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| Formerly known as Belgian Congo and then as Zaire, this country was renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997 after the overthrow of the corrupt military government. Kinshasa is the capital city and Congo has an area 2345,410 sq. km with a population of 52,500,000. French, English, Kiswahili, Lingual are the main languages spoken and Christianity and traditional beliefs are the main religions followed. |
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| HISTORY |
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| Zaire was the name of the present democratic Republic of the Congo between October 27, 1971, and May 17, 1997.The name Zaire derives from the Portuguese: Zaire which means " the river that swallows all rivers" and is often still used to refer to that state. The country consists of a plateau 1200 m above sea level, through which the River Congo flows. The land is fertile and rich in minerals, but spendthrift governments and civil war, including conflict with Rwanda in 1996-97, have kept it poor. |
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| POLITICS |
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| Unrest and rebellion plagued the government until 1965, when Lt. General Joseph Mobutu, by then Comm-in-chief of the national army, seized control of the country and declared himself president from five years. Mobutu quickly consolidated his power and was elected unopposed as president in 1970.Kabila apparently backed by Angolan, Rwandan, and Ugandan troops and supports, routed Mobutu Sese Seko and ended his 32-year rule. |
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| CLIMATE |
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| The dry season in the north is from December to February, and in the south, April to October. The temperature is warm year round and humidity is high. Lightweight clothes are recommended all year, with rainwear during the rainy season. |
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| ECONOMY |
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| Copper ore, cobalt, and diamonds provide 85 percent of national exports. Dem rep. Congo rates second in the world diamond exports, with most mining activity in the Shaba province. Congolese franc is the currency used in this country.Dem.rep. Congo has much potentially cultivated land. Sixty percent of the population is subsistence farmers, producing palm oil, coffee, tea, rubber, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and rice. Here, on the border of volcanic virunga National Park, the land is rich and fertile. |
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| PEOPLE |
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| Among the many peoples of Dem. Rep. Congo are the Kuba, a small ethnic group who have lived there for many years. Their chief wears a hunting mask, known as a Mashamboy mask, made of shells, beads, and raffia, to symbolize the power of the Great Spirit. |
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| Location & Neighbourhood: |
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Also called as The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) is situated in Central Africa and it crosses the equator in the north-central region. It shares its borders with Central African Republic to the north, Sudan to the northeast, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east, Zambia to the south and southeast, Angola to the southwest, and Angola and the Congo Republic to the west. Its other name is Republique Democratique du Congo. Located in West central Africa its major cities include Lubumbashi, which has a population of 1,105,900 and Mbuji-Mayi, has 938,000. The other countries include Kolwezi, with a population of 832,400 and Kisangani, has a population of 523,00.
Area and Capital.
The third largest country in Africa it has an area of 875,520 sq mi (2,267,599 sq km); total area: 905,568 sq mi (2,345,410 sq km). Its capital city is Kinshasa.
Currency
The Congolese Franc is its currency.
Rivers
The principal rivers are the Ubangi and Bomu in the north and the Congo in the west, which flows into the Atlantic. The entire length of Lake Tanganyika lies along the eastern border with Tanzania and Burundi.
Climate:
It has tropically hot and humid in the lower western and central regions, which frequent heavy rains from October or November through May south of the equator and from April to November in the north, whilst along the equator itself there is only one season. The higher regions of the east, have a fairly temperate weather. It has annual temperatures of 25°C (77°F) in the low central basin and 17° to 20°C (63° to 68°F) at altitudes of 5,000 ft while an annual rainfall in Kinshasa is 56 inches while in Lubumbashi it is 45 inches.
Coastline
The 2,733 mile long Congo River lies mostly within the territory of the country. The enormous semicircular bend in the river delineates a central depression known as the cuvette, with an average altitude of 1,300 feet.
Natural Resources & Economy
Its economy includes Agriculture and livestock, maize, yams, cassava, rice, beans, quinquina, coffee, tea, cocoa. Its mining resources include extensive mineral reserves and is the world's biggest producers of cobalt, copper and industrial diamonds; also tin, manganese, zinc, columbium, tantalum, cement, gold, silver, iron ore; off-shore oil reserves and it is a manufacturer of Wood products, tobacco processing, vegetable oil refining, chemicals, cement.
Endowed with natural resources cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber. Its industries include mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair. Its exports include diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt
Arable Land
Agriculture: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products are cultivated.
Trading Partners
Congo’s partners include Belgium, Finland, U.S., China, South Africa, France, Zambia, Kenya, Germany
Strides and Advances
Its ports and harbours are Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka. It has 234 airports. The Highways alone include 153,497 km; paved: 2,794 km; unpaved: 150,703 km (2004). It has 15,000 kilometers in waterways
Today Translation india undertakes works in interpretation in the following languages which is its official language French Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba. |
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