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Background:
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Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of
the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early
years were marred by political and social instability.
Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself
president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently
changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that
of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position
for 32 years through several subsequent sham elections
as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic
strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of
refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi,
led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by
a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the
country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), but
in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an
insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from
Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to
support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in
July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda,
Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but
sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was
assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA
was named head of state. In October 2002, the new
president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal
of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months
later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining
warring parties to end the fighting and establish a
government of national unity. A transitional government
was set up in July 2003; Joseph KABILA remains as
president and is joined by four vice presidents
representing the former government, former rebel groups,
and the political opposition. |
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Location:
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Central
Africa, northeast of Angola |
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Geographic coordinates:
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0 00 N,
25 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
2,345,410 sq km
land: 2,267,600 sq km
water: 77,810 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than one-fourth the size of the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
10,730 km
border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225
km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda
Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic
1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km,
Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia
1,930 km |
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Coastline:
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37 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with
neighbors |
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Climate:
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tropical;
hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and
drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in
eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April
to October, dry season December to February; south of
Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April
to October |
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Terrain:
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vast
central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema
(Mount Stanley) 5,110 m |
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Natural resources:
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cobalt,
copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem
diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium,
coal, hydropower, timber |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 2.96%
permanent crops: 0.52%
other: 96.52% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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110 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic
droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the
east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active
volcanoes |
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Environment - current issues:
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poaching
threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
deforestation; refugees responsible for significant
deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching;
mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating
capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental
damage |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification |
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Geography - note:
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straddles
equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the
lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic
Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin
and eastern highlands |
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People |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
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Population:
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60,085,804
note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 48.1% (male 14,513,779/female 14,396,952)
15-64 years: 49.4% (male 14,579,101/female
15,121,297)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 597,776/female
876,099) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
15.8 years
male: 15.4 years
female: 16.2 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.98%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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44.38
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.43
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.17
migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: fighting between the Congolese Government
and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a
regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8
million Congolese internally displaced and caused
300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding
countries (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
92.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 101.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 51.1 years
male: 49.68 years
female: 52.56 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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6.54
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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4.2%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1.1
million (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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100,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and
African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004)
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Nationality:
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noun:
Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo |
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Ethnic groups:
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over 200
African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu;
the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all
Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about
45% of the population |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim
10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
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Languages:
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French
(official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language),
Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo,
Tshiluba |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
total population: 65.5%
male: 76.2%
female: 55.1% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the
Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo,
Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
abbreviation: DROC |
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Government type:
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dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to
representative government |
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Capital:
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Kinshasa
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Administrative divisions:
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10
provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville);
Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental,
Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu,
Orientale, Sud-Kivu |
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Independence:
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30 June
1960 (from Belgium) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 30 June (1960) |
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Constitution:
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new
constitution adopted 17 July 2003 |
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Legal system:
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based on
Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal and compulsory |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January
2001); note - following the assassination of his father,
Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA
succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Joseph KABILA
(since 26 January 2001); note - following the
assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on
16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the
presidency; the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by
the president
elections: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese
Seko, the president was elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next
was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, there
was also a prime minister who was elected by the High
Council of the Republic; note - a Transitional
Government is drafting a new constitution with free
elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005
election results: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu
wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without
opposition
note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent
Desire KABILA, following the latter's assassination in
January 2001, negotiations with rebel leaders led to the
establishment of a transitional government in July 2003
with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005 |
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Legislative branch:
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a
300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established
in August 2000
elections: NA; members of the Transitional
Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President
Laurent Desire KABILA |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Cour Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO];
Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS
[Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist
Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of
the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive
[Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix
VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]);
Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union
for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne
TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and
Independent Republicans or UFERI (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo
OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA]) |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP,
AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU
chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M
Street, NW, Wasington, DC, 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
telephone: [243] (88) 43608
FAX: [243] (88) 43467 |
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Flag description:
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light
blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow
five-pointed stars along the hoist side |
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Economy |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
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Economy - overview:
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The
economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a
nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined
drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in
August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and
government revenue, increased external debt, and
resulted in the deaths of perhaps 3.5 million people
from war, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses
curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the
outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the
difficult operating environment. Conditions improved in
late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the
invading foreign troops. Several IMF and World Bank
missions have met with the government to help it develop
a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun
implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies
outside the GDP data. Economic stability, aided by
international donors, improved in 2003-04, although an
uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of
openness in government policy continues to hamper
growth. In 2005, renewed activity in the mining sector,
the source of most exports, could boost Kinshasa's
fiscal position and GDP growth. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$42.74
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7.5%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $700 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 55%
industry: 11%
services: 34% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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14.51
million (1993 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA (2003
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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14% (2003
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $269 million
expenditures: $244 million, including capital
expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava
(tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits;
wood products |
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Industries:
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mining
(diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer
products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes,
processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship
repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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6.086
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 1.8%
hydro: 98.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.168
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.5
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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8 million
kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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24,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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14,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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1.538
billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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104.8
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Exports:
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$1.417
billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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diamonds,
copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium
47.8%, Finland 21%, US 10.9%, China 7.6% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$933
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport
equipment, fuels |
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Imports - partners:
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South
Africa 18.5%, Belgium 15.5%, France 10.8%, Kenya 6.3%,
US 6%, Germany 5.8% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$11.6
billion (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$195.3
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Congolese
franc (CDF) |
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Currency code:
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CDF |
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Exchange rates:
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Congolese
francs per US dollar - 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003),
346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001), 21.82 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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10,000
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1 million
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: poor
domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave
radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic
satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 243; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM
11, shortwave 2 (2001) |
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Radios:
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18.03
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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4 (2001)
|
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Televisions:
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6.478
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
|
.cd |
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Internet hosts:
|
153
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2001)
|
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Internet users:
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50,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
5,138 km
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km
electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m
gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
|
15,000 km
(navigation on the Congo curtailed by fighting) (2004)
|
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Pipelines:
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gas 54
km; oil 71 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Banana,
Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa,
Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka |
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Merchant marine:
|
registered in other countries: 1 |
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Airports:
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230 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
24
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
206
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 92
under 914 m: 97 (2004 est.) |
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Military |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
|
Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 11,052,696 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 5,851,292 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$93.5
million (2004) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.5%
(2004) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
heads of
the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but
unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues
unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states
of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region
since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo
continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda;
90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with
the remainder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DROC and Rwanda
established a border verification mechanism to address
accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese
rebels and the DROC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe"
forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the
location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with
the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the
Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
refugees (country of origin): 45,060 (Sudan) 100,000
(Angola) 19,552 (Burundi) 6,626 (Republic of Congo)
19,743 (Rwanda) 18,953 (Uganda)
IDPs: 2.33 million (fighting between government
forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in
eastern provinces) (2004) |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
illicit
producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption;
while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision
leaves the banking system vulnerable to money
laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial
system limits the country's utility as a
money-laundering center |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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