Why is the population of the Republic of the Congo concentrated in the southwest?

The population of the Republic of the Congo is heavily concentrated in the southwestern quarter of the country due to a combination of historical, colonial, and economic factors.

• Colonial Influence and Urbanization: Many of the country's major cities, including the capital, Brazzaville, and the coastal city of Pointe-Noire, were established as colonial centers. These cities attracted significant internal migration during the colonial era, a trend that has continued since independence, leading to high levels of urbanization in the southwest.12
• Infrastructure and Trade: The development of the Congo-Ocean rail line, completed in 1934, linked Brazzaville to the Atlantic coast at Pointe-Noire. This infrastructure facilitated trade and economic activity in the southwest, further encouraging settlement in the region.13
• Cultural and Political Factors: The southwestern region is home to the Kongo peoples, and historical French administrative favouritism toward the peoples of the southwest helped shape the current demographic distribution. Post-independence politics and regional rivalries have also played a role in reinforcing these settlement patterns as internal migration continues to reproduce these regional cleavages.1