Congo-Brazzaville in other languages: Brazzaville and 12 departments

One name for two countries and a river

The country takes its name from the Congo River, and the river from the Kingdom of Kongo, which held its mouth when the Portuguese arrived in 1483 or 1484. The kingdom was named after its people, the Bakongo. Under French rule the territory was the French Congo and later the Middle Congo, and the name Congo stayed at independence in 1960.

Its neighbour across the river carries the same name, so the two states are often told apart by their capitals, Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Kinshasa. The exonym list shows why: Kongo in German, Polish and Turkish, Конго in Russian and Bulgarian, 刚果 (Gāngguǒ) in Chinese and コンゴ in Japanese apply to either country and to the river. Only the official long forms differ, République du Congo here and République démocratique du Congo on the other bank.

Brazzaville is named after Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the Italian-born explorer credited with founding the town for France. Kongo speakers have older names for the site, Ntamo and Kintambo among them, and the Teke call it Mfoa. In Kituba the capital is simply Braza.

From regions to departments

The country was divided into regions until 2002, when they became departments. ISO 3166-2 followed in 2014, changing the category from region to department, and on 12 February 2015 it added Pointe-Noire, the port city, as a department of its own with the code CG-16; the surrounding Kouilou department, once seated in Pointe-Noire, is now governed from Loango.

A further reform is under way. Three laws of October 2024 carve Congo-Oubangui out of Cuvette and Likouala, Nkéni-Alima out of Plateaux and Djoué-Léfini out of Pool, bringing the national count to 15. ISO 3166-2:CG still lists the 12 departments shown here.