Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Congo, Rep.'s climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Congo, Rep.'s country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
The Republic of Congo is situated in Central Africa, straddling the equator from latitudes 4°N and 5°S. The Republic of Congo contains a diverse geography: valleys, plateaus, hills, mountains, and a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Congo boasts abundant natural resources in oil, forests, arable land, an extensive hydrographic network, mineral resources, and a favorable climate for agriculture. The Republic of the Congo’s economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. Moreover, the country ranks among the top 10 of Africa’s oil producers and has substantial mineral resources, the majority of which are yet untapped. Natural gas is increasingly being converted to electricity rather than being flared, greatly improving energy prospects. Over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.
With a population of over 5.5 million (2020) over a surface area of 342,000 km2, the Republic of Congo is sparsely populated, with more than half of the population concentrated in its two largest cities, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The rest of the country is one of the least densely populated areas in Africa, with just 12.8% per km2. The country is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change from changes in climatic conditions, such as increase in temperature, decrease in precipitation, and increase in risk of floods and drought.