Map of Democratic Republic of the Congo | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Established as a Belgian colony in 1908 the then-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 sham elections as well as through 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 backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola Chad Namibia Sudan and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's 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 as president and four vice presidents represented the former government former rebel groups the political opposition and civil society. The transitional government held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency National Assembly and provincial legislatures in 2006. The National Assembly was installed in September 2006 and KABILA was inaugurated president in December 2006. Provincial assemblies were constituted in early 2007 and elected governors and national senators in January 2007. The next national elections are scheduled for November 2011.


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Location: Central Africa northeast of Angola

Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N 25 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 2,344,858 km²
Rank: 11
Land: 2,267,048 km²
Water: 77,810 km²
Comparative: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries
Total: 10,730 km
Border countries: (9) Angola 2,511 km; (of which 225 km; is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province) Burundi 233 km; Central African Republic 1577 km; Republic of the Congo 2,410 km; Rwanda 217 km; South Sudan 628 km; Tanzania 459 km; Uganda 765 km; Zambia 1930 km

Coastline: 37 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors

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
Extremes highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

Natural resources: cobalt copper niobium tantalum petroleum industrial and gem diamonds gold silver zinc manganese tin uranium coal hydropower timber

Land use
Arable land: 2.86%
Permanent crops: 0.47%
Other: 96.67% (2005)

Irrigated land: 110 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1283 km³ (2001)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east in the Great Rift Valley there are active volcanoes
Volcanism: Nyiragongo (elev. 3,470 m) which erupted in 2002 and is experiencing ongoing activity poses a major threat to the city of Goma home to a quarter of a million people; the volcano produces unusually fast-moving lava known to travel up to 100 km /hr; Nyiragongo has been deemed a 'Decade Volcano' by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; its neighbor Nyamuragira which erupted in 2010 is Africa's most active volcano; Visoke is the only other historically active volcano

Geography
Note: straddles equator; has 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; second largest country in Africa (after Algeria)


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Population: 71,712,867 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 19
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: 2.614% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 24
Below poverty line: 71% (2006 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Congolese
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

Languages: French (official) Lingala (a lingua franca trade language) Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili) Kikongo Tshiluba

Religions: Roman Catholic 50% Protestant 20% Kimbanguist 10% Muslim 10% other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.4%
15-64 years: 53% (male 18,919,942/female 19,116,204)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 767,119/female 1,066,437) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17.4 years
Male: 17.2 years
Female: 17.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.614% (2011 est.)
Rank: 24

Birth rate: 37.74 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 18

Death rate: 11.06 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Net migration rate: -0.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 140

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 35% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 78.43 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 14
Male: 82.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 74.55 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.33 years
Rank: 198
Male: 53.9 years
Female: 56.8 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.24 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 15

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.11 physicians/1000 population (2004)
Rank: 163

Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1000 population (2006)
Rank: 158

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases
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)
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 28.2% (2007)
Rank: 21

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French Lingala Kingwana or Tshiluba
Total population: 67.2%
Male: 80.9%
Female: 54.1% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 7 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Conventional short form: DRC
Local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
Local short form: RDC
Former: Congo Free State Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa Zaire
Abbreviation: DRC

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Kinshasa
Geographic coordinates: 4 19 S 15 18 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provinces singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu Bas-Congo (Lower Congo) Equateur Kasai-Occidental (West Kasai) Kasai-Oriental (East Kasai) Katanga Kinshasa* Maniema Nord-Kivu (North Kivu) Orientale Sud-Kivu (South Kivu)
Note: according to the Constitution adopted in December 2005 the current administrative divisions were to be subdivided into 26 new provinces by 2009 but this has yet to be implemented

Dependent areas

Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

National holiday: Independence Day 30 June (1960)

Constitution: 18 February 2006

Legal system: civil legal system based on Belgian version of French civil law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Joseph KABILA
Head of government: Prime Minister Adolphe MUZITO (since 10 October 2008)
Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president
Elections: under the new constitution the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 30 July 2006 and on 29 October 2006 (next to be held on 27 November 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Joseph KABILA elected president; percent of vote (second round) - Joseph KABILA 58% Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42%
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 held on 30 July 2006 and a run-off on 29 October 2006 confirming Joseph KABILA as president

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of a Senate (108 seats; members elected by provincial assemblies to serve five-year terms) and a National Assembly (500 seats; 61 members elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies 439 members elected by open list proportional-representation in multi-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 19 January 2007 (next to be held on 13 June 2012); National Assembly - last held on 30 July 2006 (next to be held on 27 November 2011)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 22 MLC 14 FR 7 RCD 7 PDC 6 CDC 3 MSR 3 PALU 2 independents 26 others 18 (political parties that won a single seat); National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 111 MLC 64 PALU 34 MSR 27 FR 26 RCD 15 independents 63 others 160 (includes 63 political parties that won 10 or fewer seats)

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation; Council of State; High Military Court; plus civil and military courts and tribunals

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democrat Party or PDC [Jose ENDUNDO]; Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD [Azarias RUBERWA]; Convention of Christian Democrats or CDC; Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI]; Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA]; People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Joseph KABILA]; Social Movement for Renewal or MSR [Pierre LUMBI]; Unified Lumumbist Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for the Congolese Nation or UNC [Vital KAMERHE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI]; Union of Mobutuist Democrats or UDEMO [MOBUTU Nzanga]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CEPGL COMESA FAO G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIF OPCW PCA SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU
In the us chancery: Suite 601 1726 M Street NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-7,690 through 7,691
In the us fax: [1] (202) 234-2,609
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador James F. ENTWISTLE
From the us embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs Kinshasa
From the us mailing address: Unit 31,550 APO AE 9,828
From the us telephone: [243] (81) 225-5,872
From the us fax: [243] (81) 301-0561

Flag description: sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope red the blood of the country's martyrs and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country

National symbols: leopard

National anthem
Name: 'Debout Congolaise'
Lyricsmusic: Joseph LUTUMBA/Simon-Pierre BOKA di Mpasi Londi
Note: adopted 1960; the anthem was replaced during the period in which the country was known as Zaire but was readopted in 1997

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - is slowly recovering from decades of decline. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960 and conflict that began in May 1997 has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue increased external debt and resulted in the deaths of more than 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 began to improve in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. The transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress has been slow and the International Monetary Fund curtailed their program for the DRC at the end of March 2006 because of fiscal overruns. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data. Renewed activity in the mining sector the source of most export income boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth from 2006-2008 however the government's review of mining contracts that began in 2006 combined with a fall in world market prices for the DRC's key mineral exports temporarily weakened output in 2009 leading to a balance of payments crisis. The recovery in mineral prices beginning in mid 2009 boosted mineral exports and emergency funds from the IMF boosted foreign reserves. An uncertain legal framework corruption and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the mining sector and for the economy as a whole. The global recession cut economic growth in 2009 to less than half its 2008 level but growth returned to 6% in 2010. The DRC signed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF in 2009 and received $12 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief in 2010.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 119
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 32

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 227
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 38.7%
Industry: 26.7%
Services: 34.6% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee sugar palm oil rubber tea cotton cocoa quinine cassava (tapioca) manioc bananas plantains peanuts root crops corn fruits; wood products

Industries: mining (diamonds gold copper cobalt coltan zinc tin diamonds) mineral processing consumer products (including textiles plastics footwear cigarettes metal products processed foods and beverages) timber cement commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 33.68 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 18
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 71% (2006 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 34.7% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.308 billion
Expenditures: $3.999 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 2.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 22

Taxes and other revenues: 32.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 79

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 46.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 221

Central bank discount rate: 70% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 2

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 65.392% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 2

Stock of narrow money: $531.4 million (31 December 2007)
Rank: 151

Stock of broad money: $1.663 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 143

Stock of domestic credit:

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$1.167 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 152

Exports: $4.371 billion (2008 est.)
Rank: 95
Commodities: diamonds gold copper cobalt wood products crude oil coffee
Partners: China 46.9% Zambia 23.3% US 10.4% Belgium 4.2% (2010)

Imports: $4.949 billion (2008 est.)
Rank: 102
Commodities: foodstuffs mining and other machinery transport equipment fuels
Partners: South Africa 19.2% China 12.5% Belgium 9.2% Zambia 8.8% Zimbabwe 6.9% France 5.8% Kenya 5.8% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.003 billion (December 2009 est.)
Rank: 128

Debt external: $12.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 85

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 7.452 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 99
Consumption: 6.036 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 107
Exports: 674 million kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 591 million kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 166
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 165
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 75
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 100
Proven reserves: 991.1 million m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 99

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 42,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 168
Mobile cellular: 11.355 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 62

Telephone system
General assessment: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations; inadequate fixed line infrastructure
Domestic: state-owned operator providing less than 1 fixed-line connection per 1000 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate fixed-line infrastructure the use of mobile-cellular services has surged and subscribership in 2009 exceeded 10 million - roughly 15 per 100 persons
International: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcast station with near national coverage; more than a dozen privately-owned TV stations with 2 having near national coverage; 2 state-owned radio stations are supplemented by more than 100 private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cd
Hosts: 3,006 (2010)
Hosts rank: 146
Users: 290,000 (2008)
Users rank: 132

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 59

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-45 years of age for voluntary military service (2009)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 198 (2010)
Rank: 31
With paved runways total: 26
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 17
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 172
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 20
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 91
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 61 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 37 km; oil 39 km; refined products 756 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 4,007 km
Rank: 43
Narrow gauge: 3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 153,497 km
Rank: 33
Paved: 2,794 km
Unpaved: 150,703 km (2004)

Waterways: 15,000 km (including the Congo its tributaries and unconnected lakes) (2009)
Rank: 8

Merchant marine
Total: 1
Rank: 163
By type: petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: 1 (Republic of the Congo 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Banana Boma Bukavu Bumba Goma Kalemie Kindu Kinshasa Kisangani Matadi Mbandaka


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Disputes international: heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledged in 2004 to abate tribal rebel and militia fighting in the region including northeast Congo where the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) organized in 1999 maintains over 16,500 uniformed peacekeepers; members of Uganda's Lords Resistance Army forces continue to seek refuge in Congo's Garamba National Park as peace talks with the Uganda government evolve; 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; Uganda and DRC dispute Rukwanzi island in Lake Albert and other areas on the Semliki River with hydrocarbon potential; boundary commission continues discussions over Congolese-administered triangle of land on the right bank of the Lunkinda river claimed by Zambia near the DRC village of Pweto; DRC accuses Angola of shifting monuments

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 132,295 (Angola); 37,313 (Rwanda); 17,777 (Burundi); 13,904 (Uganda); 6,181 (Sudan); 5,243 (Republic of Congo)
Idps: 1.4 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2007)

Illicit drugs: one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; 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 (2008)