other: 9% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 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, Endangered Species, Ozone
Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

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

@Congo, Republic of the:People

Population: 2,658,123 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 569,382; female 563,327)
15-64 years: 54% (male 700,507; female 734,447)
65 years and over: 3% (male 36,383; female 54,077) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.5 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 16.45 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.07 years
male: 45.29 years
female: 48.89 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.98 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans
NA%; note - Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the
1997 civil war; may be half of that in 1998, following the widespread
destruction of foreign businesses in 1997

Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Languages: French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca
trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo
has the most users)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.9%
male: 83.1%
female: 67.2% (1995 est.)

@Congo, Republic of the:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

Data code: CF

Government type: republic

National capital: Brazzaville

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