Democratic Republic of the Congo

Flag Blue represents peace and hope Red the blood of the country's martyrs Yellow the country's wealth and prosperity Star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country

Map Capital is Kinshasa

History Congo was a Belgian colony until 1960 When the country gained independence, many Belgians left Few teachers, doctors, and other professionals were left in the former colony Various ethnic groups fought each other for power

Mobutu A military leader named Joseph Mobutu came to power in 1965 He ruled as a dictator He changed the name of the country to Zaire – a name that was traditionally African rather than European He also changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko

During his rule, the government took over foreign-owned industries Most farmers suffered, and government and business leaders were corrupt While the economy collapsed, Mobutu became one of the richest men in the world and used violence against people who challenged him

In 1997, after a civil war, a new government took over The new government named the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Government Type of government – Republic Executive Branch Chief of State: President Joseph Kabila Head of government: Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president

Legislative Branch Bicameral legislature consists of a Senate and a National Assembly Judicial Branch Constitutional Court, Appeals Court, plus civil and military courts and tribunals

Religious & Ethnic Groups Roman Catholic 50% Protestant 20% Kimbanguist 10% Muslim 10% Other 10% Over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu The four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo, and the Mangbetu- Azande make up about 45% of the population

Language French (official) Lingala Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili)

Economy DRC is a treasure chest of minerals that could bring wealth to the country However, civil war, bad government, and crime have scared many foreign businesses away. Most people in DRC are poor They usually live in rural areas where they must farm and trade for food (Traditional)

Major Industry Mining (diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan, zinc, tin, diamonds) Consumer products (including textiles) Cement Commercial ship repair Coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, fruits; wood products

Natural Resources Cobalt Copper Niobium Tantalum Petroleum Industrial and gem diamonds Gold Silver Zinc Manganese Tin Uranium Coal Hydropower Timber Arable land: 2.86%

Geography Straddles 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

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) Opposite seasons south of the Equator

Environmental Issues Periodic droughts in south Congo River floods (seasonal) Active volcanoes in the Great Rift Valley Poaching threatens wildlife populations Water pollution Deforestation Mining of minerals causing environmental damage

Literacy Rate –Total 67.2% –Male 80.9% –Female 54.1% Life Expectancy –Total 54.7 –Male 52.9 –Female 56.6 GDP –$300 per capita Population 70,916,439 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS Below Poverty Level –N/A