ranches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential
Security Group

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 11,615,554 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
5,915,251 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $250 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (FY97)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in
the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from
neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel
movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; most
of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is
indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the
river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic
consumption

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@Congo, Republic of the

Congo, Republic of the Introduction

Background: Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of
Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of
experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil
war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.

Congo, Republic of the Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean,
between Angola and Gabon

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 342,000 sq km

land: 341,500 sq km

water: 500 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries: total: 5,504 km

border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African
Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon
1,903 km

Coastline: 169 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium,
copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower

Lan