Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005) - Turks and Caicos Islands (2003)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005) z Turks and Caicos Islands (2003)

	Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2005)	Turks and Caicos Islands (2003)

Administrative divisions	10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure	0-14 years: 48.1% (male 14,513,779/female 14,396,952) 15-64 years: 49.4% (male 14,579,101/female 15,121,297) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 597,776/female 876,099) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,202; female 3,094) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 6,484; female 5,848) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 321; female 401) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products	corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Airports	230 (2004 est.)	8 (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 (2004 est.)	total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 206 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 92 under 914 m: 97 (2004 est.)	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 2,345,410 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km water: 77,810 sq km	total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several subsequent sham elections as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; Joseph KABILA remains as president and is joined by four vice presidents representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the political opposition.	The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory.
Birth rate	44.38 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	23.51 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $269 million expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)	revenues: $47 million expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)
Capital	Kinshasa	Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
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	tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Coastline	37 km	389 km
Constitution	new constitution adopted 17 July 2003	introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
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: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Currency	-	US dollar (USD)
Death rate	14.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$11.6 billion (2000 est.)	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK
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	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Wasington, DC, 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DROC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the DROC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area	none
Economic aid - recipient	$195.3 million (1995)	$4.1 million (1997)
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, dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of perhaps 3.5 million people from war, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. Several 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. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Economic stability, aided by international donors, improved in 2003-04, although an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of openness in government policy continues to hamper growth. In 2005, renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most exports, could boost Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth.	The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in 2002 but appeared to be picking up at yearend.
Electricity - consumption	4.168 billion kWh (2002)	4.65 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	1.5 billion kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	8 million kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	6.086 billion kWh (2002)	5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 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	limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification	-
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	black 90%, mixed, European, or north American 10%
Exchange rates	Congolese francs per US dollar - 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001), 21.82 (2000)	the US dollar is used
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: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese Seko, 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 - a Transitional Government is drafting a new constitution with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005 election results: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, following the latter's assassination in January 2001, negotiations with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a transitional government in July 2003 with free elections scheduled to be held in NA 2005	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002) head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports	NA	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt	lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports - partners	Belgium 47.8%, Finland 21%, US 10.9%, China 7.6% (2004)	US, UK
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	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 55% industry: 11% services: 34% (2000 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $700 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7.5% (2004 est.)	4.9% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates	0 00 N, 25 00 E	21 45 N, 71 35 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	about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
Highways	total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)	total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000)
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; 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	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels	food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Imports - partners	South Africa 18.5%, Belgium 15.5%, France 10.8%, Kenya 6.3%, US 6%, Germany 5.8% (2004)	US, UK
Independence	30 June 1960 (from Belgium)	none (overseas territory of the 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, commercial ship repair	tourism, offshore financial services
Infant mortality rate	total: 92.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 101.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 16.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	14% (2003 est.)	4% (1995)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	14 (2000)
Irrigated land	110 sq km (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Supreme Court
Labor force	14.51 million (1993 est.)	4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	NA	about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 2.96% permanent crops: 0.52% other: 96.52% (2001)	arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba	English (official)
Legal system	based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
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 Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.1 years male: 49.68 years female: 52.56 years (2005 est.)	total population: 74 years male: 71.82 years female: 76.3 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 65.5% male: 76.2% female: 55.1% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.)
Location	Central Africa, northeast of Angola	Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Map references	Africa	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	registered in other countries: 1	none (2002 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$93.5 million (2004)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.5% (2004)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 30 June (1960)	Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Nationality	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo	noun: none adjective: none
Natural hazards	periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes	frequent hurricanes
Natural resources	cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber	spiny lobster, conch
Net migration rate	-0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: 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 internally displaced and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2005 est.)	12.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
People - note	-	destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
Pipelines	gas 54 km; oil 71 km (2004)	-
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])	People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	60,085,804 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 2005 est.)	19,350 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	2.98% (2005 est.)	3.14% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka	Grand Turk, Providenciales
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)	AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)
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 (2004)	0 km
Religions	Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%	Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 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: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	10,000 (2002)	3,000 (1994)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1 million (2003)	0 (1994)
Television broadcast stations	4 (2001)	0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997)
Terrain	vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east	low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Total fertility rate	6.54 children born/woman (2005 est.)	3.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA (2003 est.)	10% (1997 est.)
Waterways	15,000 km (navigation on the Congo curtailed by fighting) (2004)	none

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