Comoros (continued)
agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export—vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra; principal food crops coconuts, bananas, cassava; world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and second-largest producer of vanilla; large net food importer
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-88), $9 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $371 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $18 million
Currency: Comoran franc (plural—francs); 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per US$1—287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985); note—linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km
bituminous, remainder crushed stone or
gravel
Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; over 1,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Presidential Guard,
Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 97,504; 58,274 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3% of GDP (1981)
Congo
_Congo.jpg)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 342,000 km²; land area:
341,500km²
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: 5,504 km total; 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
Disputes: long section 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: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
People
Population: 2,242,274 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective—Congolese or Congo
Ethnic divisions: about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
Religion: 50% Christian, 48% animist, 2% Muslim
Language: French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used
Literacy: 62.9%
Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, and government; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (1979 est.)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of the
Congo
Type: people's republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (régions, singular—région); Bouenza, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lékoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha; note—there may be a new capital district of Brazzaville
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
Constitution: 8 July 1979
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
National holiday: National Day, 15 August (1960)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Suprême)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979); Prime Minister Alphonse POATY-SOUCHLATY (since 6 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held July 1993); results—President Sassou-Nguesso unanimously reelected leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically makes him president;
