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Country: Congo-Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo)
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Country: Congo-Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo)
- Capital: Brazzaville
- Population: 3,702,314 (rank=131)
- Area, sq. mi.: 132,000 (rank=62)
- Area, sq. km.: 341,878
- Human Dev. Index rank: 140 of 177 countries
- Adjusted for women: 104 of 140 countries
- Real GDP per capita: $978
- Adult literacy rate: 91% (male); 81% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 81 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 51 (male); 54 (female)
Did You Know?
- In addition to French (the nation's official language), most Congolese speak one of 54 indigenous languages.
- It is common for a woman's brother to play a major role in raising her children, particularly in the south, where society is matriarchal.
- In the north, where there are many rivers, people eat cayman (a reptile similar to a crocodile).
Population
About 3.7 million people, mostly Bantous (97 percent), live in Congo-Brazzaville. The pygmies, who comprise the other 3 percent of the indigenous population, live in the district of Lekoumou and Niari in the south of the country and in the northern district of Sangha. The terms Bantou and pygmy conceal enormous ethnic diversity. Congo is home to nine ethnic groups: the Kongo, Teke, Mbochi, Kota, Makoua, Echiras, Oubanguien, and Mbede-nzabi. These main ethnic groups divide into 54 subgroups. Many Europeans, mostly French, used to live in the country, but most left during the civil war in the 1990s. Some citizens of Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, and other west African countries still live in Congo.
Gestures
Congolese sometimes use gestures to ask and answer common questions. To ask how someone is doing, for example, one may raise one's arm in front of one's face and then, with the palm facing upwards, move it down and to the right. To answer, one may give a "thumbs up" to indicate everything is okay or a "thumbs down" to indicate something is wrong. When men have not seen each other for some time, each touches the side of his forehead three times in salutation. In informal conversations, where the parties want to emphasize they are telling the truth, they may pass a forefinger across the neck as though chopping off the head. This is supposed to represent punishment for lying. To say someone is beautiful, Congolese will bring all their fingers to the mouth before blowing a kiss. To indicate something is hard, they will run a finger across the forehead, as though wiping away sweat.
Eating
Before the financial crisis of the late 1980s, people used to eat three meals a day. As poverty has increased, food consumption has declined, with many Congolese now eating just one meal a day. While fruit is often eaten between and with meals, there is no notion of dessert as such. Local restaurants called nganda serve some food and a lot of alcohol. Roadside stalls, mainly located around market places or on street corners, provide food to travelers, to men who don't have women at home to cook for them, or to people working away from home. Meals are usually prepared by women and girls. Only the rich can afford to eat at Western-style restaurants.
Life Cycle
The birth of a child is a moment of joy, which has traditionally brought the community together. A mother is not supposed to do any domestic work for a while, so, particularly in the villages, family members, neighbors, and friends all pitch in. In urban areas, help tends to be provided by one close female relative. Death is a moment of drama, in large part because Congolese believe most deaths, not just those of young people, happen by sorcery or witchcraft. During the funeral oration, mourners appeal to the deceased to temporarily return to the world and carry off the guilty sorcerer or witch. Mourners also ask the deceased to grant their wishes. When the bereaved family is struggling financially, neighbors provide assistance to help pay the funeral costs. Funerals can stretch out over several days.
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