Statistical information Zaire 1993

Zaire in the World
Zaire - Introduction 1993
top of pageBackground: Mobutu Sese Seko came to power in a coup in 1965, only 5 years after the Democratic Republic of the Congo had become independent from Belgium. He renamed the country Zaire in 1971.
top of pageLocation: Central Africa, between Congo and Zambia
Geographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: total: 2,345,410 km²; land: 2,267,600 km²
Land boundaries: total 10,271 km, Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central; African Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; territorial sea: 12 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: 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
ElevationNatural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 3%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures: 4%; forest and woodland: 78%; other: 15%
Irrigated land: 100 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 41,345,738 (July 1993 est.)
Nationality: noun: Zairian(s); adjective: Zairian
Ethnic groups: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are Bantu; four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Languages: French, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 48.43 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 16.91 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands; periodic droughts in south; Note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower; Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 113.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.26 years; male: 45.45 years; female: 49.12 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990); total population: 72%; male: 84%; female: 61%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Zaire; conventional short form: Zaire; local long form: Republique du Zaire; local short form: Zaire
Government type: republic with a strong presidential system
Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental,; Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Dependent areasIndependence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended April 1990; new constitution to be put to referendum in 1993
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament; anti-Mobutu opposition claims National Parliament replaced by High Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77,; GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
Diplomatic representationIn the us: chief of mission: Ambassador TATANENE Manata; chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009; telephone: (202) 234-7,690 or 7,691
From the us: chief of mission: Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES; embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa; mailing address: APO AE 9,828; telephone: 243 (12) 21,532, 21,628; fax: 243 (12) 21,232; consulate general: Lubumbashi (closed and evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor security situation)
Flag description
: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: In 1992, Zaire's formal economy continued to disintegrate. While meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, the largest government deficit ever, and plunging mineral production have made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous banknotes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able to meet its financial obligations to the; International Momentary Fund or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: -6% (1992 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $235 (1992, at 1990 exchange rate)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: cash crops - coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops - cassava, bananas, root crops, corn
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: growth grate NA%
Labor force: 15 million (13% of the labor force is wage earners; 51% of the population is of working age); by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12% (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $N/A, expenditures $N/A, including capital expenditures of $N/A
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Partners: US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Partners: South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: zaire (Z) per US$1 - 2,000,000 (January1993), 15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381 (1989), 187 (1988), 112 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 2,580,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 160 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaZaire - Communication 1993
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsZaire - Transportation 1993
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: usable: 235; with permanent-surface runways: 25; with runways over 3,659 m: 1; with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6; with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 73
HeliportsPipelines: petroleum products 390 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Merchant marine: 1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481 DWT
Ports and terminalsZaire - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption