]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Central Africa, northeast of Angola ^# 0 00 N, 25 00 E ^$ Africa ^% `! 2,345,410 sq km `" 2,267,600 sq km `# 77,810 sq km ^& slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US ^' `! 10,730 km `U Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km ^( 37 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I boundaries with neighbors ^* 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 ^+ vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east ^, `% Atlantic Ocean 0 m `& Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m ^- cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber ^. `' 2.96% `( 0.52% `) 96.52% (2001) ^/ 110 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes ^1 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 _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands `L Environmental Modification ^2 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 
]# ^3 60,085,804 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 2005 est.) ^4 `* 48.1% (male 14,513,779/female 14,396,952) `+ 49.4% (male 14,579,101/female 15,121,297) `, 2.5% (male 597,776/female 876,099) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 15.8 years `- 15.4 years `. 16.2 years (2005 est.) ^6 2.98% (2005 est.) ^7 44.38 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 14.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -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 (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.01 male(s)/female `0 1.01 male(s)/female `+ 0.96 male(s)/female `, 0.68 male(s)/female `1 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 92.87 deaths/1,000 live births `- 101.25 deaths/1,000 live births `. 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 51.1 years `- 49.68 years `. 52.56 years (2005 est.) ^= 6.54 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 4.2% (2003 est.) ^? 1.1 million (2003 est.) ^@ 100,000 (2003 est.) __ 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) are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004) ^A `2 Congolese (singular and plural) `3 Congolese or Congo ^B 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 ^C Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% ^D French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba `1 65.5% `- 76.2% `. 55.1% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Democratic Republic of the Congo `5 none `V Republique Democratique du Congo `W none `X Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire `Y DROC ^H dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative government ^I Kinshasa ^J 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu ^K 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) ^L Independence Day, 30 June (1960) ^M new constitution adopted 17 July 2003 ^N based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal and compulsory ^P `6 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 `7 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 `8 National Executive Council, appointed by the president `9 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 `: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition 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 ^Q a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000 `9 NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire KABILA ^R Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ^S 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]) ^T NA ^U 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, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Faida MITIFU `O 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Wasington, DC, 20036 `P [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 `Q [1] (202) 234-2609 ^W `N Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS `Z 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa `[ Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 `P [243] (88) 43608 `Q [243] (88) 43467 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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. Several IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Economic stability, aided by international donors, improved in 2003-04, 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, could boost Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth. ^Z $42.74 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 7.5% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $700 (2004 est.) ^] `; 55% `< 11% `= 34% (2000 est.) ^^ 14.51 million (1993 est.) ^_ NA ^` NA (2003 est.) ^a NA _! `> NA `? NA _" 14% (2003 est.) _# `@ $269 million `A $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) _$ coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products _% mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair _& NA _' 6.086 billion kWh (2002) _( 4.168 billion kWh (2002) _) 1.5 billion kWh (2002) _* 8 million kWh (2002) _+ 24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _, 14,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _R 1.538 billion bbl (1 January 2002) _W 104.8 billion cu m (1 January 2002) _/ $1.417 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) _0 diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt _1 Belgium 47.8%, Finland 21%, US 10.9%, China 7.6% (2004) _2 $933 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) _3 foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels _4 South Africa 18.5%, Belgium 15.5%, France 10.8%, Kenya 6.3%, US 6%, Germany 5.8% (2004) _5 $11.6 billion (2000 est.) _6 $195.3 million (1995) _7 Congolese franc (CDF) _8 Congolese francs per US dollar - 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001), 21.82 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 10,000 (2002) _; 1 million (2003) _< `B poor `C barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations `D country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _= AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) _> 4 (2001) _? .cd _@ 153 (2003) _A 50,000 (2002) 
]' _e `! 5,138 km `c 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2004) _B `! 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways) `E NA km `F NA km (1999 est.) _b 15,000 km (navigation on the Congo curtailed by fighting) (2004) _[ gas 54 km; oil 71 km (2004) _C Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka _K `\ 1 _D 230 (2004 est.) _E `! 24 `] 4 `G 2 `^ 16 `_ 2 (2004 est.) _L `! 206 `^ 17 `_ 92 `T 97 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Army, Navy, Air Force _] males age 18-49: 11,052,696 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 5,851,292 (2005 est.) _N $93.5 million (2004) _O 1.5% (2004) 
]) _H heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DROC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the DROC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; 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 _c `d 45,060 (Sudan) 100,000 (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) _I 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 