67.2% (1995 est.)

      Government Congo, Republic of the

      Country name: Republic of the Congo conventional short form:

       Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo

      Government type: republic

      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: Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

      Constitution: constitution approved by referendum in January 2002

      Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch: chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) head of government: civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%

      Legislative branch: unicameral National Transitional Council (75 seats, members elected by reconciliation forum of 1,420 delegates in January 1998); note - the National Transitional Council will be replaced by a bicameral Parliament, with a National Assembly and Senate, following elections in 2002 elections: National Transitional Council - last held NA January 1998 (next to be held in 2002); note - at that election the National Transitional Council is to be replaced by a bicameral legislature election results: National Transitional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

      Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many parties are

       the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for

       Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican

       Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union

       for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal)

       [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and

       Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for

       Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and

       Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president];

       Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO];

       Union for Democracy and Republic [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces

       or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]

      Political pressure groups and leaders: Congolese Trade Union Congress

       or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;

       Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese

       Socialist Youth or UJSC

      International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,

       CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,

       IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory),

       UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

      Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI FAX: [1] [phone] telephone: [1] [phone] chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011

      Diplomatic representation from the US: NA mailing address: is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)

      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 Congo, Republic of the

      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 a major share 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. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a 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. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.

      GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2001 est.)

      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)

      Population below poverty line: NA%

      Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2001 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, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes

      Industrial production growth rate: NA%

      Electricity - production: 302 million kWh (1999)

      Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.66% hydro: 99.34% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0%

      Electricity - consumption: 406.9 million kWh (1999)

      Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

      Electricity - imports: 126 million kWh (1999)

      Agriculture - products: cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

      Exports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

      Exports - commodities: petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds

      Exports - partners: US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)

      Imports: $725 million (f.o.b., 2001)

      Imports - commodities: petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs

      Imports - partners: France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)

      Debt - external: $5 billion (1999 est.)