Country Information on the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Terrain

Most of the Democratic Republic of Congo (around 60% of its total area) is composed of the vast Congo river basin, which is covered with rainforests and is surrounded by plateaus and mountains. The country's highest mountain range is found on the border with Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda; it includes the country's highest peak, Mount Stanley, at around 5,120m. The Shaba or Katanga Mountains south-east of the Congo basin reach heights of up to 1,500m and are rich in mineral resources, such as copper and uranium.

The country's water resources are vast and the Congo river basin is the world's second largest river system after the Amazon basin.The Ubangi is the largest tributary of the Congo river in the north; its source is in the north-western mountains. The mountain ranges in the south-west are referred to collectively as the Bié Plateau. The river Kasai, the most important tributary of the Congo in the south, has its source there. Thick vegetation covers the valleys of these rivers.

Climate

Apart from the higher regions of the country, the climate is tropical, i.e. hot and humid. The average annual temperature in the lowlands of the Congo Basin is around 27°C, but temperatures are even higher during the hottest months (from February to April). The average temperature is about 19°C at altitudes over 1,500m. Rain falls throughout the year.

Fauna/Flora

Vegetation, especially in the rainforest, is abundant and varied. Native plants include rubber plants, oil palms, coffee, and cotton. The most common fruits are bananas and coconuts. A large variety of trees are found including teak, ebony, African cedar and mahogany. Several animal species are in danger of extinction, such as the gorilla.

Among the mammals living in the country are the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, red buffalo, giraffe, okapi, zebra, lion, leopard, jackal, hyena and chimpanzee. The numerous reptiles include mambas, pythons and crocodiles. The bird population features herons, parrots, flamingos, cuckoos and plovers. Insects abound, particularly ants, termites, and mosquitoes, including the anopheles mosquito which transmits malaria.

History/Politics

For centuries, the area of the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo was part of the Bantu Kingdoms. Europeans first explored the area in the 15th century and the Portuguese introduced Christianity and their system of government to the country's coastal areas. The real exploration of inland areas only started in the 19th century, when David Livingstone and Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza's articles created world-wide interest in Africa's riches. The Berlin Conference which took place from 1884-1885 established the Congo Free State under the personal sovereignty of Belgian King Leopold II. The territory became a Belgian colony in 1908.

Nationalist movements began in 1959, causing the Belgian government to announce elections. It finally gained independence in 1960. Soon afterwards, a civil war broke out between rivalling political groups, one of which was in favour of independence. The civil war ended in 1963 and a military coup in 1965 brought Joseph Desiré Mobuto to power. He ruled the country until 1997. Whilst in power, he nationalised multinational companies and introduced a programme of Africanization, renaming the country "Zaire" and changing his name to Mobuto Sese Seko.

Mobutu's era came to an end when the Tutsi, who had suffered years of suppression at the hands of the government and feared expulsion by the Hutu militia, started a rebellion in the east of the country. Laurent Kabila came into power in 1997, after Mobutu had stepped down. The country's name changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1997. A ceasefire was signed between the Hutu and the Tutsi in July 1999. However, Laurent Kabila was assassinated in strange circumstances in January 2001 and his son Joseph was appointed interim president.

Despite the fact that there have been various attempts to reach an agreement between the government and rebels since then, the ethnic conflict drags on. Although there were two attempted coups against Kabila in 2004, he will remain head of the transitional government until the next elections take place.

Economy

Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the richest countries in natural resources in Africa, it is one of the poorest countries in the world as a result of years of civil war. The annual economic growth from 1965-1985 was just 1% and economic production has become worse and worse since then. After its peak at the beginning of the seventies, the mining industry was hit badly by the fall in copper prices from 1974 onwards.

The economy collapsed completely at the beginning of the nineties: there was an extremely high rate of inflation, workers revolted causing revenue from exports to decrease, the transport infrastructure collapsed, foreign debts amounted to around 11.3 billion US dollars, and the country depended on food imports. In 2003, the inflation rate was 9.1%.

Culture

The various styles of Congolese folk music have greatly influenced contemporary African music. Many famous African musicians play a kind of dance music, the roots of which are Afro-Cuban rumba rhythms. The Soukous developed from this musical style and has since become an individual musical form with alternating virtuoso electric guitar solos and vocal phasing in Lingala. It became famous in the forties and, thanks to artists such as Jean Bosco Mwenda, it has spread as far as East Africa. Marriages are traditionally organised by parents. Members of the same clan are preferred as future spouses. Polygamy is still common throughout the country.