Congo-Brazzaville | Country Gallery

[Matthias Offodile]

Although I have never been to Congo-Brazzaville I would like to present it to the forumers. Congo-Brazzaville is definitely socially, politically and economically the better of the "two Congos" (even though it is not a "showpiece" country in the central african sub-region considering the crazy late 90´s of Congo-Brazzaville´s history). It is easily mixed up with Congo-Kinshasa/Zaire (fomerly Belgian Congo). Congo-Brazzaville was a former French colony and it belongs to the CFA Franc zone which is not the case for Congo-Kinshasa.



Map of Congo





BASIC FACTS

Natural resources:
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Population: 3,702,314 Million

Ethnic groups:
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, around 8000-10 000 French, several thousands of Lebanese; Chinese and other non-African people

Languages:
French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

Economy - overview:
The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 8% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa at that time . The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. The Republic of Congo may be eligible for an IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in early 2006, provided it meets the strict fiscal and monetary targets set out for it under a new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the IMF.

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 57%
services: 36.9% (2005 est.)

Exports - partners:
China 39.1%, US 29.1%, Taiwan 11.8%, South Korea 7.2% (2005)

Imports - partners:
France 34.6%, China 12.6%, US 9%, Italy 8.3%, Belgium 5.7%, Netherlands 4.7% (2005)

This is the capital Brazzaville which has around 700 000 to 800 000 inhabitants





French cultural centre



















poor quarters of Brazzaville, also inhabited by refugees from Congo-Kinshasa




this old historic building must certainly have seen better days....











oil company building. it was built in 1989 but still looks quite impressive

when it was under constuction....



it glistens beautifully in the sun when the sky is clear...






rush hour Brazzaville style





Le Meridien hotel






...TO BE CONTINUED

[Matthias Offodile]

cleaning the streets.....





abandoned buildings....







Brazzaville mausoleum under construction



entry to a school, the architecture is really funny



supermarket in front



statue of General de Gaulle



open air markets





street scene













a church

[You are to blame]

looks like an interesting place with alot of potential.

[Very Controversial]

Very green city.

[Matthias Offodile]

I got some more Brazzaville pics to add





rubbish dumped at the roadside



















picture of the mauseleum of Sarvogan de Brazza (explorer and founder of the city Brazzaville) which has been recently completed





while u/c







this buildings is attached to the Mausoleum


















Some Congolese people in Brazzaville

[Matthias Offodile]

Here is one old Brazzaville photos probably 60´s or 70´s

[Matthias Offodile]

Photos of Pointe Noire

This is Congo-Brazzaville´s second largest city (where the new airport got built on another thread)










some untarred (side) roads in Pointe Noire





posh people in Pointe Noire







old but beautiful central station of Pointe Noire









open market area







way to a Lebanese snack bar







beach in Pointe Noire







fresh from the sea



some art work



a hotel in Pointe Noire



a newly built beach eco-lodge in Pointe Noire (it is said on their webside)

[Cocolicchio]

Unfortunately, much of Africa is very underrated in other parts of the world I have a friend who comes from Congo Kin and she's always telling me that it is possible to see Congo Brazza from across the river. Point Noire looks reasonably developed to me and it's not even the capital! I'd love to stay at one of those lodges from the eco-tourist resort shown in these pictures. By the way I'd like to introduce myself here. I'm Coccolichio and I'm very interested in Africa and it's cultures a lot of my best friends are African and the things they've told me about this continent fascinate me.

Best regards

[subfire]

great photos, cute girls too

[DanteXavier]

I am very happy to see these pictures! The place actually does look to be somewhat decent overall, and that can be suprisin given the troubles suffered by its neighbor that have probably affected the Republic somewhat.

I al ready that according to the Human Development Index, the Republic of the Congo has risen up to medium development status!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...elopment_Index

A good job to that country!

[Matthias Offodile]

Unfortunately, much of Africa is very underrated in other parts of the world I have a friend who comes from Congo Kin and she's always telling me that it is possible to see Congo Brazza from across the river. Point Noire looks reasonably developed to me and it's not even the capital! I'd love to stay at one of those lodges from the eco-tourist resort shown in these pictures. By the way I'd like to introduce myself here. I'm Coccolichio and I'm very interested in Africa and it's cultures a lot of my best friends are African and the things they've told me about this continent fascinate me.

Best regards

Great to have you here, you are welcome!

[Matthias Offodile]

I am very happy to see these pictures! The place actually does look to be somewhat decent overall, and that can be suprisin given the troubles suffered by its neighbor that have probably affected the Republic somewhat.

Dantexavier, Congo-Brazzaville is certainly not Gabon but it also looks generally decent to me, too.
Unfortunately, all the achievements of the 80´s have been washed away by the years of civil war in Congo-Brazzaville that followed in the late 90´s which also cost many human lives, was very destructive to its social and physical infrastructure and led to the abrupt exodus of around 20 000 Europeans, many of whom were born there and had their own business in Congo-Brazzaville. The country hasn´t even yet found back to the status it had in the 80´s from what I have read and know....and corruption is rampant...but as more and more Chinese flood into Congo (the current president is very keen on making business with them) there seems to be renewed hope for a longer lasting economic rivival. Let´s not forget Congo-Brazzaville is a rich country and Sub-sahara´s Africa fourth largest oil producer (after Nigeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea).

[DanteXavier]

Originally Posted by Matthias Offodile

Dantexavier, Congo-Brazzaville is certainly not Gabon but it also looks generally decent to me, too.
Unfortunately, all the achievements of the 80´s have been washed away by the years of civil war in Congo-Brazzaville that followed in the late 90´s which also cost many human lives, was very destructive to its social and physical infrastructure and led to the abrupt exodus of around 20 000 Europeans, many of whom were born there and had their own business in Congo-Brazzaville. The country hasn´t even yet found back to the status it had in the 80´s from what I have read and know....and corruption is rampant...but as more and more Chinese flood into Congo (the current president is very keen on making business with them) there seems to be renewed hope for a longer lasting economic rivival. Let´s not forget Congo-Brazzaville is a rich country and Sub-sahara´s Africa fourth largest oil producer (after Nigeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea).

I hear that there is a lot of potential for more oil production in the future, and while corruption is still really bad, things still seem to be looking up a bit for the place.

[StormShadow]

[Matthias Offodile]

Café/Patisserie in Congo-Brazzaville

[angcammoc]

I suggest the name of this country be changed from Congo to something or else, no one will really wanna go in there...It is not very different from Gabon in m opionon except it looks like a dirty "Glass" (main commercial center in Gabao)

[Matthias Offodile]

that is alot of make up though, this is though more of a problem in west africa than it is in Congo Brazz. The woman is naturally light skinned just probably obessed with the francophony looks, the same can be said with angola with their latin outlook on beauty.

And how do you explain this?









you are just so funny, how do you explain that white people want to look brown at all costs? They are probably obessed with African looks, in your logic??

My friend´s mother she goes to the sun-tan studio EVERY DAY for 20 min, for many years now, although the doctor has been telling her it is unhealthy , she cannot stop...believe it or not she ethnically 100% white but has almost the same deep cocoa-brown colour due to her excessive artificial sun exposure. People always want what they don´t have: look at all the Indians bleaching their skins lilly white!

Moreover, can we close this thread mod. There is another Congo-Brazza thread which has more recent pics than this older thread!

[Matthias Offodile]

MULEMA, Can you shut your mouth concerning Gabon, please!

Not that you trash forums full of old and slum pictures, you go on ranting and ranting like a madman, we ALL know by now that you dislike Gabon (among other countries). You needn´t prove it to us over and over again.

What´s wrong, did Gabon refuse you entry before you came to the US or maybe you are just inwardly jealous of it!

MIND, your cuurent Gabon bashing is a stark contrast to what you said when you came here as Mulema from Amazonia (the English-speaking part of Cameroon that holds 30% of the world´s oil which shows shows how fact-based you really are in your judgements)

Anyway, this is is about Brazzaville photos and NOTHING else, please let´s stick to the rules!

Sometimes I wish that Chinese or Singapore government could take over Africa, you would be among the first who ends up being killed or thrown into jail to perish there. This is the only language that some people seem to understand.

Thanks

[angcammoc]

YAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mbanzacongo]

my god why do those congolese people always put a crem on there body do be like a mulat our white peeps like this lady

to horivel for words men