@Comoros:Communications
Telephones: 3,770 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communication stations
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and
Reunion
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 200 (1991 est.)
@Comoros:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 875 km
paved: 669 km
unpaved : 206 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Fomboni, Moroni, Mutsamudu
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Comoran Security Force
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 125,378 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 74,836 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claims French-administered Mayotte
______________________________________________________________________
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE
Republic of the]
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Geography
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 2,345,410 sq km
land: 2,267,600 sq km
water : 77,810 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than one-fourth the size of US
Land boundaries:
total : 10,271 km
border countries: Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African
Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km,
Sudan 628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone : boundaries with neighbors
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and
drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands;
north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to
February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season
April to October
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and
gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium,
radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land : 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 77%
other: 13% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations;
water pollution; deforestation; refugees who arrived in mid-1994 were
responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife
poaching in the eastern part of the country (most of those refugees
were repatriated in November and December 1996)
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Tropical Timber 94
Geography - note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that
controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic
Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern
highlands
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:People
Population: 47,440,362 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 48% (male 11,418,713; female 11,378,403)
15-64 years: 49% (male 11,412,269; female 11,980,993)
65 years and over: 3% (male 541,435; female 708,549) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.34% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 47.66 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 16.61 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
note: in 1994, about a million refugees fled into Democratic Republic
of the Congo, formerly Zaire, to escape the fighting between the Hutus
and the Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi; the outbreak of widespread
fighting between rebels and government forces in October 1996 spurred
about 720,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early
1997; additionally, Democratic Republic of the Congo is host to about
100,000 Angolan, and about 100,000 Sudanese refugees
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 105.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.03 years
male: 45.16 years
female: 48.95 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.58 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority
are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu),
and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim
10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade
language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo,
Tshiluba
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write in French, Lingala,
Kingwana, or Tshiluba
total population: 77.3%
male: 86.6%
female: 67.7% (1995 est.)
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
local short form: none
former : Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
Data code: CG
Government type: republic with a strong presidential system
National capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and
1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire,
Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu,
Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24
November (1965)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February
1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in
April 1994; new draft constitution approved by Transitional Parliament
in October 1996, subject to ratification by popular referendum
scheduled for February 1997; draft constitution provides for
multiparty elections by July 1997
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA (since 17 May 1997); note -
the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA (since 17 May 1997);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet : National Executive Council normally appointed by mutual
agreement of the president and the prime minister; note - Gen.
KABILA's cabinet was appointed by him and has no prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 29 July 1984 (next was to be held in May 1997);
prime minister elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - the
term of the former government expired in 1991, elections were not
held, and MOBUTU continued in office until his government was
militarily defeated by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA on 17 May 1997
election results: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected
president in 1984 without opposition
note: Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president
from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 17 May 1997 when his
government was overturned in a coup by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA, who
immediately assumed sole governing authority
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament consisting of the combined
High Council of the Republic and the Parliament of the Transition (739
seats)
elections: the country's first multi-party presidential and
legislative elections had been scheduled for May 1997 but were not
held; instead the MOBUTO government was overthrown and control of the
governing apparatus was seized by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991 -
Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR; other parties include Union
for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa
Mulumba]; Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC; Union of
Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFER; Unified Lumumbast
Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union of Independent Democrats or UDI
[Leon KENGO wa Dondo]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC,
CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU,
NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Charge d'Affaires ad interim Etienne B. J. K.
MUKENDI
chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
FAX: [1] (202) 686-3631
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
telephone: [243] (12) 21533 through 21535
FAX: [243] (88) 43805, ext. 2308 or 43467
Flag description: light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in
the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed
stars along the hoist side
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy of Democratic Republic of the Congo
has continued to disintegrate, although former Prime Minister KENGO
had had some success in slowing the rate of economic decline. While
meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by, the high rate of
inflation, chronic large government deficits, and plunging mineral
production have made it one of the world's poorest countries. Most
formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank
notes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes
in all but the largest cities. During the bitter civil strive of
1996-97 most individuals and families have hung on grimly through
subsistence farming and petty trade. The new KABILA government will be
hard pressed to meet its financial obligations to the IMF or to put in
place the financial measures advocated by it. Improved political
stability would boost the country's long-term potential to effectively
exploit its vast mineral and agricultural resources.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -0.7% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $400 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 59%
industry: 15%
services: 26% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 542% (1995)
Labor force:
total: 14.51 million (1993 est.)
by occupation : agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $479 million
expenditures : $479 million, including capital expenditures of $99
million (1996 est.)
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including
textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages),
cement, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - capacity: 2.83 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 5.48 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 87 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine,
cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood
products
Exports:
total value : $1.47 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
partners: Belgium, US, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports:
total value: $1.25 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities : consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery,
transport equipment, fuels
partners: Belgium, South Africa, US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
Debt - external: $13.8 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates: new zaires (Z) per US$1 - 83,764 (October 1996), 7,024
(1995), 1,194 (1994), 3 (1993); zaire (Z) per US$1 - 645,549 (1992)
note: on 22 October 1993 the new zaire, equal to 3,000,000 old zaires,
was introduced
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Communications
Telephones: 34,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
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 10, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.87 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 18
Televisions: 55,000 (1992 est.)
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Transportation
Railways:
total: 5,138 km (1995); note - severely reduced trackage in use
because of 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
Highways:
total : 145,000 km
paved: 2,500 km
unpaved: 142,500 km (1993 est.)
Waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, 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
Airports: 216 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total : 104
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
under 914 m : 80 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 112
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 94 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie,
paramilitary Civil Guard, Special Presidential Division
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 10,232,612 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 5,213,941 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $46 million (1990)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1990)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Democratic Republic of the
Congo-Tanzania-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
indefinite since it has been informally reported that the indefinite
section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia boundary has
been settled; long section with Republic of the Congo along the Congo
river is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been
made)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic
consumption
______________________________________________________________________
CONGO, REPUBLIC OF THE
@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
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, Endangered Species, Ozone
Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, 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: 2,583,198 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 557,996; female 552,022)
15-64 years: 54% (male 677,313; female 707,569)
65 years and over: 3% (male 35,573; female 52,725) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.15% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 38.79 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 106.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 45.73 years
male: 44.24 years
female: 47.27 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans
8,500 (mostly French)
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Languages: French (official), African languages (Lingala and Kikongo
are the most widely used)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.9%
male: 83.1%
female : 67.2% (1995 est.)
@Congo, Republic of the:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form : Republique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Data code: CF
Government type: republic
National capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1
commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala,
Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)
Constitution: new constitution approved by referendum March 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pascal LISSOUBA (since August 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister David Charles GANAO (since 2
September 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 16 August 1992 (next was to be held 27 July 1997
but armed clashes between political parties in early July seemed
likely to delay it); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Pascal LISSOUBA elected president; percent of vote -
Pascal LISSOUBA 61%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the National
Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (125 seats; members are elected by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (60
seats; members are elected by local and regional councils to serve
six-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 1993 (next to be
held NA 1998); Senate - last held November 1996 (next to be held NA
2002)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3; Senate - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPADS 23, MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS
5, PCT 2, others 8
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many
political parties are Congolese Labor Party or PCT [Denis
SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Association for Democracy and Development
or RDD [Joachim Yhombi OPANGO, president]; Association for Democracy
and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA,
president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
or MCDDI [Bernard KOLELAS, leader]; Pan-African Union for Social
Development or UPADS [Pascal LISSOUBA, leader]; Union of Democratic
Forces or UFD [David Charles GANAO, leader]; Union for Democratic
Renewal or URD; Union for Development and Social Progress or UDPS
[Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Union of Congolese Socialist
Youth or UJSC; Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; Revolutionary
Union of Congolese Women or URFC; General Union of Congolese Pupils
and Students or UGEEC
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,
CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC,
UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dieudonne Antoine GANGA
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
FAX : [1] (202) 726-1860
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Aubrey HOOKS (10 June 1996)
embassy: Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville
mailing address: B. P. 1015, Brazzaville
telephone: [242] 83 20 70
FAX: [242] 83 63 38
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a
yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower
triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy is a mixture of village agriculture
and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support
services, and a government characterized by budget problems and
overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the
economy, providing about 90% of government revenues and exports. In
the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to
finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5%
annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. Subsequently, falling
oil prices cut GDP growth by half. Moreover, the government has
mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to
the government's shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation
of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994
but inflation has subsided since. Recent efforts to implement economic
reforms have begun to show progress; the government and the IMF signed
an aid agreement in mid-1996.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,960 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 35.2%
services: 53.4% (1993)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues : $870 million
expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing,
sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making