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Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002) - Portugal (2003)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002) z Portugal (2003)

 Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)Portugal (2003)
 Congo, Democratic Republic of thePortugal
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 18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Age structure 0-14 years: 48.2% (male 13,369,493; female 13,256,174)


15-64 years: 49.3% (male 13,343,303; female 13,860,996)


65 years and over: 2.5% (male 581,568; female 813,944) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 874,198; female 825,742)


15-64 years: 67.2% (male 3,326,957; female 3,461,425)


65 years and over: 16% (male 651,697; female 962,003) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Airports 232 (2001) 66 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 24


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
total: 40


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 205


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 91 (2002)
total: 26


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 25 (2002)
Area total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
total: 92,391 sq km


land: 91,951 sq km


water: 440 sq km


note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Area - comparative slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US slightly smaller than Indiana
Background Since 1997 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 in 1994 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 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated on 16 January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state ten days later. In October 2002, the new president was successful in getting occupying Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern Congo; two months later, an agreement was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and set up a government of national unity. Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
Birth rate 45.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 11.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $269 million


expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million
revenues: $45 billion


expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Kinshasa Lisbon
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 maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline 37 km 1,793 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 was not ratified by a national referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is to be a new constitution 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997
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: Portuguese Republic


conventional short form: Portugal


local long form: Republica Portuguesa


local short form: Portugal
Currency Congolese franc (CDF) euro (EUR)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Death rate 14.93 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $12.9 billion (2000 est.) $13.1 billion (1997 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS


embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa


mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


FAX: [243] (88) 43467
chief of mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER


embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon


mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726


telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300


FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109


consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
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 Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO


chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610


FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726


consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco


consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
Disputes - international 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; Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda; 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) Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $271 million (1995)
Economic aid - recipient $195.3 million (1995) (1995) -
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 war, which began in August 1998, 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, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. 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, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of that of the leading EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The coalition government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.
Electricity - consumption 4.55 billion kWh (1999) 41.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 404 million kWh (1999) 3.479 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh (1999) 3.743 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 5.268 billion kWh (1999) 44.32 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 2%


hydro: 98%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 64.5%


hydro: 31.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 4.1% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


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


highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m
Environment - current issues poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
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 homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal
Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - 305 (January 2002), 21.82 (2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997)


note: on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president


elections: before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power on 16 May 1997, 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, there was also a prime minister who 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; KABILA immediately assumed governing authority and 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: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)


head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 6 April 2002)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA January 2006); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president


election results: Jorge SAMPAIO reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%
Exports $750 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) 28,830 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Exports - partners Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999) Spain 20.3%, Germany 18.4%, France 12.6%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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 two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
GDP purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $195.2 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 54%


industry: 9%


services: 37% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 3.6%


industry: 28.7%


services: 67.7% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $590 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -4% (2001 est.) 0.4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 E 39 30 N, 8 00 W
Geography - note straddles Equator; has 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 Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Heliports 1 (2002) -
Highways total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
total: 68,732 km


paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways)


unpaved: 9,622 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.1%


highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
Illicit drugs illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
Imports $1.024 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 357,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports - partners South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999) Spain 28.1%, Germany 15%, France 10.2%, Italy 6.5%, UK 5.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2002)
Independence 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) 1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1.5% (2002 est.)
Industries mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Infant mortality rate 98.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 358% (2001 est.) 3.7% (2002 est.)
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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2001) 16 (2000)
Irrigated land 110 sq km (1998 est.) 6,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)
Labor force 14.51 million (1993 est.) 5.1 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.) services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 10,730 km


border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
total: 1,214 km


border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use arable land: 2.96%


permanent crops: 0.52%


other: 96.52% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20.57%


permanent crops: 7.74%


other: 71.69% (1999 est.)
Languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Legal system based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 Laurent Desire KABILA
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 49.13 years


male: 47.19 years


female: 51.13 years (2002 est.)
total population: 76.35 years


male: 72.86 years


female: 80.07 years (2003 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: 93.3%


male: 95.5%


female: 91.3% (2003 est.)
Location Central Africa, northeast of Angola Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors


territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 993,325 GRT/1,533,255 DWT


ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 62, chemical tanker 18, container 7, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 3, vehicle carrier 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Germany 20, Greece 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1, Monaco 2, Norway 5, Panama 5, Spain 22, Switzerland 8, UK 1, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Security Battalion Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard (includes Fiscal Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $250 million (FY97) $1.286 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.6% (FY97) 2.2% (FY99/00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 11,996,175 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,520,852 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 6,110,595 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,017,678 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 67,816 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 30 June (1960) Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)
Nationality noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural)


adjective: Portuguese
Natural hazards periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Natural resources cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate -2.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 as a result of the ethnic fighting in Rwanda; 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 and additional refugees have returned in subsequent years; 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 (2002 est.)
0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 390 km gas 482 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [three factions: MPR-Fait Prive (Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo); MPR/Vunduawe (Felix VUNDUAWE); MPR/Mananga (MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo)]; 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 [two factions: UFERI (Lokambo OMOKOKO); UFERI/OR (Adolph Kishwe MAYA)] The Greens or PEV [no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo Ferro RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The Left Bloc [no leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 55,225,478


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 2002 est.)
10,102,022 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.79% (2002 est.) 0.17% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 18.03 million (1997) -
Railways total: 5,138 km


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


note: severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife (2000 est.)
total: 2,850 km


broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)
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: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: poor


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: undergoing rapid development in recent years, Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998, achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%


domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations


international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned
Telephones - main lines in use 20,000 (2000) 5.3 million (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 15,000 (2000) 3,074,194 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 4 (2001) 62 (plus 166 repeaters)


note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
Terrain vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
Total fertility rate 6.77 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.49 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 4.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) 820 km


note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity
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