About
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 (DROC), but in August
1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia,
Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola,
Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, 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 plans to hold a series of elections in 2006 to
determine the presidency and National Assembly seats.
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Source: The World Factbook
Population: 60,085,804
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 2005 est.)
Capital: Kinshasa
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 syncretic sects and indigenous
beliefs 10%
Government: dictatorship; presumably
undergoing a transition to representative government
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
Geography: 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
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
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 war, 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, with President KABILA 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 per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 6.5% (2005
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA (2003 est.)
Internet country code: .cd
Dial code: +243
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Local currency is the Congolese Franc Congolais
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