|name=''République Démocratique du Congo''
|map=Congo demrep rel98.jpg
|map2=Location of DemRep Congo.png|flag=drocongoflagFlag of the DemRep Congo.gifPNG
|arms=Arms of DemRep Congo.png
|capital=KinshashaKinshasa|government=[[Semi-Presidential Republicpresidential republic]]
|language=French
|monarch=
|president=Joseph Kabila
|chancellor=
|pm=Antoine GizengaAugustin Matata Ponyo
|area=2,344,858 km²
|pop=6392,655500,000(2020)|pop-basis=2007 estimate|gdp=$47,500,000,000 (2020)|gdp-year=$46.491 billion|gdp-pc=$774514 (2020)
|currency=Franc Congolais (CDF)
|idd=+243
|tld=.cd
}}
The '''Democratic Republic of the Congo''' ('''D.R.C.''') is a country in central Africa and the third second largest on the continent. Formerly known as the '''Belgian Congo ''' and '''Zaire''', the country was founded around the greater part and often called '''Congo,''' it covers most of the [[Congo River ]] basin, which covers with an area of almost 1 million square kilometers (400,000 sq. mi.).
==Geography==
The vast, low-lying central area is a basin-shaped plateau sloping toward the west and covered by tropical rainforest. This area is surrounded by mountainous terraces in the west, plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. High mountains are found in the extreme eastern region.
D.R.C. lies on the [[Equator]], with one-third of the country to the north and two-thirds to the south. The climate is hot and humid in the river basin and cool and dry in the southern highlands. South of the Equator, the rainy season lasts from October to May and north of the Equator, from April to November. Along the Equator, rainfall is fairly regular throughout the year. During the wet season, thunderstorms often are violent but seldom last more than a few hours. The average rainfall for the entire country is about 107 centimeters (42 in.).
==People==
[[File:Congo people.jpg|thumb|left|240px|At Luvungi, Sud-Kivu Province.]]The population of D.R.C. was estimated at 58 17.7 million in 20042011. As many as 250 ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. Some of the larger groupings of tribes are the [[Kongo]], [[Luba]], and [[Anamongo]]. Although 700 local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.
About 50% of the Congolese population is Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. Most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religions or syncretic sects. Traditional religions include concepts such as monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and sorcery and vary widely among ethnic groups; none is formalized. The syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals. The most popular of these sects, Kimbanguism, was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu," now claims about 3 million members, primarily among the Bakongo tribe of Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. In 1969, it was the first independent African church admitted to the [[World Council of Churches]].
Before independence, education was largely in the hands of religious groups. The primary school system was well developed at independence; however, the secondary school system was limited, and higher education was almost nonexistent in most regions of the country. The principal objective of this system was to train low-level administrators and clerks. Since independence, efforts have been made to increase access to education, and secondary and higher education have been made available to many more Congolese. According to estimates made in 2000, 41.7% of the population has no schooling, 42.2% has primary schooling, 15.4% has secondary schooling, and 0.7% has university schooling. At all levels of education, males greatly outnumber females. The largest state-run universities are the [[University of Kinshasa]], the University of Lubumbashi, and the University of Kisangani. The elite continue to send their children abroad to be educated, primarily in Western Europe.
*Population (2004 2011 est.): 58 71.7 million.*Annual growth rate (2004 2008 est.): 23.9924%.
*Ethnic groups: More than 200 African ethnic groups; the Luba, Kongo, and Anamongo are some of the larger groupings of tribes.
*Religions (2004 2011 est.): Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%. *Language: Official--FrenchOfficial—French. National languages--Lingalalanguages—Lingala, [[Swahili]], Kikongo, Tshiluba. *Education: Literacy (2004 2008 est.)--65.5% in French or local language: 55% (women), 76% (men). Schooling (2000 2007 est.)--none 41.721%, primary 42.246%, secondary 15.430%, university 0.73%.*Health (2004 2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--94.69rate—92/1,000 live births. Life expectancy(2008 est.)--49 51.3 yrs.
==Government and Political Conditions==
The D.R.C. legislature held its first session on September 22, 2006. On February 26, 2007, Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga and the new Congolese cabinet formally took office. In May 2007, Kengo wa Dongo was elected Senate President.
On December 7, 2011, Joseph Kabila, the former president announced the results from the November 28 presidential elections. According to those figures, he won 49% of the votes cast versus Etienne Tshisekedi’s 32%.
The CEI reported several irregularities, including voters participation of 100,14 % in the Monono region.
===Principal Government Official===
*President--Joseph President—Joseph Kabila
===Foreign Relations===
Its location in the center of Africa has made D.R.C. a key player in the region since independence. Because of its size, mineral wealth, and strategic location, Zaire was able to capitalize on [[Cold War]] tensions to garner support from the West. In the early 1990s, however, in the face of growing evidence of human rights abuses, Western support for the incumbent government waned as pressure for internal reform increased.
D.R.C.’s relations with neighboring countries have often been driven by security concerns, leading to intricate and interlocking alliances. Domestic conflicts in the [[Central African Republic]], [[Sudan]], [[Uganda]], [[Angola]], [[Rwanda]], and [[Burundi]] have at various times created bilateral and regional tensions. The current crisis in eastern D.R.C. has its roots both in the use of the Congo as a base by various insurgency groups attacking neighboring countries and in the absence of a strong Congolese Government with a military capable of securing Congo’s borders. The war has been exacerbated and prolonged by the exploitation of Congo’s resources by neighboring countries. Although 2003 and early 2004 saw a number of improvements in regional relations, mid-to-late 2004 was marked by increased tension between the D.R.C. and Rwanda. In June 2025, President Felix Tshisekedi signed an agreement with [[Rwanda]]. [[US President Donald Trump]], whose administration mediated the pact, said the deal also grants [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] rights to local mineral wealth. Tshisekedi said at the start of the 2025 [[UN General Assembly]] session, however, that the agreement has failed to stop the clashes and his [[government]] will not "auction" the country’s mineral wealth to the [[US]] as part of Washington's efforts to end the protracted violence, ''[[Reuters]]'' reported.
==Economy==
In June 2000, the United Nations established a Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Congolese Resources to examine links between the war and economic exploitation. Reports issued by the panel indicate that countries involved in the war in Congo have developed significant economic interests. These interests may complicate efforts by the government to better control its natural resources and to reform the mining sector. A final panel report was issued in October 2003. The Panel of Experts mandate was not renewed.
*GDP (20032010): $513.6 1 billion.*Annual GDP growth rate (20052010): 6.1%.*Per capita GDP (20052010): $120189.
*Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold, other minerals; petroleum; wood; hydroelectric potential.
*Agriculture: Cash crops--coffeecrops—coffee, rubber, palm oil, cotton, cocoa, sugar, tea. Food crops--manioccrops—manioc, corn, legumes, plantains, peanuts.
*Land use: Agriculture 3%; pasture 7%; forest/woodland 77%; other 13%.
*Industry: Types--processed Types—processed and unprocessed minerals; consumer products, including textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes, metal products; processed foods and beverages, cement, timber.*Currency: Congolese franc (FC). The U.S. dollar is also used as legal tender.*Trade: Exports (20022010)--$17.040 5 billion. Products--diamondsProducts—diamonds, gold, cobalt, copper, coffee, petroleum, wood. Partners--E.U.Main partners—EU, Japan, South Africa, U.S., China. Imports (20022010)--$17.216 0 billion. Products--consumer Products—consumer goods (food, textiles), capital equipment, refined petroleum products. Partners--E.U.Partners—EU, China, South Africa, U.S. *Total external Official debt (20022010 est.): $83.211 9 billion. (Currently under revision due to HIPC decision point in 2003.)
==History==
The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. by Bantus from present-day [[Nigeria]]. Discovered in 1482 by Portuguese navigator Diego Cao it was explored in the late 19th century by English journalist Henry Morton Stanley.
The Congo was officially colonized in 1885 as a personal possession of Belgian [[King Leopold II]] as the Congo Free State. Waging a successful propaganda campaign to bill Leopold as a champion of human rights, Leopold garnered the support of Liberals and Conservatives alike. However, word surfaced that the Congolese were being treated terribly by Leopold, his mercenaries, and the Force Publique, a military organization made up mostly of Africans run by Leopold. The maltreatment of native rubber workers created an international scandal that has often been called the first global human rights movement, and in 1907, full control was given to the Belgian Government. It renamed the country the Belgian Congo.
Following a series of riots and unrest, the Belgian Congo was granted its independence on June 30, 1960. Parliamentary elections in 1960 produced Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president of the renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}
Source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2823.htm]
{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2823.htm]African Countries}}
[[Category:African Christian-Majority Countries]]