The Lion King | 25
Country Focus
Photo: Flickr/jbdodane
Pointe Indienne:
Located on the
Atlantic coast,
Pointe - Indienne
(Indian Point) is a
wide beach lined
with coconut
trees. It offers a
magnificent setting
with a great view
of white sand
and vegetation,
a succession of
shaded bays
and lagoons of
mangroves. It is
a lovely place for
relaxation.
After the Republic of the Congo
received full independence from
France on August 15, 1960, Fulbert
Youlou ruled as the country's first
president until labour elements and rival
political parties instigated a three-day
uprising that ousted him. The Congolese
military took charge of the country
briefly and installed a civilian provisional
government headed by Alphonse
Massamba-Débat.
Geography
Congo is located in the central-western
part of sub-Saharan Africa, sharing
borders with the Democratic Republic
of Congo to the south and east; Gabon
to the west; Cameroon and the Central
African Republic to the north, and
Cabinda (Angola) to the southwest.
It has a short coast on the Atlantic
Ocean.
The capital, Brazzaville, is located on
the Congo River, in the south of the
country, immediately across from
Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
Because the country is located on
the Equator, the climate is consistent
year-round, with the average day
temperature being a humid 24 °C (75
°F) and nights generally between 16 °C
(61 °F) and 21 °C (70 °F).
Demographics
The Republic of the Congo’s sparse
population is concentrated in the
southwestern portion of the country,
leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle
in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus,
Congo is one of the most urbanized
countries in Africa, with 70% of its total
population living in a few urban areas,
namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire or
one of the small cities or villages lining
the 534-kilometre (332 mi) railway,
which connects the two cities. In rural
areas, industrial and commercial
activity has declined rapidly in recent
years, leaving rural economies
dependent on the government for
support and subsistence.
Congo Brazzaville’s population is quite
diverse, with about 62 languages
and three major ethnic groups.
The Kongo are the largest ethnic
group and form roughly half of the
population. The second largest group
are the Teke who live to the north of
Brazzaville constituting about 17% of
the population. Boulangui (M’Boshi) live
in northwest and in Brazzaville, forming
12% of the population while Pygmies
make up 2% of Congo’s population.
Economy
The economy is a mixture of village
agriculture and handicrafts, and an
industrial sector based largely on
petroleum support services. Petroleum
extraction has supplanted forestry as
the mainstay of the economy. In 2008,
oil sector accounted for 65% of the
GDP, 85% of government revenue, and
92% of exports. The country also has
large untapped mineral wealth.
Natural gas and diamonds are also
