congo

• Geography

GEOGRAPHICAL INFO

Congo is a name shared by two neighboring countries in Central Africa, largely drained by the Congo River, and usually distinguished by their full official names and occasionally by adding their capital cities. The name was also used in prior political entities. It also refers to the African subregion drained by the Congo River, located between the Gulf of Guinea and the African Great Lakes.With one of the world's largest chimpanzee populations and the mighty Congo River ebbing on its southern border, Congo (Brazzaville) has plenty to trigger the imagination. But recent violence has strangled the country's nascent tourist industry and reduced visitors to a trickle.

 

Capital:Brazzaville

Languages:French (official), Lingala, Kongo

Currency: Central African CFA Franc (CFA)

 

Climate:

In the south of the country near the capital, daily temperatures are fairly consistently between 20°C (68°F) and 30°C (86°F), being slightly cooler in the drier middle of the year. Farther north, things are warmer and wetter, particularly in the middle of the year.