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Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Background: Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. Troops from Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia have intervened in this devastating conflict. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but skirmishing continues.
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E Map references: Africa Area:
Area - comparative: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US Land boundaries:
Coastline: 37 km Maritime claims:
Climate: 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 Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber Land use:
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity Environment - current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees who arrived in mid-1994 were responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in the eastern part of the country (most of those refugees were repatriated in November and December 1996) Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: straddles Equator; 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
Population:
51,964,999
Age structure:
Population growth rate: 3.19% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 46.44 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 15.38 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate:
0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 101.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 6.92 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: 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 Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: CG Government type: dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative government Capital: Kinshasa Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) National holiday: anniversary of independence from Belgium, 30 June (1960) Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; following successful rebellion the new government announced on 29 May 1997 a program of constitutional reform and, in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by President KABILA and awaits ratification by national referendum Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
legislative activity has been suspended pending the establishment of KABILA's promised constitutional reforms and the elections to be held by April 1999 (now postponed indefinitely)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders:
sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [Catherine NZUZI]; other parties include Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; 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 [Maitre LUKAMBA Michel]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description: 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
Economy - overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The new government instituted a tight fiscal policy that initially curbed inflation and currency depreciation, but these small gains were quickly reversed when the foreign-backed rebellion in the eastern part of the country began in August 1998. The war has dramatically reduced government revenue, and increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict and because of increased government harassment and restrictions. Poor infrastructure, an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations remain a brake on investment and growth. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the new government to help it develop a coherent economic plan but associated reforms are on hold. Assuming moderate peace, annual growth is likely to increase to nearly 5% in 2000-01, but inflation will continue to be a problem. GDP: purchasing power parity - $35.7 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 1% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $710 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 46% (1999 est.) Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget:
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 5.74 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 5.488 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 150 million kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 300 million kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products Exports: $530 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil Exports - partners: Benelux 52%, US 14%, South Africa 9%, Finland 4% (1998) Imports: $460 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels Imports - partners: South Africa 25%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 7%, Kenya 5%, China (1998) Debt - external: $12.3 billion (1997 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $195.3 million (1995) Currency: Congolese franc (CF) Exchange rates:
Congolese francs (CF) per US$1 - 4.5 (January 2000), 2.5 (January 1999); new zaires (Z) per US$1 - 115,000 (January 1998), 83,764 (October 1996), 7,024 (1995), 1,194 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 36,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 10,000 (1995) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 12, shortwave 1 (1999) Radios: 18.03 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 20 (1999) Televisions: 6.478 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km Ports and harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka Merchant marine: none (1999 est.) Airports: 232 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Security Group, Gendarmerie Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $250 million (FY97) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (FY97)
Disputes - international: the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movement which occupies much of the eastern portion of the state; most of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area) Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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