Brazzaville - The Capital of Republic of the Congo
- Population
- 2,230,821
- Language
- French
- Continent
- Africa
- Since
- 1880
- Eco Ranking
- 116/195
Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.
About Brazzaville
Brazzaville was established in 1880 by French explorer and naval officer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, after whom it is named, making it one of the few capital cities in the world directly named after a modern European individual. De Brazza signed a treaty with the Teke Kingdom's ruler Makoko, establishing a French protectorate and founding the settlement as a base for French expansion into Central Africa. The city became the administrative capital of French Equatorial Africa and, after independence in 1960, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. During World War II, Brazzaville served as the symbolic capital of Free France, after the fall of France to Nazi Germany in 1940, the colonial administration declared for de Gaulle, making Brazzaville a critical base for the Free French forces and the seat from which de Gaulle broadcast to occupied France. The Brazzaville Conference of 1944 shaped French colonial policy in the postwar era. Brazzaville and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sit directly across the Congo River from each other, they are the world's closest pair of national capital cities. The Republic of the Congo has been governed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso for most of its post-independence history, across two separate tenures.
About Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo is a presidential republic that has been dominated by President Denis Sassou Nguesso since 1979, with a brief interruption from 1992 to 1997. Sassou Nguesso returned to power after a civil war in 1997 in which his forces, backed by Angola, defeated the elected government. A 2015 constitutional referendum removed presidential term limits, enabling him to remain in power indefinitely. The country is distinct from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is a separate, much larger state across the river.
View Brazzaville on the map
Flight time from Brazzaville to other capitals
| City | Distance (km) | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | 3300 | 3h 53m |
| Rome | 5100 | 6h 0m |
| Abu Dhabi | 5300 | 6h 14m |
| Paris | 6000 | 7h 4m |
| London | 6400 | 7h 32m |
| Buenos Aires | 8300 | 9h 46m |
| Singapore | 9900 | 11h 39m |
| Washington, D.C. | 10500 | 12h 21m |
| Tokyo | 13400 | 15h 46m |
| Canberra | 13500 | 15h 53m |
Capitals with similar population to Brazzaville
Capitals with similar eco ranking to Brazzaville
| City | Eco Rank |
|---|---|
| Algiers | 114 |
| Tehran | 114 |
| Oyala | 115 |
| Brazzaville | 116 |
| San Salvador | 117 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 118 |
| Palikir | 119 |
Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Brazzaville and why is it named after him?
Brazzaville was founded in 1880 by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, an Italian-born French explorer and naval officer. De Brazza negotiated a treaty with the Makoko ruler of the Teke Kingdom that established a French protectorate in the region. The city was named in his honor and became the administrative hub of French Equatorial Africa.
Why was Brazzaville important during World War II?
When France fell to Nazi Germany in June 1940, the colonial administration in Brazzaville sided with Charles de Gaulle and the Free French rather than the Vichy regime. This made Brazzaville one of the few French-controlled territories to resist Vichy, and it served as the de facto capital of Free France and a major operational base for the resistance movement.
How close are Brazzaville and Kinshasa?
Brazzaville and Kinshasa, capitals of two separate countries, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo respectively, sit directly across the Congo River from each other, separated by only a few kilometers. They are the closest pair of national capital cities in the world.
When did Brazzaville become the capital of the Republic of the Congo?
Brazzaville became the capital of the independent Republic of the Congo on 15 August 1960, when the country gained independence from France. It had previously served as the capital of French Equatorial Africa, an administrative grouping of French colonial territories in Central Africa.
Who has governed the Republic of the Congo from Brazzaville?
President Denis Sassou Nguesso has governed the Republic of the Congo for most of its post-independence history, holding power from 1979 to 1992 and again from 1997 to the present after retaking power through a civil war. A constitutional referendum in 2015 removed presidential term limits, effectively allowing him to remain in power indefinitely.
