Congo Republic The Congo Republic (usually referred to as Congo-Brazzaville in order to distinguish it from Congo Democratic Republic which referred to as CongoKinshasa) is located in the south-central part of Africa, has an area of 2.345 million is located on the equator in west- central Africa, has an area of 342,000 sq. km. and a population of 3.90 million. Capital: Brazzaville. Agriculture forestry, mining, and food processing are the principal industries. Timber, industrial diamonds, potash, peanuts, and cocoa beans are exported. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Peoples Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. Congo Republic was once one of Africa’s largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.
MONETARY SYSTEM: 1 Franc = 100 Centimes