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 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 led to large population displacements and significant human rights abuses before the M23 was pushed out of DRC to Uganda and Rwanda in late 2013 by a joint DRC and UN offensive. In addition, the DRC continues to experience violence committed by other armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the Allied Democratic Forces, and assorted Mai Mai militias. In the most recent national elections, held in November 2011, disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency; the next presidential election is scheduled for late 2016.

Central Africa, northeast of Angola

0 00 N, 25 00 E

Africa

slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

37 km

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

highest point: 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

arable land 3.1%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 8%

110 sq km (2012)

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

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

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

81,331,050

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

French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%

Despite a wealth of fertile soil, hydroelectric power potential, and mineral resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) struggles with many socioeconomic problems, including high infant and maternal mortality rates, malnutrition, poor vaccination coverage, lack of access to improved water sources and sanitation, and frequent and early fertility. Ongoing conflict, mismanagement of resources, and a lack of investment have resulted in food insecurity; almost 30 percent of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. The overall coverage of basic public services – education, health, sanitation, and potable water – is very limited and piecemeal, with substantial regional and rural/urban disparities. Fertility remains high at almost 5 children per woman and is likely to remain high because of the low use of contraception and the cultural preference for larger families.

The DRC is a source and host country for refugees. Between 2012 and 2014, more than 119,000 Congolese refugees returned from the Republic of Congo to the relative stability of northwest DRC, but more than 540,000 Congolese refugees remained abroad as of year-end 2015. In addition, more than 1.7 million Congolese are internally displaced, the vast majority fleeing violence in the DRC’s eastern provinces between rebel group and Congolese armed forces. Thousands of refugees have come to the DRC from neighboring countries, including Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Burundi.

2.42% (2016 est.)

34.2 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

KINSHASA (capital) 11.587 million; Lubumbashi 2.015 million; Mbuji-Mayi 20.007 million; Kananga 1.169 million; Kisangani 1.04 million; Bukavu 832,000 (2015)

19.9

693 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

4.53 children born/woman (2016 est.)

17.7% (2010)

4.3% of GDP (2014)

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2006)

urban: 81.1% of population

rural: 31.2% of population

total: 52.4% of population

urban: 18.9% of population

rural: 68.8% of population

total: 47.6% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 28.5% of population

rural: 28.7% of population

total: 28.7% of population

urban: 71.5% of population

rural: 71.3% of population

total: 71.3% of population (2015 est.)

0.85% (2015 est.)

374,100 (2015 est.)

21,700 (2015 est.)

3.7% (2014)

23.4% (2014)

2.2% of GDP (2013)

semi-presidential republic

26 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Bas-Uele, Equateur, Haut-Katanga, Haut-Lomami, Haut-Uele, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Central, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa, Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu, Lomami, Lualaba, Mai-Ndombe, Maniema, Mongala, Nord-Kivu, Nord-Ubangi, Sankuru, Sud-Kivu, Sud-Ubangi, Tanganyika, Tshopo, Tshuapa

30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006; amended 2011 (2016)

civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary, and tribal law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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 [Henri MOVA]

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]

Allied Democratic Forces or ADF (anti-Ugandan government rebel groups]

Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congor (Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) or FARDC

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

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, 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

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

leopard; national colors: sky blue, red, yellow

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 countrywide instability and conflict that began in the early-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.

Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, has boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth in recent years, although recent commodity price declines threaten to erase progress. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the large mining sector and for the economy as a whole.

The country marked its thirteenth consecutive year of positive economic expansion in 2015. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data. 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.

$62.87 billion (2015 est.)

$58.35 billion (2014 est.)

$53.45 billion (2013 est.)

$38.87 billion (2015 est.)

7.7% (2015 est.)

9.2% (2014 est.)

8.5% (2013 est.)

$800 (2015 est.)

$700 (2014 est.)

$700 (2013 est.)

5.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

7% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

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

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

6.1% (2015 est.)

30.05 million (2015 est.)

NA%

63% (2012 est.)

14% of GDP (2015 est.)

-0.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

17.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

16.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

1.2% (2015 est.)

1.2% (2014 est.)

4% (31 December 2012)

20% (31 December 2011)

19.37% (31 December 2015 est.)

18.69% (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.213 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.123 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.018 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.402 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.381 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.844 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$NA

-$4.726 billion (2015 est.)

-$3.449 billion (2014 est.)

$10.35 billion (2015 est.)

$12.32 billion (2014 est.)

diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee

China 43.5%, Zambia 25%, South Korea 4.9%, Belgium 4.8% (2015)

$10.46 billion (2015 est.)

$11.96 billion (2014 est.)

foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

China 20.6%, South Africa 17.7%, Zambia 12.3%, Belgium 6.9%, Zimbabwe 5.1%, India 4.7% (2015)

$1.216 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.557 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.106 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$5.508 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -

925.99 (2015 est.)

925.23 (2014 est.)

925.23 (2013 est.)

920.25 (2012 est.)

899 (2011 est.)

8.7 billion kWh (2014 est.)

9.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)

69 million kWh (2014 est.)

1.1 billion kWh (2014 est.)

2.6 million kW (2014 est.)

1.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

98.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

20,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

180 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

24,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

22,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)

8.495 million cu m (2011 est.)

8.495 million cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

991.1 million cu m (1 January 2016 es)

1.4 million Mt (2013 est.)

state-owned TV broadcast station with near national coverage; more than a dozen privately owned TV stations - 2 with 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)

.cd

9Q (2016)

198 (2013)

1 (2013)

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

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

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)

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

1.72% of GDP (2012)

1.53% of GDP (2011)

1.72% of GDP (2010)

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

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 leave 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)