Democratic Republic of the Congo

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO COAT OF ARMS Location of Congo, Democratic Republic within the continent of Africa

Map of Congo, Democratic Republic

Flag Description of Congo, Democratic Republic: 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

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion. But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened . Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions. Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE? Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace? WHY?? There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance: The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Official name République Democratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Form of government unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate [108]; National Assembly [500])
Head of state President: Joseph Kabila
Head of government Prime Minister: Augustin Matata Ponyo Mapon
Capital Kinshasa
Official language French1
Official religion none
Monetary unit Congo franc (FC)
Population (2014 est.) 69,360,000COLLAPSE
Total area (sq mi) 905,568
Total area (sq km) 2,345,410
Urban-rural population

Urban: (2011) 35.9%

Rural: (2011) 64.1%

Life expectancy at birth

Male: (2012) 54.8 years

Female: (2012) 57.2 years

Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate

Male: (2010) 76.9%

Female: (2010) 57%

GNI per capita (U.S.$) (2013) 400

1National languages are Kongo, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba.

About Democratic Republic of the Congo

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. In January 2001, KABILA was assassinated 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 the eastern DRC; 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; it held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006. In 2009, following a resurgence of conflict in the eastern DRC, the government signed a peace agreement with the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a primarily Tutsi rebel group. An attempt to integrate CNDP members into the Congolese military failed, prompting their defection in 2012 and the formation of the M23 armed group - named after the 23 March 2009 peace agreements.

Renewed conflict has lead to the displacement of large numbers of persons and significant human rights abuses. As of February 2013, peace talks between the Congolese government and the M23 were on-going. In addition, the DRC continues to experience violence committed by other armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and Mai Mai groups. In the most recent national elections, held in November 2011, disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency.

ANTHEM LYRICS - ENGLISH TRANSLATION	ANTHEM LYRICS IN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE	MOTTO
On this day the sun rises And our Congo stands resplendent. A long night is ended, A great happiness has come. Let us all, with wild joyfulness, sing The song of freedom. CHORUS Arise, Congolese, proud every man, Proclaim the unity of our nation. Let us forget what divides us And become more united than ever. Let us live our motto: Unity, work, progress. (repeat previous two lines) From the forest to the bush, From the bush to the ocean, One people, one soul, One heart, ardent and proud. Let us all fight, every one of us, For our old black country. CHORUS And if we have to die, What does it really matter? Our children Everywhere will be able to say how Triumph comes through battle, And in the smallest village Sing beneath our three colours. CHORUS	Zairois dans la paix retrouvee Peuple uni, nous sommes Zairois En avant fier et plein de dignite Peuple grand, peuple libre a jamais Tricolore enflamme nous du feu sacre Pour batir notre pays toujours plus beau Autour d'un fleuve majeste Autour d'un fleuve majeste Tricolore au vent ravive l'ideal Qui nous relie aux aieux a nos enfants Paix, justice et travail Paix, justice et travail	"Justice, Paix, Travail" ("Justice, Peace, Work")

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• Coat of Arms: The coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo displays a leopard head bordered by an elephant tusk and spear.

Geography of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Geography Profile 2014

• Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
• Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E
• Map references: Africa

• Area

total: 2,344,858 sq km

land: 2,267,048 sq km

water: 77,810 sq km

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

• Land boundaries

total: 10,481 km

border countries: Angola 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 236 km, Central African Republic 1,747 km, Republic of the Congo 1,229 km, Rwanda 221 km, South Sudan 714 km, Tanzania 479 km, Uganda 877 km, Zambia 2,332 km

• Coastline: 37 km

• Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: boundaries with ne��[~"�ors

• 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, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber

• Land use

arable land: 2.9%

permanent crops: 0.32%

other: 96.78% (2011)

• Irrigated

land 105 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources 1,283 cu km (2011)

• Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.68 cu km/yr (68%/21%/11%)

per capita: 11.25 cu m/yr (2005)

• Natural hazards

periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); active volcanoes in the east along the Great Rift Valley

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 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

• 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

• Environment - 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

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

• Geography - note second largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa; straddles the 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

More about Land of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Demographics of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Demographics Profile 2014

• Population: 77,433,744

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 (July 2014 est.)

• Age structure

0-14 years: 43.1% (male 16,810,549/female 16,552,685)

15-24 years: 21.4% (male 8,292,444/female 8,248,326)

25-54 years: 29.4% (male 11,359,385/female 11,405,442)

55-64 years

3.5% (male 1,287,895/female 1,457,499)

65 years and over: 2.6% (male 849,840/female 1,169,679) (2014 est.)

• Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 91.1 %

youth dependency ratio: 85.6 %

elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 %

potential support ratio: 18.3 (2014 est.)

• Medianage

total: 17.9 years

male: 17.7 years

female: 18.1 years (2014 est.)

• Population

growth rate 2.5% (2014 est.)

Birth rate 35.62 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Net migration rate -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)

• Urbanization

urban population: 34.3% of total population (2011)

rate of urbanization: 4.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

• Major cities - population KINSHASA (capital) 8.798 million; Lubumbashi 1.556 million; Mbuji-Mayi 1.504 million; Kananga 888,000; Kisangani 820,000 (2011)

• Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

• Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.2

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)

• Infant mortality rate

total: 73.15 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 76.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female

69.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

• Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.54 years

male: 55.03 years

female: 58.09 years (2014 est.)

• Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (2014 est.)
• Contraceptive prevalence rate: 17.7% (2010)
• HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2012 est.)
• HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 481,500 (2012 est.)
• HIV/AIDS - deaths: 31,700 (2012 est.)

• Drinking water source

improved:

urban: 79.1% of population

rural: 29% of population

total: 46.5% of population

unimproved:

urban: 20.9% of population

rural: 71% of population

total: 53.5% of population (2012 est.)

• Sanitation facility access

improved:

urban: 29.1% of population

rural: 32.6% of population

total: 31.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 70.9% of population

rural: 67.4% of population

total: 68.6% of population (2012 est.)

• Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis-gambiense (African sleeping sickness)

water contact disease: schistosomiasis

animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

• 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 (includes 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: 66.8%

male: 76.9%

female: 57% (2010 est.)

• School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years

male: 11 years

female: 8 years (2012)

• Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 8,284,395

percentage: 42 % (2010 est.)

• Education expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2010)
• Maternal mortality rate: 540 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
• Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 28.2% (2007)
• Health expenditures: 8.5% of GDP (2011)
• Physicians density: 0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2004)
• Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1,000 population (2006)
• Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2008)

More about People of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Government of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Government Profile 2014

• 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

• Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
• National holiday: Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

• Constitution: several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006; revised 2011 (2011)

• 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

• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

• Executive branch

chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 17 January 2001)

head of government: 12) Prime Minister Augustin MATATA PONYO Mapon (since 18 April 20

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); election last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in November 2016); prime minister appointed by the president

election results: Joseph KABILA reelected president; percent of vote - Joseph KABILA 49%, Etienne TSHISEKEDI 32.3%, other 18.7%; note - election marred by serious voting irregularities

• 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 scheduled for 5 June 2013; though likely to be delayed); National Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)

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 62, UDPS 41, PPPD 29, MSR 27, MLC 22, PALU 19, UNC 17, ARC 16, AFDC 15, ECT 11, RRC 11, independents 16, others 214 (includes numerous political parties that won 10 or fewer seats and 2 constituencies where voting was halted); note - the November 2011 elections were married by violence including the destruction of ballots in two constituencies resulting in the closure of polling sites; election results were delayed three months, stongly contested, and continue to be unresolved

• Judicial branch-

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (organized into legislative and judiciary sections and consists of 26 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges nominated by the Judicial Service Council, an independent body of public prosecutors and selected judges of the lower courts; judges tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by the president, 3 by the Judicial Service Council, and 3 by the legislature; judges appointed by the president to serve 9-year non-renewable terms

subordinate courts: State Security Court; Court of Appeals (organized into administrative and judiciary sections); Tribunal de Grande; magistrates' courts; customary courts

• 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 [Evariste BOSHAB]

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]

• Political pressure groups and leaders

FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo) - Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which commits atrocities on citizens

FDLR (Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) - Rwandan militia group made up of some of the perpetrators of Rwanda's Genocide in 1994

CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the People) - mainly Congolese Tutsis who want refugees returned and more representation in government

M23 - rebel group comprised largely from ex-CNDP forces

• International organization participation- ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), 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 (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

• Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Faida Maramuke MITIFU (since 3 February 2000)

chancery: Suite 601, 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690 through 7691

FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

consulate(s) general: New York

• Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN (since 5 September 2013)

embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa

mailing address: Unit 2220, DPO AE 09828

telephone: [243] (081) 556-0151

FAX: [243] (081) 556-0175

• 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 anthem

name: "Debout Congolaise" (Arise Congolese)

lyrics/music: 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

More about Government Society of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Economy of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Economy Profile 2014

• Economy - overview

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast natural resource wealth - is slowly recovering after decades of decline. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960, combined with country-wide instability and conflict that began in the mid-90s has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and increased external debt. With the installation of a transitional government in 2003 after peace accords, economic conditions slowly began to improve as the transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress has been slow to reach the interior of the country although clear changes are evident in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. 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. 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, has boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth in recent years. The global recession cut economic growth in 2009 to less than half its 2008 level, but growth returned to around 7% per year in 2010-12. 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, but the IMF at the end of 2012 suspended the last three payments under the loan facility - worth $240 million - because of concerns about the lack of transparency in mining contracts. In 2012, the DRC updated its business laws by adhering to OHADA, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa. The country marked its tenth consecutive year of positive economic expansion in 2012.

• GDP (purchasing power parity)

$29.39 billion (2013 est.)

$27.66 billion (2012 est.)

$25.82 billion (2011 est.)

note: data are in 2013 US dollars

• GDP (official exchange rate): $18.56 billion (2013 est.)

• GDP - real growth

rate 6.2% (2013 est.)

7.2% (2012 est.)

6.9% (2011 est.)

• GDP - per capita (PPP)

$400 (2013 est.)

$400 (2012 est.)

$400 (2011 est.)

note: data are in 2013 US dollars

• GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 65.9%

government consumption: 12.5%

investment in fixed capital: 27.9%

investment in inventories: 1%

exports of goods and services: 49.9%

imports of goods and services: -56.3%

(2013 est.)

• GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 44.3%

industry: 21.7%

services: 34% (2013 est.)

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

• Labor force: 35.18 million (2013 est.)

• Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

• Unemployment rate: NA%

• Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3%

highest 10%: 34.7% (2006)

• Budget

revenues: $5.817 billion

expenditures: $6.472 billion (2013 est.)

• Taxes and other revenues: 31.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
• Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -3.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

• Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.1% (2013 est.)

9.5% (2012 est.)

• Central bank discount rate

4% (31 December 2012 est.)

20% (31 December 2011 est.)

• Commercial bank prime lending rate

18.6% (31 December 2013 est.)

28.45% (31 December 2012 est.)

• Stock of narrow money

$1.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$986.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

• Stock of broad money

$3.502 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$3.042 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

• Stock of domestic credit

$1.862 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$1.708 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

• Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

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

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

• Industrial production growth rate 12% (2013 est.)

Current Account Balance -$2.544 billion (2013 est.) -$2.254 billion (2012 est.)

• Exports

$9.936 billion (2013 est.)

$8.872 billion (2012 est.)

• Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee

• Exports - partners China 54.3%, Zambia 22.6%, Belgium 5.7% (2012)

• Imports

$8.924 billion (2013 est.)

$8.187 billion (2012 est.)

• Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
• Imports - partners South Africa 22.3%, China 15.3%, Belgium 8%, Zambia 6.9%, Zimbabwe 5.6%, France 4.9%, Kenya 4.7% (2012)

• Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.582 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$1.633 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

• Debt - external

$6.874 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$6.087 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

• Exchange rates Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -

918 (2013 est.)

920.25 (2012 est.)

905.91 (2010 est.)

472.19 (2009)

559 (2008)

• Fiscal year- calendar year

More about Economy of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Energy of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Energy Profile 2014

• Electricity - production: 7.804 billion kWh (2010 est.)
• Electricity - consumption: 6.197 billion kWh (2010 est.)
• Electricity - exports: 916 million kWh (2010 est.)
• Electricity - imports: 161 million kWh (2010 est.)
• Electricity - installed generating capacity: 2.437 million kW (2010 est.)
• Oil - production: 20,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
• Oil - exports: 22,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)
• Oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
• Oil - proved reserves: 180 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
• Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
• Refined petroleum products - consumption: 10,240 bbl/day (2011 est.)
• Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
• Refined petroleum products - imports: 16,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
• Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
• Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2010 est.)
• Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
• Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
• Natural gas - proved reserves: 991.1 million cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
• Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: 2.721 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telecommunications of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Telecommunications Profile 2014

• Telephones - main lines in use 58,200 (2012)
• Telephones - mobile cellular 19.487 million (2012)

• 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 100 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate fixed-line infrastructure, the use of mobile-cellular services has surged and mobile teledensity is roughly 20 per 100 persons

international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

• 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
• Internet hosts 2,515 (2012)
• Internet users 290,000 (2008)

Transportation of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Transportation Profile 2014

• Railways

total: 4,007 km

narrow gauge: 3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

• Roadways

total: 153,497 km

paved: 2,794 km

unpaved: 150,703 km (2004)

• Waterways 15,000 km (including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) (2011)

Pipelines gas 62 km; oil 77 km; refined products 756 km (2013)

• Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Banana

river or lake port(s): Boma, Bumba, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka (Congo); Kindu (Lualaba); Bukavu, Goma (Lake Kivu); Kalemie (Lake Tanganyika)

• Merchant marine

total: 1

by type: petroleum tanker 1

foreign-owned: 1 (Republic of the Congo 1) (2010)

• Airports- 198 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways total: 26 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2013) Airports - with unpaved runways total: 172 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 87 under 914 m: 65 (2013) Heliports 1 (2013)

Military of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Military Profile 2014

• Military branches- Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Army, National Navy (La

• Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC) (2011)

• Military service age and obligation

18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2012)

• Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 15,980,106 (2010 est.)

• Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 10,168,258

females age 16-49: 10,331,693 (2010 est.)

• Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 877,684

female: 871,880 (2010 est.)

• Military expenditures

1.72% of GDP (2012)

1.53% of GDP (2011)

1.72% of GDP (2010)

Transnational of Issues Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Transnational Issues Profile 2014

• 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

• 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)

• Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 43,674 (Rwanda); 9,762 (Burundi) (2013); 56,150 (Central African Republic) (2014)

IDPs: 2,634,872 (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2014)

• Trafficking in persons

current situation: Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source, destination, and possibly a transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the majority of this trafficking is internal, and much of it is perpetrated by armed groups and government forces outside government control within the country's unstable eastern provinces; Congolese women and children have been exploited internally as domestic servants, while others migrate to Angola, South Africa, Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, as well as East African, Middle Eastern, and European nations where they are subjected to forced prostitution, domestic servitude, and forced labor in agriculture and diamond mines; indigenous and foreign armed groups (including the Lord's Resistance Army) abduct and forcibly recruit Congolese adults and children to serve as laborers, porters, domestics, combatants, and sex slaves; some commanders of the Congolese national army also recruit, at times through force, men and children for use as combatants, escorts, and porters

tier rating: Tier 3 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government signed a UN-backed action plan to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers within its armed forces but has not applied legal sanctions against those who recruit and use child soldiers and has not reported any law enforcement efforts to combat any other forms of trafficking; besides child soldiers, the government has not reported identifying any other victims of forced labor or sex trafficking or providing protective services or referrals to NGO-operated care facilities; NGOs continue to provide the vast majority of the limited shelter, legal, medical, and psychological services available to victims (2013)

Environment of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Carbon dioxide emissions of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Consumption of ozone-depleting substances of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Energy efficiency of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Habitat protection of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Marine habitat protection of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Resource usage of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Terrestrial habitat protection of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Health Democratic Republic of the Congo

AIDS morbidity of Democratic Republic of the Congo
AIDS mortality of Democratic Republic of the Congo
AIDS orphans of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Child malnutrition of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Condom use of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Contraceptive use among currently married women 15-49 years old of Democratic Republic of the Congo
HIV prevalence rate of Democratic Republic of the Congo
HIV prevention of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Infant health of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malaria morbidity of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malaria mortality of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malaria prevention of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malaria treatment of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malnutrition of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Maternal health of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Proportion of the population using improved drinking water sources of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Proportion of the population using improved sanitation facilities of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuberculosis morbidity of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuberculosis mortality of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuberculosis prevention of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuberculosis treatment of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Unmet need for family planning of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2011

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,345,410 sq km (905,568 sq mi) Population (2011 est.): 67,758,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state and government: President Joseph Kabila, assisted by Prime...Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2010

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,345,410 sq km (905,568 sq mi) Population (2010 est.): 67,827,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state and government: President Joseph Kabila, assisted by Prime ...Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,355 sq mi) Population (2009 est.): 66,020,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state: President Joseph Kabila Head of government: Prime Minister...Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,355 sq mi) Population (2008 est.): 66,515,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state: President Joseph Kabila Head of government: Prime...Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2007

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,355 sq mi) Population (2007 est.): 62,636,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state: President Joseph Kabila Head of government: Prime Minister...Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,355 sq mi) Population (2006 est.): 59,320,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state and government: President Joseph Kabila Violence in parts......Read On ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,354 sq mi) Population (2005 est.): 57,549,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state and government: President Joseph Kabila Work progressed......Read On...

Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2004

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,355 sq mi) Population (2007 est.): 62,636,000 Capital: Kinshasa Head of state: President Joseph Kabila Head of government: Prime Minister...Read On...

Disclaimer

This is not the official site of this country. Most of the information in this site were taken from the U.S. Department of State, The Central Intelligence Agency, The United Nations, [1],[2], [3], [4], [5],[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30],[31], [32], [33], [34], and the [35].

Other sources of information will be mentioned as they are posted.