The present work is a study of the general and historical aspects of the economy of the Republic of Congo. A historical analysis of the country has been made since the colonial period to better understand the formation and development of its economic structure. After its independence, Congo experienced periods of political and economic instability that still have a great impact on the current situation of the country, which has not yet experienced true democracy and is unable to implement economic policies that would put the country on the road to sustainable development. It was necessary, therefore, to make several temporal cuts to better analyze the political situation of this country that has known several armed and social conflicts caused by oligarchies that wanted, and still want, to control the country's resources in an abusive way and maintain the status-quo. The country's economy has depended almost exclusively on its oil reserves since the 1980s, exposing the country to several cyclical crises caused by exogenous factors such as the international price of oil.