d to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is
tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The
Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers
with significant potential for offshore development.

Geography Congo, Republic of the

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,
gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 0.51%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 99.36% (2001)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
seasonal flooding

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the
dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or
along the railroad between them

People Congo, Republic of the

Population:
3,039,126
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14