Country Guide

The Congo, formerly a French colony, should not be confused with the larger neighbouring country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly the Belgian Congo).

It lies between 4° N and 5° S in central Africa and has the river Congo and its tributary the Ubangui as its southeastern border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is a little larger than the United Kingdom but is sparsely populated. Most of the country is a low plateau between 200 m/650 ft and 1,000 m/3,250 ft above sea level. There is a low coastal plain on the Atlantic coast.

The weather and climate of the country are similar to those described in more detail for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Annual rainfall is almost everywhere between 1,250 mm/50 in and 1,750 mm/70 in and is well distributed around the year. Rainfall is least in the south of the country and along the coast. The table for Brazzaville is representative of the south of the country.

This shows a distinct dry season between June and September when the sun and the intertropical rain-belt are farthest north; there is a second but brief drier period in January when the rain-belt is farthest south.