Republic of the Congo: Map & History
The Republic of the Congo, also known as the Congo Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, or simply the Congo, is a country located on the western coast of Central Africa to the west of the Congo River.
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The Republic of the Congo, also known as the Congo Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, or simply the Congo, is a country located on the western coast of Central Africa to the west of the Congo River. It is bordered to the west by Gabon, to the northwest by Cameroon, to the northeast by the Central African Republic, to the southeast by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south by the Angolan exclave of Cabinda, and to the southwest by the Atlantic Ocean.
Modern Countries Once Part of Republic of the Congo
At its mapped extent, Republic of the Congo covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Republic of the Congo's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Republic of the Congo in Depth
History
Bantu-speaking peoples, who founded tribes during the Bantu expansions, mostly displaced and absorbed the earlier inhabitants of the region, the Pygmy people, about 1500 BC. The Bakongo, a Bantu ethnic group that occupied parts of what later became Angola, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formed the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those countries.
By the 13th century, there were three main federations of states in the western Congo Basin. In the east were the Seven Kingdoms of Kongo dia Nlaza, considered to be the oldest and most powerful, which likely included Nsundi, Mbata, Mpangu, and possibly Kundi and Okanga. South of these was Mpemba which stretched from modern-day Angola to the Congo River. It included various kingdoms such as Mpemba Kasi and Vunda.
Government and politics
The government of the republic is a semi-presidential system with an elected president who appoints the Council of Ministers, or Cabinet. The council, including the prime minister, is selected from the elected representatives in Parliament. Since the 1990s, the country has had a multi-party political system that is dominated by President Denis Sassou Nguesso. Sassou Nguesso is backed by his own Congolese Labour Party (French: Parti Congolais du Travail) as well as a range of smaller parties.
Sassou's regime has seen corruption revelations, with attempts to censor them. One French investigation found over 110 bank accounts and dozens of "lavish properties" in France. Sassou denounced embezzlement investigations as "racist" and "colonial".
Economy
The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based mainly on petroleum, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and "overstaffing". Petroleum extraction has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy. In 2008, the oil sector accounted for 65% of the GDP, 85% of government revenue, and 92% of exports. The country has untapped mineral wealth.
In the 1980s, rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance larger-scale development projects. GDP grew an average of 5% annually. The government has mortgaged a portion of its petroleum earnings, contributing to a "shortage of revenues".
Culture
Rural Congolese often receive their news via state-run radio; broadcast media is the main source of news for the majority of Congolese. Government-owned and private media are usually pro-government. Programs are broadcast in a variety of languages. Print media is often circulated in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Important news papers include Le Choc, Les Echos du Congo, L'Observateur, and Le Semaine Africaine.
The most popular sports in the country are basketball, football, rugby union, volleyball, and tennis.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Republic of the Congo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Republic of the Congo: Key Facts
| Capital | Kinshasa |
|---|---|
| Official language | French |
| Form of government | republic |
| Currency | Congolese franc |
| Founded | 30 June 1960 |
Preceded by
Facts from Wikidata Q974 (CC0).
Republic of the Congo: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Republic of the Congo exist?
The Republic of the Congo is dated to 1961 CE – 2024 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Republic of the Congo?
The capital of the Republic of the Congo was Brazzaville.
How large was the Republic of the Congo at its peak?
At its peak in 2024 the Republic of the Congo covered about 345,888 km².
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