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The Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 3rd largest nation of Africa is situated in the Central Africa but is a member of Southern African Development Community. It is bordered by the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, the Republic of the Congo on the west. The capital is Kinshasa. The nation and its life resolve around the Congo River.

Women’s human rights are being violated at a high rate.

HISTORY:- Congo was earliest inhabited by the Pygmies. Sir Henry Morton Stanley explored Congo under King Leopold II of Belgium’s sponsorship in 1870. In 1885, Leopold II became the all in all of the region in the Conference of Berlin and renamed it as the Congo Free State. He encouraged forced labour in ivory and rubber production. 10 million Congolese slaves were died in the course. His brutality prompted Belgium to take over the control. In 1908 it became the Belgian Congo. Belgium governed the land until 1960. On 30th June, 1960 Congo gained freedom and turned into the Republic of Congo. Following 5 years were marked by political chaos. After much instability, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu dethroned the then-President Kasavubu in 1965. The country was renamed in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1966 by Joseph Mobutu. One-party politics is introduced by Mobutu declaring himself as the head of state. Political and social peace came back but human rights were being violated. Mobutu again changed the country’s name into Republic of Zaire in 1971. Mobutu reigned until 1997 when he was forced to leave the nation. The name of the country again shifted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

GEOGRAPHY:- Congo is situated at 0 00 N, 25 00 E in Central Africa. The Country is the 3rd largest country in Africa, spanning across total 2,345,410 sq km (land: 2,267,600 sq km; water: 77,810 sq km). The Congo River is entirely responsible for the topology of the nation having the second-largest flow and the second-largest watershed in the world. Moreover the rainforest of the region is the second largest on the Earth. The coastline is 37 km long along with the South Atlantic Ocean. The lowest point is located at the Atlantic Ocean (0 m) whereas the highest point Pic Marguerite (5,110 m) is located on Mont Ngaliema. The country is composed of vast and low plateau in the central and mountains in the east.

CLIMATE:- Basically the climate of Congo is tropical while the equatorial river basin is hot and humid, the southern highlands are cooler and drier, and the eastern highlands are cooler and wetter.

GOVERNMENT:- The Democratic republic of Congo after 4 years of interim finally has gained Presidential republic. The new constitution was adopted on 18th February 2006 by a referendum on 18th December 2005. The three branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime minister (head of government), and cabinet. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President.

Legislative branch comprises the bicameral legislature, which consists of the National Assembly (500 seats) and Senate (108 seats).

Judicial branch comprises Constitutional Court, Appeals Court, Council of State, High Military Court and other courts.

Prominent ruling political party is Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et le Developpement (President’s party) and opposition parties are UDPS, FDF, FONUS, PDSC, MSDD, MPR-FP etc. Suffrage is universal and compulsory at 18.

President Joseph Kabila

Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- The country is divided into 26 self-governing districts according to the new constitution of 2005.

CULTURE:- The culture of the nation has a diversifying influences with maintaining its own uniqueness. 70% of the population lives in rural area, therefore they stay out of the western influences. Congolese music has a plenty of variety- ranging from sui generis to Soukous. Congolese masks and wooden pieces of art are very famous globally.

ECONOMY:- The country is recovering after decades of political insecurity and two Congo wars which led the economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo downwards. Congo produces the largest amount of Cobalt, and possesses good amount of copper, industrial diamonds and tantalum.

GDP/PPP (2006 est.): $44.44 billion; per capita $700.

Real growth rate: 6.4%.

Inflation: 18.2% (2006 est.).

Unemployment: n.a.

Arable land: 3%.

Agriculture: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products.

Labor force: n.a.

Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products, cement, commercial ship repair.

Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber.

Budget:

Revenues: $700 million

Expenditures: $2 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $10 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $1.108 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt.

Imports: $1.319 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels.

Major trading partners: Belgium, Finland, U.S., China, South Africa, France, Zambia, Kenya, Germany (2004).

Monetary unit: Congolese franc

LANGUAGE:- French is the official language. Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba are the recognized regional languages.

CITIES:- Capital Kinshasa is the largest city. Other major cities are Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi, Kolwezi, Kisangani.

POPULATION:- The estimated population of Congo is 64,606,759 with a growth rate of 3.1%.

Density per sq mi: 74

Literacy rate: 66% (2003 est.)

RACE:- More than 200 African ethnic groups reside in the nation with a majority of Bantu group. 4 largest tribal groups- Mongo, Luba, Kongo, and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) constitute the 45% of the entire population.

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 50%

Protestant 20%

Kimbanguist 10%

Islam 10%

Other syncretic and indigenous 10%

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 11.88 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 83.11 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.98 years

Total fertility rate: 6.28 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100,000 (2003 est.)

UNICEF:- UNICEF and its partners give shelter to 100000 families, supply safe water, sanitation to 200000 people, promote nutrition through 86 herapeutic feeding centres to over 45000 children, immunize 8 millions against measles, rehabilitate classrooms and train teachers, fight against enrolment of child soldiers, provides medical assistance to 15000 sexual molested people and psychosocial assistance to 25000 street children. National Council for Children has been established to protect the rights of children and women.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: total: 5,138 km (2005).

Highways: total: 153,497 km; paved: 2,794 km; unpaved: 150,703 km (2004). Waterways: 15,000 km (2004).

Ports and harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka.

Airports: 234 (2006 est.).

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