• Government Type: republic
• Legal System: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Economic Overview:

• economy is mixture of subsistence agriculture
• industrial sector based largely on oil and support services
• government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing
• In March 2006 the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo

Some Statistics:

• Labour Force by Occupation:
  • Agriculture: N/A
  • Industry: N/A
  • Services: N/A
• Unemployment Rate: N/A
• Pop. Below Poverty Line: N/A

• Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity
• Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Christian Perspective

This shell-shocked nation has survived two decades of Communist dictatorship, a failing democracy, and a civil war. The country is politically unstable and physically devastated. Spiritually there is a lot of ground to be recovered. Many church leaders were forced to leave or were martyred.