Chapter 29
Net migration rate: -7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: in 1994, about a million refugees fled into Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi; the outbreak of widespread fighting between rebels and government forces in October 1996 spurred about 720,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997; additionally, Democratic Republic of the Congo is host to about 100,000 Angolan, and about 100,000 Sudanese refugees
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 105.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.03 years male: 45.16 years female: 48.95 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.58 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun : Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: 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
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write in French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 77.3% male: 86.6% female: 67.7% (1995 est.)
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo local short form: none former : Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
Data code: CG
Government type: republic with a strong presidential system
National capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; new draft constitution approved by Transitional Parliament in October 1996, subject to ratification by popular referendum scheduled for February 1997; draft constitution provides for multiparty elections by July 1997
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA (since 17 May 1997); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA (since 17 May 1997); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government cabinet : National Executive Council normally appointed by mutual agreement of the president and the prime minister; note - Gen. KABILA's cabinet was appointed by him and has no prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was to be held in May 1997); prime minister elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - the term of the former government expired in 1991, elections were not held, and MOBUTU continued in office until his government was militarily defeated by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA on 17 May 1997 election results: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition note: Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 17 May 1997 when his government was overturned in a coup by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA, who immediately assumed sole governing authority
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament consisting of the combined High Council of the Republic and the Parliament of the Transition (739 seats) elections: the country's first multi-party presidential and legislative elections had been scheduled for May 1997 but were not held; instead the MOBUTO government was overthrown and control of the governing apparatus was seized by Gen. Laurent-DESIRE KABILA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR; other parties include Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFER; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union of Independent Democrats or UDI [Leon KENGO wa Dondo]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Charge d'Affaires ad interim Etienne B. J. K. MUKENDI chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 686-3631
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (12) 21533 through 21535 FAX: [243] (88) 43805, ext. 2308 or 43467
Flag description: 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
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy of Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to disintegrate, although former Prime Minister KENGO had had some success in slowing the rate of economic decline. While meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by, the high rate of inflation, chronic large government deficits, and plunging mineral production have made it one of the world's poorest countries. Most formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank notes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the largest cities. During the bitter civil strive of 1996-97 most individuals and families have hung on grimly through subsistence farming and petty trade. The new KABILA government will be hard pressed to meet its financial obligations to the IMF or to put in place the financial measures advocated by it. Improved political stability would boost the country's long-term potential to effectively exploit its vast mineral and agricultural resources.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -0.7% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $400 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 59% industry: 15% services: 26% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 542% (1995)
Labor force: total: 14.51 million (1993 est.) by occupation : agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $479 million expenditures : $479 million, including capital expenditures of $99 million (1996 est.)
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - capacity: 2.83 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 5.48 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 87 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Exports: total value : $1.47 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil partners: Belgium, US, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports: total value: $1.25 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities : consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels partners: Belgium, South Africa, US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
Debt - external: $13.8 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates: new zaires (Z) per US$1 - 83,764 (October 1996), 7,024 (1995), 1,194 (1994), 3 (1993); zaire (Z) per US$1 - 645,549 (1992) note: on 22 October 1993 the new zaire, equal to 3,000,000 old zaires, was introduced
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Communications
Telephones: 34,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic : barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.87 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 18
Televisions: 55,000 (1992 est.)
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the:Transportation
Railways: total: 5,138 km (1995); note - severely reduced trackage in use because of civil strife narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge
Highways: total : 145,000 km paved: 2,500 km unpaved: 142,500 km (1993 est.)
Waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km
Ports and harbors: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 216 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total : 104 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m : 80 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 112 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 94 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, paramilitary Civil Guard, Special Presidential Division
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 10,232,612 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 5,213,941 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $46 million (1990)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1990)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Democratic Republic of the Congo-Tanzania-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it has been informally reported that the indefinite section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Republic of the Congo along the Congo river is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption ______________________________________________________________________
CONGO, REPUBLIC OF THE
@Congo, Republic of the:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 29% forests and woodland: 62% other: 9% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonal flooding
Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the railroad between them
@Congo, Republic of the:People
Population: 2,583,198 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 557,996; female 552,022) 15-64 years: 54% (male 677,313; female 707,569) 65 years and over: 3% (male 35,573; female 52,725) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.15% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 38.79 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 106.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 45.73 years male: 44.24 years female: 47.27 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans 8,500 (mostly French)
Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Languages: French (official), African languages (Lingala and Kikongo are the most widely used)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.9% male: 83.1% female : 67.2% (1995 est.)
@Congo, Republic of the:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form : Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Data code: CF
Government type: republic
National capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)
Constitution: new constitution approved by referendum March 1992
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Pascal LISSOUBA (since August 1992) head of government: Prime Minister David Charles GANAO (since 2 September 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 August 1992 (next was to be held 27 July 1997 but armed clashes between political parties in early July seemed likely to delay it); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Pascal LISSOUBA elected president; percent of vote - Pascal LISSOUBA 61%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (125 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (60 seats; members are elected by local and regional councils to serve six-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); Senate - last held November 1996 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPADS 64, URD/PCT 58, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPADS 23, MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: the most important of the many political parties are Congolese Labor Party or PCT [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Association for Democracy and Development or RDD [Joachim Yhombi OPANGO, president]; Association for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Bernard KOLELAS, leader]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Pascal LISSOUBA, leader]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [David Charles GANAO, leader]; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD; Union for Development and Social Progress or UDPS [Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC; Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dieudonne Antoine GANGA chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX : [1] (202) 726-1860
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador J. Aubrey HOOKS (10 June 1996) embassy: Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville mailing address: B. P. 1015, Brazzaville telephone: [242] 83 20 70 FAX: [242] 83 63 38
Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about 90% of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. Subsequently, falling oil prices cut GDP growth by half. Moreover, the government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to the government's shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994 but inflation has subsided since. Recent efforts to implement economic reforms have begun to show progress; the government and the IMF signed an aid agreement in mid-1996.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,960 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.4% industry: 35.2% services: 53.4% (1993)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues : $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 165,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 440 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 223 kWh (1994 est.)
Agriculture - products: cassava (tapioca) accounts for 90% of food output, sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Exports: total value: $952 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: crude oil 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds partners: Belgium-Luxembourg 24.3%, Taiwan 20.2%, US 14.9%, Italy 14.8% (1995 est.)
Imports: total value: $559 million (f.o.b. 1994) commodities : intermediate manufactures, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, petroleum products partners: France 31.2%, Netherlands 24.6%, Italy 11.4%, US 6.9% (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $5.3 billion (1996)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Congo, Republic of the:Communications
Telephones: 18,000 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; inter-city lines frequently out of order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 8,500 (1993 est.)
@Congo, Republic of the:Transportation
Railways: total: 795 km (includes 285 km private track) narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (1995 est.)
Highways: total: 12,760 km paved: 1,238 km unpaved : 11,522 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only
Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
Ports and harbors: Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Merchant marine: total : 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,218 GRT/4,100 DWT (1996 est.)
Airports: 34 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13 over 3,047 m : 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 9 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m : 14 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Police
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 601,771 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males : 306,757 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 26,081 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $110 million (1993)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.8% (1993)
Military - note: under the terms of a 1994 peace agreement, which ended two years of civil strife, members of militias who supported the three main political parties are being integrated into the military forces
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: long segment of boundary with Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made) ______________________________________________________________________
COOK ISLANDS
(free association with New Zealand)
@Cook Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 21 14 S, 159 46 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 240 sq km land: 240 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Te Manga 652 m
Natural resources: NEGL