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
(DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection
backed by
Rwanda
and
Uganda.
Troops from
Angola,
Chad,
Namibia,
Sudan,
and
Zimbabwe
intervened to support
the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire
was signed in July 1999 by the DRC, Congolese armed rebel groups,
Angola,
Namibia,
Rwanda,
Uganda, and
Zimbabwe
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. The
transitional government held a successful constitutional referendum in
December 2005, and plans to hold a series of elections in 2006 to determine
the presidency and National Assembly seats.
Geography of the
Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Location:
Central Africa, northeast of
Angola
Coordinates:
0 00 N, 25 00 E
Area:
total: 2,345,410 sq km water: 77,810 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km
Area comparative:
slightly less than one-fourth the size of the
US
Land boundaries:
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
Coastline:
37 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with
neighbors territorial sea: 12 NM
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:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount
Stanley) 5,110 m
periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods
(seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active
volcanoes
Environment - current issues:
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
Geography - note:
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
Population of the
Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Population:
62,660,551 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 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 47.4% (male 14,906,488/female
14,798,210) 15-64 years: 50.1% (male 15,597,353/female 15,793,350) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 632,143/female 933,007)
Median age:
16.2 years
Growth rate:
3.07%
Infant mortality:
88.62 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.46 years male: 50.01 years female: 52.94 years
Total fertility rate:
6.45 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or
Congo
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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 65.5% male: 76.2% female: 55.1%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of
the Congo former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville,
Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo abbreviation: DROC
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:
Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Constitution:
24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February
1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April
1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former
President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national referendum;
one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue will be a new
constitution
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:
chief of state: President Joseph KABILA; 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: under new constitution president is elected for four-year
term (eligible for a second term); formerly, there was also a prime
minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic
Legislative branch:
a 500-member National Assembly and a 120-seat Senate
established in June 2003
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Economy
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 violence, 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. The transitional government has reopened
relations with international financial institutions and international donors,
and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity
lies outside the GDP data. Economic stability improved in 2003-05, 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, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal
position and GDP growth. Business and economic prospects are expected to
improve once a new government is installed after elections.
GDP:
$40.67 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate:
6.5%
GDP per capita:
$700
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 55% industry: 11% services: 34%
Inflation rate:
9%
Budget:
revenues: $700 million expenditures: $750 million
Electricity production by source:
fossil fuel: 1.8% hydro: 98.2% other: 0%
Industries:
mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing,
consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed
foods and beverages), cement
