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COUNTRIES

Republic of the Congo: map, flag, capital and key facts

The Republic of the Congo is a country in Africa, with about 6.48 million people (2025) and an area of 342,000 square kilometres. Its capital is Brazzaville, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of the Republic of the Congo
Flag of the Republic of the Congo
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
The Republic of the Congo in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about the Republic of the Congo

CapitalBrazzaville
ContinentAfrica
Population6,484,437 2025, World Bank. 109th of 195.
Area342,000 km² (132,047 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 64th largest of 195.
Population density19 people per km²
Land neighbours5: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon
Official nameCongo Republic
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates4.26° S, 15.28° E Brazzaville, Natural Earth.

Land neighbours

The Republic of the Congo borders 5 countries on land. Each links to its own page.

AngolaLuandaCameroonYaoundeCentral African RepublicBanguiDemocratic Republic of the CongoKinshasaGabonLibreville

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of the Republic of the Congo's 6, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 6

Two capitals facing each other across one river

Brazzaville sits on the north bank of the Congo River where it widens into Pool Malebo, four kilometers of brown water from Kinshasa. No other national capitals grew within sight of each other across a river, and only Rome and Vatican City sit closer together. There is still no bridge. Ferries and private speedboats carry everything between them, and a road-rail crossing of 1,575 meters, agreed in 2018, has yet to break ground. Kinshasa holds roughly eighteen million people, Brazzaville about two.

More on Pool Malebo

Pool Malebo is a lake-like widening of the Congo River, roughly thirty five kilometers long. It marks the end of navigation: below it the Livingstone Falls break the river into some three hundred kilometers of rapids before the Atlantic. That barrier explains both capitals. Cargo from the interior must leave the water here and continue overland, which is what the railway and the roads were built to do.

5 more lenses on the Republic of the Congo in the app

  • PLACE The hills between Brazzaville and the sea
  • STORY From Free France to the People's Republic
  • NOW A carbon vault under the flooded north
  • NOW An oil state of six million people
  • THREAD The rumba that belongs to both banks

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare the Republic of the Congo with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of the Republic of the Congo?
The capital of the Republic of the Congo is Brazzaville. Brazzaville lies at about 4.3 degrees south and 15.3 degrees east. The Republic of the Congo is in Africa. It is home to about 6.48 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of the Republic of the Congo?
About 6.48 million people live in the Republic of the Congo, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 109th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 342,000 square kilometres, that is about 19 people per square kilometre.
What countries border the Republic of the Congo?
The Republic of the Congo shares land borders with 5 countries: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. The map on this page outlines each of them around the Republic of the Congo. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is the Republic of the Congo?
The Republic of the Congo covers 342,000 square kilometres, or about 132,047 square miles. That makes it the 64th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 6.48 million gives a density of 19 people per square kilometre.

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