than 1 $ per day.

Economic synthesis

Richnesses :

Oil (4th African producer), wood, manganese, natural gas, gold, iron, diamond, lead, copper, potash, zinc…

Agriculture : the manioc (tapioca) accounts for 90% of the food production, sweetens, various rices, corn, groundnuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa… Exports : 1 billion dollar (1995): crude oil (90%), wood, sugar, coffee, diamonds…

Business partners : Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, the United States, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand… and countries of the UDEAC

Imports : 60 million dollars (1995): intermediate products, manufactured goods, agro-alimentary construction materials, products, derivative products of oil…

Currency : CFA franc (the African Financial Community). Code ISO: XAF Fixed foreign exchange rate: 1 EURO (EURO) = 655,957 XAF

Figures :

GDP : 1.166,3 billion FCFA GDP per capita : $ 700 Investment rate : 32% of the GDP Imports : 374,6 billion FCFA Exports : 863,4 billion FCFA of which hydrocarbons : 774 billion FCFA

Structure of the GDP :

Agriculture: 11%

Industry: 48,5%

Services: 40,5%

(source: BEAC, 1999)

Demography

Culture

See also: Culture of the Republic of Congo

Congo, by the provision even of its territory, has a large variety of natural landscapes, savannas of the Plaine of Niari to the flooded forests of North, immense Fleuve Congo with the escarpées and forest mountains of the Mayombe and to the 170 km of beaches of the Atlantic coast. The presence of many ethnos groups and formerly of various political structures (Empire Kongo, Kingdom of Loango, Kingdom Teke, chefferies of North…) equipped the current country with a great diversity of traditional cultures and as many old artistic expressions: “fetishes with nails” Vili, Statuette S Bembe so expressive which reach in spite of their small size with a kind of monumentality, Masque S strange of the Punu and Kwele, reliquaries Kota, fetishes Teke, cemeteries curious, with their monumental tombs, of the country Lari… It is necessary to add to it a considerable colonial architectural heritage, which the Congoleses redécouvrent today like belonging to their historical heritage (and their tourist capital) and restore rather well, at least with Brazzaville. Tourism remains for the moment in Congo a very marginal resource, Point-Black fault of infrastructures of reception out of and Brazzaville, and for lack of a sufficient and coherent communication network. Many sites are difficult to reach and, paradoxically, the South more populated and more developed is often the least accessible: the Massif of Chaillu for example is almost impossible to traverse.

Others

Population: 2.894.336 inhabitants (in 2001). 0-14 years: 42,43%; 15-64 years: 54,23%; + 65 years: 3,34%
Surface: 342.000 km ²
Density: 8,5 hab./km²
Land borders: 5504 km (Democratic republic of Congo 2410 km; Gabon 1903 km; Cameroun 523 km; Central African Republic 467 km; Angola 201 km)
Littoral: 169 km
Ends of altitude: 0 m > + 1000 m
Life expectancy of the men: 44 years (in 2001)
Life expectancy of the women: 51 years (in 2001)
Growth rate of the population: 2,2% (in 2001)
Birth rate: 38,24 ‰ (in 2001)
Death rate: 16,22 ‰ (in 2001)
infantile Death rate: 99,73 ‰ (in 2001)
Fertility rate: 5 children/woman (in 2001)
Rate of migration: 0 (in 2001)
Independence: August 15th 1960 (old French colony)
Telephone lines: 22.000 (in 1997), 15 ' 000 (in 2005 with approx. 10 ' 000 people on standby)
Cellphones: 1000 (in 1996), 500 ' 000 (in 2005) distributed between two operator, Celtel and MTN
Radios: 341.000 (in 1997)
Television stations: 33.000 (in 1997)
Users of Internet: 500 (in 2000)
Many suppliers of access Internet: 1 (in 2000)
Roads: 12.800 km (including 1242 tarred km) (in 1996)
Railways: 894 km (in 2000)
inland Waterways: 1120 km
Many airports: 34 (including 6 with tarred tracks) (in 2000)

Codes

The Republic of Congo has as codes:

CF, according to the Code list countries used by NATO, code alpha-2,
CG, according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (code list country), code alpha-2,
CGO, according to the Code list country of the CIO,
COG, according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (code list country), code alpha-3,
COG, according to the Code list countries used by NATO, code alpha-3,
FC, according to the List of the prefixes of codes ICAO of the airports,
RCB, according to the international Code list of the number plates,
TN, according to the List of prefixes ICAO of registration of the aircraft,

See too

External bonds

Site of the Republic of Congo
the CIA World Factbook

Beats-smg: Kuongs Be-X-old: РэспублікаКонга Simple: Republic off the Congo Zh-min-nan: Congo Kiōng-Ho-kok

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