The Congo
General Information
- The Republic of Congo is located in west central Africa.
- It takes up 342,000 sq. kms of land.
- A central plateau runs east-west, dividing the country into the Congo Basin in the north from the swampy plain in the south, the Nairi Valley.
- Over 60% of the Congo is covered in dense tropical forest.
- The population is mostly in the south.
- The Congo has an equatorial climate, with high humidity, small temperature range and high average rainfall.
- The dry season in the south is May to October and elsewhere June to September.
Geography
- Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon.
- Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E
- Area: total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km - 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, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
- Natural Hazards: seasonal flooding
- Current Environmental Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions,water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage, tap water is not potable, deforestation
- Geography Note:about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
About the People
- Population: 3,039,126
- Age Structure: 0- 14 years old: 37.7% (male 571,011/female 563,414) 15- 64 years old: 56.8% (male 886,297/female 907,348) 65 years old and over 3.7% (male 45,799/female 65,257)
- Population Growth Rate: 1.31% per year
- Major Infectious Diseases: Food and waterbourne disease: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, Vectorborne disease: malaria
- Langues Spoken: Lingali, Swahil, Kikongo and Tshiluba
- Dominant Language: French
- Religions: Mostly Christianity is dominant but 48% of the population is Roman Catholic and 28% are Protestant.
Economy and Resources
- Currency: New Zaire
- Main Trading Partners: Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and the UK.
- Main Primary Products: Bananas, Cassava, Cobalt, Cocoa, Coffee, Copper, Cotton, Diamonds, Ground Nuts, Gold, Maize, Oil and Natural Gas, Plantains, Palm Oil and Kernels, Rubber, Sugar Cane, Tea, Timber, and Tin.
- Major Industries: Agriculture, Clothing, Foodstuffs, Forestry, Mining, Oil Refining, and Textiles.
- Main Exports: Cobalt, Coffee, Copper, and Diamonds.
Military and Defense
There are 28,100 on total active duty personnel with 89.0% being the army, 4.6% being the navy and 6.4% being the air force. The military expenditure comes to about for 2.6% of the Gross National Product for the services. AS for overall protection, the country is not well defended and is constantly being attacked by rebel groups.
Rebels
A group of rebels that have taken over a small village in the Congo and are patrolling to keep from any outbreaks occurring.
Migrating
These people were all forced from their homes after an attack on their village. For their safety they are being taken to a safe haven.
Attack
This is a Picture of rebels attacking a small village on the border of The Republic of Congo. The people in he home that was destroyed all died. There were two adults and five children ,who were being harbored there, murdered.