 Situated
on the West coast of Central Africa, with Brazzaville as
its capital, Congo’s borders touch those of the Central
African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Cameroon and Gabon. The official language is French but
most of the population speaks Lingala, Munukutuba and
Kikongo, while English is not spoken at all.
The coastal area looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean with
lagoons scattered throughout its narrow sandy plain and
the backdrop of the Mayombe Mountains. There are many
swampy areas in this region with grassland and thick
forests; here one can only travel around by boat up and
down the many tributaries of the River Congo.
This land is rich in virgin forestland, waterfalls,
rapids, swamps as well as wildlife. In the forests there
are also quite a number of indigenous tribes who still
safeguard their tradition and culture.
Brazzaville is a fascinating city with plenty of sights
and places to explore during the day, while at nighttime
the local musicians give a festive atmosphere to the
city. Here there are museums to visit and mosques to
admire as well as the markets of Oluendze and Moungali
to browse through.
Exploring the Congo Rapids or water-skiing on the Congo
and Kouillou rivers is a great way to enjoy the outdoors
as is a trek to the Loufoulakari Falls, probably the
most breathtaking waterfalls of the region.
Congo’s climate is equatorial with a very short rainy
season from October to December and another longer one
from January to May.
The people from Congo are called Congolese.
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