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congo |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Congou \Con"gou\, Congo \Con"go\, n. [Chin. kung-foo labor.] Black tea, of higher grade (finer leaf and less dusty) than the present bohea. See {Tea}. Of black teas, the great mass is called Congou, or the ``well worked'', a name which took the place of the Bohea of 150 years ago, and is now itself giving way to the term ``English breakfast tea.'' --S. W. Williams. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Congo n 1: a republic in west-central Africa; achieved independence from France in 1960 [syn: {Congo}, {French Congo}, {Republic of Congo}, {People's Republic of the Congo}] 2: a major African river (one of the world's longest); flows through Zaire into the South Atlantic [syn: {Congo}, {Congo River}] 3: black tea grown in China [syn: {congou}, {congou tea}, {English breakfast tea}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Congo Congo:Geography Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon Map references: Africa Area: total area: 342,000 sq km land area: 341,500 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana Land boundaries: total 5,504 km Angola 201 km Cameroon 523 km Central African Republic 467 km Gabon 1,903 km Zaire 2,410 km Coastline: 169 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm International disputes: long segment of boundary with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made) 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 Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 62% other: 7% Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989) Environment: current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation natural hazards: seasonal flooding international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94 Note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them Congo:People Population: 2,504,996 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (female 543,324; male 548,840) 15-64 years: 53% (female 682,927; male 645,045) 65 years and over: 3% (female 49,879; male 34,981) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 2.32% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 39.86 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 16.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 109.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.09 years male: 45.23 years female: 49 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.23 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo Ethnic divisions: south: Kongo 48% north: Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12% center: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1984) total population: 60% male: 71% female: 49% Labor force: 79,100 wage earners by occupation: agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25% Congo:Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo local long form: Republique Populaire du Congo local short form: Congo former: Congo/Brazzaville Digraph: CF 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: 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); election last held August 1992 (next to be held August 1997); results - President Pascal LISSOUBA won with 61% of the vote head of government: Prime Minister Jacques Joachim YHOMBI-OPANGO (since 23 June 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers; named by the president Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): election last held 3 October 1993; results - percentage vote by party NA seats - (125 total) UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3 Senate: election last held 26 July 1992 (next to be held July 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (60 total) UPADS 23, MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8 Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT), Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president; Pan-African Union for Social Development (UPADS), Pascal LISSOUBA leader; Association for Democracy and Development (RDD), Joachim Yhombi OPANGO president; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI), Bernard KOLELAS leader; Association for Democracy and Social Progress (RDPS), Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA president; Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), David Charles GANAO, leader; Union for Development and Social Progress (UDPS), Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader note: Congo has many political parties of which these are among the most important Other political or pressure groups: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth (UJSC); Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC); Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women (URFC); General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students UGEEC Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB BDEAC CCC, CEEAC ECA, FAO, FZ G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC UN UNAMIR UNAVEM II UNCTAD UNESCO, UNIDO UPU, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pierre Damien BOUSSOUKOU-BOUMBA chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-0825 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William C. RAMSEY embassy: Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville mailing address: B. P. 1015, Brazzaville telephone: [242] 83 20 70 FAX: [242] 83 63 38 Flag: red, 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 Overview: Congo's 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 A reform program, supported by the IMF and World Bank, ran into difficulties in 1990-91 because of problems in changing to a democratic political regime and a heavy debt-servicing burden. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. Subsequently, growth has slowed to an average of roughly 1.5% annually, only two-thirds of the population growth rate. Political turmoil and misguided government investment have derailed economic reform programs sponsored by the IMF and World Bank. Even with these difficulties Congo enjoys one of the highest incomes per capita in sub-Saharan Africa National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.7 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: -2.1% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $2,820 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $765 million expenditures: $952 million, including capital expenditures of $65 million (1990) Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: crude oil 83%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds partners: US Italy, France, Spain, other EC countries Imports: $472 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs partners: France, US Italy, Japan, other EC countries External debt: $4 billion (1993) Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1993 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP; includes petroleum Electricity: capacity: 120,000 kW production: 400 million kWh consumption per capita: 201 kWh (1993) Industries: petroleum, cement, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops - rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over 90% of food needs Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $63 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $338 million Currency: 1 CFA franc CFAF = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs CFAF per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1994), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948 Fiscal year: calendar year Congo:Transportation Railroads: total: 797 km (includes 285 km that are privately owned) narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge Highways: total: 11,960 km paved: 560 km unpaved: gravel or crushed stone 850 km improved earth 5,350 km unimproved earth 5,200 km Inland waterways: the Congo and Ubangi Oubangui Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only Pipelines: crude oil 25 km Ports: Brazzaville, Impfondo Ouesso Oyo, Pointe-Noire Merchant marine: none Airports: total: 41 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 11 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 8 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 18 Congo:Communications Telephone system: 18,100 telephones; 7 telephones/1,000 persons; services adequate for government use key centers are Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo local: NA intercity: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 4 televisions: NA Congo:Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Police Manpower availability: males age 15-49 568,663; males fit for military service 289,335; males reach military age (20) annually 24,749 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $110 million, 3.8% of GDP (1993)
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