Congo, Democratic Republic of the [+]Compare [E]dit [H]istory

Aliases: Congo Free State, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, RDC, Republique Democratique du Congo

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Attribute Value
Geography
Area 2,344,858 km²
Continent Africa
Land area 2,267,048 km²
Water area 77,810 km²
Land boundaries 10,481 km
Border countries
  • Angola
  • Burundi
  • Central African Republic
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Rwanda
  • South Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
Coastline 37 km
Mean elevation 726 m
Lowest point 0 m
Highest point 5,110 m
People
Population 101,780,263
Official languages
  • French
Religion Roman Catholic
Government
Long country name Democratic Republic of the Congo
Short country name DRC
Long local name Republique Democratique du Congo
Short local name RDC
Former name
  • Belgian Congo
  • Congo Free State
  • Congo/Kinshasa
  • Congo/Leopoldville
  • Zaire
Government type Semi-presidential republic
Capital Kinshasa
Economy
GDP (PPP) 68,600,000,000 USD
GDP (OER) 41,440,000,000 USD
GDP (real growth rate) 3.4 %
GDP - per capita (PPP) 800 USD
Gross national saving 11.5 % of GDP
Labor force 31,360,000
Unemployment rate Add
Population below poverty line 63 %
Budget revenues 4,634,000,000 USD
Budget expenditures 5,009,000,000 USD
Military expenditures 0.67 % of GDP
Taxes and other revenues 11.2 % of GDP
Budget surplus or deficit -0.9 % of GDP
Public debt 18.1 % of GDP
Inflation rate 41.5 %
Central bank discount rate 20 %
Commercial bank prime lending rate 20.62 %
Stock of narrow money 1,044,000,000 USD
Stock of broad money 1,044,000,000 USD
Stock of domestic credit 3,252,000,000 USD
Market value of publicly traded shares Add
Current account balance -200,000,000 USD
Exports 10,980,000,000 USD
Imports 10,820,000,000 USD
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 457,500,000 USD
External debt 4,963,000,000 USD
National currency Congolese francs
National currency (code) CDF
National currency (symbol) FC
National currency rate to USD 1

Established as an official 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 conflict 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. KABILA 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. Presidential, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006, with Joseph KABILA elected to office. National elections were held in November 2011 and disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency. While the DRC constitution barred President KABILA from running for a third term, the DRC Government delayed national elections originally slated for November 2016, to 30 December 2018. This failure to hold elections as scheduled fueled significant civil and political unrest, with sporadic street protests by KABILA’s opponents and exacerbation of tensions in the tumultuous eastern DRC regions. Presidential, legislative, and provincial elections were held in late December 2018 and early 2019 across most of the country. The DRC Government canceled presidential elections in the cities of Beni and Butembo (citing concerns over an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region) as well as Yumbi (which had recently experienced heavy violence). Opposition candidate Felix TSHISEKEDI was announced the election winner on 10 January 2019 and inaugurated two weeks later. This was the first transfer of power to an opposition candidate without significant violence or a coup since the DRC's independence.  The DRC, particularly in the East, continues to experience violence perpetrated by over 100 armed groups active in the region, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and assorted Mai Mai militias. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has operated in the region since 1999 and is the largest and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission in the world.  

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There was one edit, no edits waiting approval. Last edited by mann.zelma(9435), Sep 16, 2019 (64 fields were changed)
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