The Republic of Congo is located in central Africa and shares borders with countries including Gabon, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Gulf of Guinea, and the Angolan enclave province of Cabinda, amongst others; this former French colony also has a tiny strip of Atlantic Ocean coastline. It gained independence in 1960 when the former French area in the mid-Congo became the Republic of Congo.

In order not to be confused with the DRC, the Republic of Congo is also known as Congo-Brazzaville while the DRC is known as Congo-Kinshasa. The country has its largest city and economic centre in Brazzaville, which is situated on the banks of the iconic Congo River – a legendary African destination famous throughout the entire world. Another important city in the Republic of Congo is Pointe Noire – the capital of the Kouilou Region and located in the Pointe Noire Bay, which is an extension of the Atlantic Ocean sea board. Pointe Noire is a pivotal transport route from the Atlantic to the capital Brazzaville and is the country’s chief port.

The railway link between the two cities has sped up development and growth quite substantially as Pointe Noire also serves as Brazzaville’s seaport. As it is an industrial city, there are industries for sawmilling, food processing, palm oil refining, soap manufacturing, and fishing, while products shipped from there include the likes of tobacco, gum, ivory, diamonds, livestock, coffee, zinc, lead, manganese, and others. Pointe Noire has tourist hot spots to explore too with it being a prominent game fishing area and is also home to the Georges Brousseau Museum and the J.B. Lamarck Zoo.