The Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa. It has an area of 342,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately 5 million people. The ethnic composition of the Republic of the Congo is mainly Bakongo, with other minority groups including Teke, Sangha and M’Bochi. The majority of the population are adherents to Christianity, with around 50% following the religion and the rest being either Muslim or other faiths. Education is compulsory for children up to the age of 16 and the literacy rate is estimated to be around 69%. The official language is French but there are also many other languages spoken throughout the country such as Lingala, Kituba and Monokutuba. The capital city Brazzaville has an estimated population of over 1 million people making it the largest city in Republic of Congo. Check hyperrestaurant to learn more about Republic of the Congo in 2009.
Social conditions
Although the Republic of the Congo is rich in natural resources, up to 75 percent of the population lives in poverty (under US $ 2 per day). Visit AbbreviationFinder to see the definitions of ROC and acronym for Republic of the Congo. Seven out of ten Congolese have access to clean water, but in the countryside the corresponding figure is one in three. Almost every tenth child dies during his first year of life.
| Land area | 342,000 km² |
| Total population | 5,293,070 |
| Population density (per km²） | 15.5 |
| Capital | Brazzaville |
| Official language | French |
| Income per capita | 6,800 USD |
| Currency | CFA franc BEAC |
| ISO 3166 code | CG |
| Internet TLD | .cg |
| License plate | RCB |
| Telephone code | +242 |
| Time zone UTC | + 1 |
| Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 15 00 O |
Congo’s welfare system includes family benefits and a state pension system, but most residents are excluded. The state’s expenditure on health care in 2009 amounted to 3 per cent of total expenditure. There are 20 hospital beds (2005) and one doctor per 10,000 residents (2007). Qualified personnel are available at approximately 80 percent of deliveries. A dominant problem for healthcare is the many patients with advanced AIDS. In 2009, 3% of the population aged 15-49 were estimated to be affected by HIV/AIDS. Other diseases that require many lives are malaria, measles and tuberculosis. Check to see Republic of the Congo population.
Both laws and traditions discriminate against women in different ways. Polygamy is allowed and men are considered to have the right to discipline their wives. Almost two-thirds of women are professionals and only 7 percent of MPs are women. However, girls attend school almost as much as boys.
The indigenous population, aka and gundy pygmies, are also discriminated against socially as well as economically.