/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 85.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 79.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.8 years
male: 51.65 years
female: 53.98 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
90,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,700 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

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

Ethnic groups:
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

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 is
the most widespread)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8%
male: 89.6%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Government Congo, Republic of the

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Brazzaville
geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E
time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza,
Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala,
Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Independence:
15 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

Constitution:
approved by referendum 20 January 2002

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October
1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president
Pascal LISSOUBA); note