The Republic of the Congo -- not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a different and much larger country to the east that was once known as the Republic of the Congo -- is a former French colony in sub-Saharan Africa that achieved independence in 1960.
The country's economy is based on village agriculture, handicrafts, petroleum, and support services, with large un-tapped reserves of metals, including gold. 85% of the country's population lives in urban areas in the south-west, with the majority of the north virtually uninhabited tropical jungle.
Republic of the Congo on Wikipedia
Map credit