Congo is a country in Middle Africa, one of the 10 entries this site files under that subregion. Its full official name is Republic of the Congo. Its seat of government is Brazzaville.
The population is about 6.3 million, placing it 113th of 250 by population — between El Salvador above it and Singapore below. Among the 10 entries in Middle Africa it ranks 7th by area and 6th by population.
The land area is 342,000 km², which ranks it 66th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind the Philippines and just ahead of Finland. For scale, it is almost exactly the same size as the Philippines.
Geography and neighbours of Congo
Its reference point sits at 1.0° south and 15.0° east, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 111 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
The equator runs through or very close to it. Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Ecuador and Nauru.
It borders 5 neighbours: Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, DR Congo and Gabon. The largest of them by area is DR Congo, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 184.2 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Congo
Population divided by land area gives roughly 19 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
People from Congo are called Congolese.
3 languages carry official status: French, Kikongo and Lingala. French, the first listed, is shared with 45 other entries worldwide.
Against Africa as a whole it is the 36th most populous of 59 entries, and it accounts for 2.8% of everyone living in Middle Africa.
The practical details for Congo
Money there is the Central African CFA franc (Fr, XAF). It shares that currency with Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Websites there use the .cg domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +242. Its ISO codes are cg and COG, which is what most databases and flag files use.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Congo, the answer is Brazzaville.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Congo shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Congo
- French is official here and in 45 other entries worldwide.
- The equator runs across or very near it.
- It shares land borders with 5 countries: Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, DR Congo and Gabon.
- Websites based there use the .cg domain.
- Ecuador and Nauru sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- In land area it is almost exactly the same size as the Philippines.
- Its full official name is Republic of the Congo.
- Within Middle Africa it is the 7th largest of 10.
Congo — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Congo?
- The capital of Congo is Brazzaville.
- What language is spoken in Congo?
- Congo lists 3 official languages: French, Kikongo and Lingala.
- Is Congo a country?
- Yes. Congo is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- How big is Congo?
- Congo covers 342,000 km², ranking 66th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as the Philippines.
- Which countries border Congo?
- Congo borders 5 countries: Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, DR Congo and Gabon. DR Congo is the largest of them by area.
- What is the population of Congo?
- Congo has a population of about 6.3 million, which makes it the 113th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. El Salvador sits just above it and Singapore just below.
- What currency does Congo use?
- Congo uses the Central African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XAF). It is shared with 5 other entries.
- Where is Congo located?
- Congo is in Middle Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 1.0° south and 15.0° east, roughly 111 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
