| Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Introduction | Top of Page

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. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war.

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Central Africa, northeast of Angola

Geographic coordinates: | 0 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 2,345,410 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km water: 77,810 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries: | total: 10,744 km border countries: Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 473 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

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: | arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 77% other: 13% (1993 est.)

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: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

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

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | People | Top of Page

Population: | 53,624,718 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 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 48.24% (male 12,988,488; female 12,878,232) 15-64 years: 49.21% (male 12,931,886; female 13,459,109) 65 years and over: 2.55% (male 575,113; female 791,890) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 3.1% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 46.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 15.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note: one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997; an additional 173,000 Rwandan refugees disappeared in early 1997 and are assumed to have been killed by Zairian forces; 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 displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 99.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 48.94 years male: 46.96 years female: 50.98 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 6.84 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 5.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1.1 million (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 95,000 (1999 est.)

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: 77.3% male: 86.6% female: 67.7% (1995 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | 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

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 has not been ratified by a 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: | chief of state: Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government head of government: Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president elections: before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power, 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, the prime minister was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition note: Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA, who immediately assumed governing authority; KABILA pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA

Legislative branch: | a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000 elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President KABILA

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [leader NA]; 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 [Kouyoumba MUCHULI Mulembe]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

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 (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador William Lacy SWING embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (12) 21804, 21807 FAX: [243] (88) 43805

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

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Economy | Top of Page

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 national output and government revenue and has 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. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan but associated reforms are on hold.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | -15% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 58% industry: 17% services: 25% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 540% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 14.51 million (1993 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate: | NA%

Budget: | revenues: $269 million expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)

Industries: | mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 5.268 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 2.05% hydro: 97.95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 4.55 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 404 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 55 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Exports: | $960 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil

Exports - partners: | Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)

Imports: | $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners: | South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)

Debt - external: | $13 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $195.3 million (1995)

Currency: | Congolese franc (CDF)

Currency code: | CDF

Exchange rates: | Congolese francs per US dollar - 50 (January 2001), 4.5 (January 2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997), 0.50 (1996) note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 21,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 8,900 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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 country code: | .cd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)

Internet users: | 1,500 (1999)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 5,138 km (1995) note: severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife 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 (2000)

Highways: | total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Waterways: | 15,000 km (including the Congo and 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 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 232 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 24 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 208 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 96 under 914 m: 92 (2000 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential Security Group

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 11,615,554 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 5,915,251 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $250 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 4.6% (FY97)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

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 movements that occupy 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