About Democratic Republic of Congo

Steeped in legends, rocked by unrest

Here is a country that has it all. A seemingly endless forest with rare wildlife such as elephants and gorillas, precious minerals and a legendary river. But this is also a country of great suffering – wars, injustice, and all the ills that follow. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country that seems to defy all definitions.

Geography & Climate

DRC is a vast tropical nation in Central Africa that borders the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, and the Republic of the Congo on the west.

Located in a region that receives a considerable amount of rainfall, the DRC is still covered by extensive rainforests, mostly in the low-lying central basin of the river, sloping towards the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
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The mountainous northeastern section of the country experiences low levels of volcanic activity. There, the rifting of the African continent has manifested itself as the famous Great Lakes, which lie on the Congo's eastern frontier. Two of these lakes border the country: Lake Albert and Lake Tanganyika.

Nature

The DRC’s extensive rainforest is home to great biodiversity, including rare and endangered species such as the mountain gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo and white rhino. However, the wars that have ravaged the country and the prevailing poor economic conditions means that these species are particularly vulnerable.
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One particular problem is hunting for bushmeat, which targets species such as primates. Bushmeat is obtained through trapping, usually with wire snares, or otherwise with shotguns or arms originally intended for use in the DRC's conflicts.
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Five of the country's national parks are listed as World Heritage Sites: the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga national parks, and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The civil war and resulting poor economic conditions have endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could not afford to continue their work.

Population & Religion

How many people live in the DRC? 2003 estimates put the population at 56.6 million, with most inhabitants living in rural areas. This population is divided into as many as 250 ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. Common languages include French and 4 national languages: Kongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.

A string of dramatic events - colonialism, the struggle for independence, the stagnation of the Mobutu era, and most recently, the First and Second Congo Wars – have affected traditional ways but generally, customs and cultures of the Congo have retained much of their integrity.

Most Congolese are Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic), while Islam constitutes 10% of the population. Other traditional religions or syncretic sects abound, based on monotheism, animism, spirit and ancestor worship, and witchcraft. Syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals.

Economy & Development

DRC has considerable potential wealth. But regular conflicts have reduced economic activities and revenue, raised debt, and caused the death of approximately 3.8 million people.

Foreign businesses have limited their operations due to conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of basic problems like the uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and a lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations.

The south and east of the Congo abound with an enormous amount of mineral wealth. These include cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, and coal.