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Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001) - Qatar (2002)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001) z Qatar (2002)

 Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)Qatar (2002)
 Congo, Democratic Republic of theQatar
Administrative divisions 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Salal
Age structure 0-14 years:
48.24% (male 12,988,488; female 12,878,232)

15-64 years:
49.21% (male 12,931,886; female 13,459,109)

65 years and over:
2.55% (male 575,113; female 791,890) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 102,110; female 98,053)


15-64 years: 72.1% (male 403,508; female 168,428)


65 years and over: 2.7% (male 15,299; female 5,943) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Airports 232 (2000 est.) 4 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
24

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 (2000 est.)
total: 2


over 3,047 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
208

1,524 to 2,437 m:
20

914 to 1,523 m:
96

under 914 m:
92 (2000 est.)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area total:
2,345,410 sq km

land:
2,267,600 sq km

water:
77,810 sq km
total: 11,437 sq km


land: 11,437 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war. Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.
Birth rate 46.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 15.78 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues:
$269 million

expenditures:
$244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
revenues: $5 billion


expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $900 million (FY01/02 est. )
Capital Kinshasa Doha
Climate tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline 37 km 563 km
Constitution 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it has not been ratified by a national referendum provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution
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:
Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

abbreviation:
DROC
conventional long form: State of Qatar


conventional short form: Qatar


local long form: Dawlat Qatar


local short form: Qatar


note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
Currency Congolese franc (CDF) Qatari rial (QAR)
Death rate 15.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $13 billion (1998 est.) $13.1 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador William Lacy SWING

embassy:
310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa

mailing address:
Unit 31550, APO AE 09828

telephone:
[243] (12) 21804, 21807

FAX:
[243] (88) 43805
chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen E. QUINN


embassy: Al-Luqtas District, 22 February Road, Doha


mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha


telephone: [974] 488 4101


FAX: [974] 488 4298
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Faida MITIFU

chancery:
1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-7690, 7691

FAX:
[1] (202) 234-2609
chief of mission: Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA


chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600


FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061


consulate(s) general: Houston
Disputes - international the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; most of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area) none
Economic aid - recipient $195.3 million (1995) $NA
Economy - overview The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The new government instituted a tight fiscal policy that initially curbed inflation and currency depreciation, but these small gains were quickly reversed when the foreign-backed rebellion in the eastern part of the country began in August 1998. The war has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict and because of increased government harassment and restrictions. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan but associated reforms are on hold. Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 58% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $7 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and managed to maintain the surplus in 2001.
Electricity - consumption 4.55 billion kWh (1999) 8.556 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 404 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 5.268 billion kWh (1999) 9.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
2.05%

hydro:
97.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
Environment - current issues poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees who arrived in mid-1994 were responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in the eastern part of the country (most of those refugees were repatriated in November and December 1996) limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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 Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - 50 (January 2001), 4.5 (January 2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997), 0.50 (1996)

note:
on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400 (fixed rate)
Executive branch chief of state:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
National Executive Council, appointed by the president

elections:
before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, the prime minister was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution

election results:
results of the last election were: 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 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA, who immediately assumed governing authority; KABILA pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces


head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary


note: in March 1999, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council, which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services
Exports $960 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) $11 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil petroleum products 80%, fertilizers, steel
Exports - partners Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999) Japan 43%, Singapore 8%, South Korea 6%, US 4%, UAE 2% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
GDP purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $16.3 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
58%

industry:
17%

services:
25% (1997 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 49%


services: 50% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -15% (2000 est.) 5.6% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 E 25 30 N, 51 15 E
Geography - note straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
Heliports - 1 (2002)
Highways total:
157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)

paved:
NA km

unpaved:
NA km
total: 1,230 km


paved: 1,107 km


unpaved: 123 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption -
Imports $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) $3.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999) UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, Italy 6%, US 6% (1998)
Independence 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) 3 September 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement
Infant mortality rate 99.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 20.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 540% (2000 est.) 2% (2001)
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, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 100 sq km (1993 est.) 130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme Court of Appeal
Labor force 14.51 million (1993 est.) 280,122 (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.) -
Land boundaries total:
10,744 km

border countries:
Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 473 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
total: 60 km


border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Land use arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
7%

forests and woodland:
77%

other:
13% (1993 est.)
arable land: 1.27%


permanent crops: 0.27%


other: 98.46% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Legal system based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters
Legislative branch a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000

elections:
NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President KABILA
unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)


note: the constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held since 1970, when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since
Life expectancy at birth total population:
48.94 years

male:
46.96 years

female:
50.98 years (2001 est.)
total population: 72.88 years


male: 70.4 years


female: 75.48 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba

total population:
77.3%

male:
86.6%

female:
67.7% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79%


male: 79%


female: 80% (1995 est.)
Location Central Africa, northeast of Angola Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone:
boundaries with neighbors

territorial sea:
12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 679,081 GRT/1,051,088 DWT


ships by type: cargo 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 6


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Kuwait 1, United Arab Emirates 3 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential Security Group Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $250 million (FY97) $723 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.6% (FY97) 10% (FY00/01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
11,615,554 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 316,885


note: includes non-nationals (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
5,915,251 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 166,214 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 6,797 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 30 June (1960) Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Nationality noun:
Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Congolese or Congo
noun: Qatari(s)


adjective: Qatari
Natural hazards periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Natural resources cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber petroleum, natural gas, fish
Net migration rate 0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

note:
one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997; an additional 173,000 Rwandan refugees disappeared in early 1997 and are assumed to have been killed by Zairian forces; fighting between the Congolese government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries
18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 390 km crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km
Political parties and leaders Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [leader NA]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI [Kouyoumba MUCHULI Mulembe] none
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
Population 53,624,718

note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
793,341 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.1% (2001 est.) 3.02% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id)
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 12, shortwave 1 (1999) AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 18.03 million (1997) 256,000 (1997)
Railways total:
5,138 km (1995)

note:
severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by 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 (2000)
0 km
Religions Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Muslim 95%
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:
0.73 male(s)/female

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 2.4 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 2.57 male(s)/female


total population: 1.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory suffrage is limited to municipal elections
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

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)
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha


domestic: NA


international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use 21,000 (1997) 142,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,900 (1997) 43,476 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 20 (1999) 1 (plus three repeaters) (2001)
Terrain vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Total fertility rate 6.84 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 2.7% (2001)
Waterways 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) none
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