Republic of the Congo
Name
| Official name | Republic of the Congo — République du Congo |
|---|---|
| Short forms | Congo-Brazzaville; Congo Republic; Congo — to tell it from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, across the river |
| Former names | French Congo (1882–1910); Middle Congo, Moyen-Congo, in French Equatorial Africa (1910–1958); People's Republic of the Congo (1969–1991) |
| Demonym | Congolese; Brazzavillois for the capital |
| Meaning of the name | From the Kongo people and their kingdom at the river's mouth |
| Motto | "Unité, Travail, Progrès" — unity, work, progress |
Quick facts
| Capital | Brazzaville — founded 1880; on the Congo opposite Kinshasa; about 2.4 million |
|---|---|
| Largest cities | Brazzaville; Pointe-Noire, about 1.4 million, the oil port; Dolisie; Nkayi; Ouesso; Owando |
| Official language | French; Lingala and Kituba — Munukutuba — the national languages; some 60 languages |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc — ISO code XAF, F CFA; 655.957 to the euro |
| Time zone | West Africa Time, UTC+1, all year |
| Calling code | +242 |
| Internet domain | .cg |
| ISO 3166 codes | CG · COG · 178 |
| Vehicle registration code | RCB |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and E |
| Independence | 15 August 1960, from France — Fulbert Youlou president |
| National days | 15 August, Independence Day; 10 June, the Day of National Reconciliation, for 1991; 28 November, Republic Day, for 1958 |
| Constitution | 6 November 2015 — adopted by the referendum of 25 October 2015, which removed the age and term limits; five-year presidential terms |
| Population | About 6.1 million at the census of 2023, by its provisional count; about 6.3 million (UN and CIA World Factbook, 2025 est.) |
| Area | 342,000 km² (132,047 sq mi) — land 341,500 km², water 500 km²; a little smaller than Montana |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | A diagonal tricolor — green at the hoist, a yellow band from the lower hoist to the upper fly, red at the fly — the pan-African colors: the forests, the friendship of the people, and the blood of the struggle; adopted 18 August 1959, replaced by the red flag of 1970–91 and restored 10 June 1991.Flag of the Republic of the Congo |
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| Coat of arms | A red lion holding a torch on a gold shield with a green wavy band, supported by two elephants, under the crown and the name of the republic, over the motto — adopted 1963, restored 1991 |
| National anthem | "La Congolaise" — words by Jacques Tondra and Georges Kibanghi, music by Jean Royer and Joseph Spadilière; adopted 1959, replaced 1970–91, restored 1991 |
| National motto | "Unité, Travail, Progrès" |
| National colors | Green, yellow and red |
| National animal | The lion of the arms — heraldic; the western lowland gorillas of Odzala and the forest elephants widely cited |
| National dish | Poulet moambe — chicken in palm-nut sauce; saka-saka, cassava leaves; widely cited |
| Symbol status | The flag, arms, anthem and motto are fixed by the Constitution; the animal and dish are widely cited, none designated |
Geography
| Location | Central Africa, on the equator — the Atlantic coast, the Mayombe, the Niari valley, the Batéké plateau and the Congo Basin; the DRC across the river |
|---|---|
| Land borders | 5,554 km (3,451 mi) with five countries |
| Border with Gabon | 2,567 km (1,595 mi) |
| Border with the DR Congo | 1,229 km (764 mi) — the Congo and the Oubangui |
| Border with Cameroon | 494 km (307 mi) |
| Border with the Central African Republic | 487 km (303 mi) |
| Border with Angola | 231 km (144 mi) — the exclave of Cabinda |
| Coastline | 169 km (105 mi) on the Atlantic |
| Highest point | Mont Nabemba, 1,020 m (3,346 ft), in the Sangha in the north |
| Lowest point | The Atlantic Ocean, 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 430 m (1,411 ft) |
| Major rivers | The Congo along the southeast, the Malebo Pool at Brazzaville; the Oubangui and the Sangha to it; the Kouilou–Niari to the Atlantic; the Likouala and the Alima |
| Terrain | The coastal plain; the Mayombe hills; the Niari valley, the farm country; the Batéké plateau north of Brazzaville; the forest and swamps of the basin in the north — about two-thirds of the land |
| Climate | Equatorial — hot and humid all year, with rains from October to May and a cooler dry season from June to September |
| Natural hazards | Floods of the Congo and Oubangui — the floods of 2023–24 affected some 300,000 people; the Mpila arms-depot explosion of 2012 in Brazzaville killed some 300 |
| Natural resources | Oil and gas offshore; potash at Kouilou; iron ore at Nabemba and Zanaga; timber; gold, diamonds; hydropower |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 31%, most of it pasture; forest about 65% |
| National parks | Odzala-Kokoua, the gorillas and forest elephants, 1935; Nouabalé-Ndoki; Conkouati-Douli on the coast; the Lac Télé reserve |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 1 — the Sangha Trinational (2012), Nouabalé-Ndoki with the parks of Cameroon and the Central African Republic |
| Administrative divisions | 12 departments — the ten historic ones with Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire as departments of their own since 2004; the districts and communes below |
People
| Population | About 6.1 million (census of 2023, provisional); about 6.3 million (2025 est.) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 18 per km² (47 per sq mi) — the north nearly empty |
| Population growth | About 2.3% a year |
| Median age | About 19 years |
| Life expectancy | About 65 years |
| Fertility rate | About 4 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 69% — among the most urban in Africa; more than half in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire |
| Adult literacy | About 81% |
| Ethnic groups | Kongo about 40%, in the south; Teke about 17%; Mbochi about 12%, in the north — the president's people; Sangha; the Aka and other forest peoples about 2% |
| Languages | French in government and school; Lingala in the north and the capital; Kituba in the south; Kikongo, Teke |
| Religion | Roman Catholic about 34%, Protestant about 20%, other Christian about 30%, Muslim about 2%, traditional beliefs |
| Human Development Index | 0.649 (2023 data, 2025 report) — medium; about 150th of 193 |
| Poverty | About half the population below the poverty line, in an oil state |
| Sport | Football — the Red Devils, African champions in 1972; the Brazzaville All-Africa Games of 1965, the first, and of 2015; Serge Ibaka, born in Brazzaville |
| Diaspora | In France, Gabon, the DRC, Belgium and the United States |
Government
| Form of government | Presidential republic under the Constitution of 2015 — the president elected for five years, with no limit since 2015; a prime minister since 2016 |
|---|---|
| President | Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congolese Party of Labour), since 25 October 1997 — and 8 February 1979 to 31 August 1992 before; a former paratroop colonel, born 23 November 1943; the third-longest-serving leader in Africa, with about 42 years in power; chairman of the African Union 2006 |
| The 2026 election | Held 15 March 2026: Sassou Nguesso declared re-elected by the interior minister on 17 March with 94.82% provisional and 94.90% by the final count — 2,509,456 votes — against 1.40% for Mavoungou Zinga Mabio and five others; official turnout 84.99% of 3,155,751 registered, against reports of empty polling stations in Brazzaville; the main opposition parties boycotted; the former rivals Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and André Okombi Salissa remained in prison since 2017; the internet was cut nationwide on polling day; the fifth consecutive term, to 2031 |
| Prime Minister | Anatole Collinet Makosso (PCT), since 12 May 2021 — a former education minister from Pointe-Noire |
| Parliament | The National Assembly — 151 members elected for five years, the PCT with a large majority since the election of July 2022; the Senate — 72 members elected by the local councils |
| The next elections | The legislative election due in 2027; the presidential in 2031 |
| The referendum of 2015 | Held 25 October 2015 — a reported 92% approving the constitution that removed the two-term limit and the age limit of 70; the opposition boycotted, and protests were suppressed |
| Legal system | Civil law on the French model; the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court |
| Departments | 12, each under a prefect and an elected council |
| The civil wars | The war of June–October 1997 that returned Sassou Nguesso to power with Angolan help; the Pool war of 1998–2003 and again 2016–2017 against the Ninja militia of Pastor Ntumi |
| Foreign relations | A mediator in Libya for the African Union; close to France, China and Russia; the Chinese-built infrastructure and the Chinese debt |
| United Nations | Member since 20 September 1960 |
| Regional memberships | The African Union; CEMAC, the Central African monetary community; the Economic Community of Central African States, seated at Libreville; OPEC since 2018; the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$16 billion (2025, IMF) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$2,500 (2025) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$7,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 3% a year (2024–25) — 2.9% in 2025 |
| Economy by sector | Industry about 50% — oil most of it; services about 40%; agriculture about 9% |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF), fixed to the euro |
| Oil | The third-largest producer in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and Angola — about 270,000 barrels a day, offshore from Pointe-Noire; Moho Nord the largest field; about 80% of exports and most of the state's revenue; an OPEC member since 2018 |
| Gas | The Marine XII field — Eni's Congo LNG, the first cargo in 2024 |
| Timber and minerals | Okoumé and sapelli from the northern forests; potash at Kouilou; the iron of Nabemba and Zanaga, undeveloped; the Sintoukola potash project |
| Public debt | Above 90% of GDP — a debt restructuring with China in 2019 and an IMF program; the hidden oil-backed loans of the 2010s |
| Trade partners | China the largest buyer of oil and timber; India, Italy, the United Arab Emirates; France for imports |
| Income classification | Lower-middle income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airports | Maya-Maya International, Brazzaville; Agostinho Neto International, Pointe-Noire; Ollombo |
|---|---|
| Airline | None national in operation since the collapse of ECAir in 2016 |
| Main port | Pointe-Noire — the deep-water port, the outlet of the Central African interior; Brazzaville on the river, opposite Kinshasa |
| Railways | The Congo–Ocean Railway, 510 km from Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire, built 1921–34 at the cost of some 17,000 lives — the country's one line; the Comilog branch |
| Roads | About 23,000 km (14,300 mi), a fifth paved; Route Nationale 1, the Chinese-built highway from Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire opened 2016 |
| The river | The Congo and the Oubangui navigable north to Bangui; the Brazzaville–Kinshasa ferry, and the road-and-rail bridge between the two capitals long planned |
History in dates
| c. 1400 | The Kingdom of Kongo; the Loango and Teke kingdoms on the coast and the plateau |
|---|---|
| 1482 | Diogo Cão at the mouth of the Congo |
| 1880 | Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza's treaty with the Teke king Makoko; Brazzaville founded |
| 1910 | Middle Congo in French Equatorial Africa, Brazzaville its capital |
| 1940 | Brazzaville the capital of Free France, 27 October |
| 1944 | The Brazzaville Conference, 30 January — the road to decolonization |
| 1960 | Independence, 15 August — Fulbert Youlou |
| 1963 | The Trois Glorieuses, 13–15 August — Youlou overthrown |
| 1969 | The People's Republic of the Congo, 31 December — Africa's first Marxist state |
| 1977 | President Marien Ngouabi assassinated, 18 March |
| 1979 | Denis Sassou Nguesso president, 8 February |
| 1991 | The National Conference; the flag and anthem restored, 10 June |
| 1992 | Pascal Lissouba elected, August |
| 1997 | The civil war, June–October; Sassou Nguesso retakes Brazzaville, 15 October |
| 2012 | The Mpila explosion, 4 March |
| 2015 | The referendum removing term limits, 25 October |
| 2018 | The Congo joins OPEC, 22 June |
| 2026 | Sassou Nguesso's fifth term, 15 March |
Records & firsts
| The closest capitals in the world | Brazzaville and Kinshasa, across the river |
|---|---|
| Africa's first Marxist-Leninist state | The People's Republic of 1969 |
| The capital of Free France | Brazzaville, 1940–43 |
| The largest tropical peatland | The Cuvette Centrale, shared with the DRC |
| Among the longest-serving leaders | Sassou Nguesso, about 42 years |
| The first All-Africa Games | Brazzaville, 1965 |
| The Congo–Ocean Railway | 510 km through the Mayombe, at 17,000 lives |
| The gorillas of Odzala | Among the densest populations of western lowland gorillas |
| The most urban in Central Africa | About 69% in towns |
| Two Congos | One river, two countries, two capitals face to face |
Frequently asked questions
Which Congo is the Republic of the Congo?
The smaller one — the former French Congo, with its capital at Brazzaville on the north bank of the Congo River, also called Congo-Brazzaville. Across the water, within sight, lies Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the former Belgian Congo and Zaire, a country seven times larger and eighteen times more populous. The two capitals are the closest pair on earth.
What is the official name of the Republic of the Congo?
The Republic of the Congo — République du Congo — since 1960, and again since 1991; from 1969 to 1991 it was the People's Republic of the Congo, Africa's first Marxist-Leninist state. It was the French Congo from 1882 and Middle Congo — Moyen-Congo — within French Equatorial Africa from 1910. The name is that of the Kongo people and their kingdom at the river's mouth.
What is the capital of the Republic of the Congo?
Brazzaville, on the Malebo Pool of the Congo, founded in 1880 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza and the capital of French Equatorial Africa from 1910 and of Free France in 1940–43, with about 2.4 million people, a third of the country. Pointe-Noire on the Atlantic, the oil port, has about 1.4 million; the two cities hold more than half the population, joined by the railway and the new highway.
How big is the Republic of the Congo, and how many people live there?
About 342,000 km² (132,047 sq mi) — a little smaller than Montana — from the Atlantic coast over the Mayombe hills and the Niari valley to the forests and swamps of the Congo Basin. The census of 2023 counted about 6.1 million people by its provisional figures; the UN and the CIA World Factbook estimate about 6.3 million for 2025, about two-thirds of them in the towns — among the most urban countries in Africa.
What are the highest and lowest points of the Republic of the Congo?
Mont Nabemba, 1,020 m (3,346 ft), an iron mountain in the far north near Gabon; and the Atlantic. Most of the country is low plateau and forest — the Congo Basin covers the north, with the Likouala swamps and the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, the largest tropical peatland on earth, shared with the DRC.
Who governs the Republic of the Congo?
President Denis Sassou Nguesso, a former paratroop colonel, in power since 25 October 1997, when he took Brazzaville in the civil war, and before that from 1979 to 1992 — some 42 years in all, the third-longest of any leader in Africa. He was declared re-elected to a fifth consecutive term on 17 March 2026 with 94.9 percent of the vote in the election of 15 March, on an official turnout of 85 percent, after the main opposition parties boycotted, two former rivals stayed in prison and the internet was cut on polling day; observers reported empty queues in Brazzaville. The term limits and age limit that would have barred him were removed by the referendum of 2015. Anatole Collinet Makosso has been prime minister since 12 May 2021.
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