| World Regions |
|
Africa Middle East Europe Asia North America Central America The Caribbean South America Oceania World Map Cities Maps Flags Embassies Consulates |
| |
| Introduction | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Background: | Since 1997, 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 in 1994 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 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state ten days later. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity. |
| People | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Population: | 58,317,930 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 48.2% (male 14,122,237; female 14,008,654) 15-64 years: 49.3% (male 14,097,301; female 14,646,285) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 590,262; female 853,191) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 15.8 years female: 16.2 years (2004 est.) male: 15.4 years |
| Population growth rate: | 2.99% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 44.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 14.64 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: 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 internally displaced and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2004 est.) |
| 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: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 94.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 85.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 103.18 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.14 years male: 47.06 years female: 51.28 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 6.62 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 4.2% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1.1 million (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 100,000 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria, trypanosomiasis, plague, schistosomiasis overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| 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% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local short form: none 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: | a new constitution was adopted 17 July 2003 |
| 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 (since 26 January 2001); 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 head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); 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: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese Seko, 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, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - a Transitional Government is drafting a new constitution with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005 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 scheduled to be held in NA 2005 election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition |
| 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 Laurent Desire KABILA |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); 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 (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA]) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (88) 43608 FAX: [243] (88) 43467 |
| 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 |
| Communications | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1 million (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: poor domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) |
| Radios: | 18.03 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 4 (2001) |
| Televisions: | 6.478 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .cd |
| Internet hosts: | 153 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2001) |
| Internet users: | 50,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Railways: | total: 5,138 km 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 (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 15,000 km (navigation on the Congo curtailed by fighting) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 54 km; oil 71 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka |
| Merchant marine: | none |
| Airports: | 230 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 24 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 206 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 92 under 914 m: 97 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 12,706,971 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 6,480,645 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $115.5 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.4% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Disputes - international: | Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war, tribal conflict, and rebel gang fighting that has drawn in neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; in the Great Lakes region and Sudan, heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict, but unchecked localized violence continues unabated; 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 |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 45,060 (Sudan), 123,714 (Angola), 19,552 (Burundi), 6,626 (Republic of Congo), 19,743 (Rwanda), 18,953 (Uganda) IDPs: 2.33 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
| Categories | |
|