Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)

 Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008)British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)
 Congo, Democratic Republic of theBritish Indian Ocean Territory
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


note: according to the Constitution adopted in December 2005, the current administrative divisions will be subdivided into 26 new provinces by 2009
-
Age structure 0-14 years: 47.6% (male 15,718,614/female 15,557,058)


15-64 years: 49.9% (male 16,224,734/female 16,571,549)


65 years and over: 2.6% (male 680,313/female 999,244) (2007 est.)
-
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products -
Airports 237 (2007) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 26


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 211


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 99 (2007)
-
Area total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
total: 54,400 sq km


land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km


water: 54,340 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
Area - comparative slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US land area is about 0.3 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 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 backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DRC, Congolese armed rebel groups, Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe 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 as president and four vice presidents represented the former government, former rebel groups, the political opposition, and civil society. The transitional government held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures in 2006. KABILA was inaugurated president in December 2006. The National Assembly was installed in September 2006. Its president, Vital KAMERHE, was chosen in December. Provincial assemblies were constituted in early 2007, and elected governors and national senators in January 2007. Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate 42.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Budget revenues: $700 million


expenditures: $2 billion (2006 est.)
-
Capital name: Kinshasa


geographic coordinates: 4 19 S, 15 18 E


time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
-
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; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline 37 km 698 km
Constitution 18 February 2006 -
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: DRC
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate 10.34 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Debt - external $10 billion (2006 est.) -
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador William GARVELINK


embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa


mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828


telephone: [243] (81) 556-0151


FAX: [243] (81) 556-0175
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, Washington, 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 abate tribal, rebel, and militia fighting in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC); in 2006, the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) maintained over 18,000 uniformed peacekeepers in the region, first deployed in 1999; despite significant repatriation efforts by governments and international organizations, in 2006, Angolans, Rwandans, Sudanese, and residents of other neighboring states reside as refugees in the DROC; members of Uganda's Lords Resistance Army forces take refuge in DROC's Garamba National Park; 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 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient $1.828 billion (2005) -
Economy - overview The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - is slowly recovering from two decades of decline. Conflict, which began in August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of more than 3.5 million people from violence, 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 began to improve in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. The transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms, although progress is slow and the International Monetary Fund curtailed their program for the DRC at the end of March 2006 because of fiscal overruns. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector, and is not reflected in GDP data. Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth. Government reforms and improved security may lead to increased government revenues, outside budget assistance, and foreign direct investment, although an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are continuing long-term problems. All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - consumption 572 million kWh (2005) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 418 million kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production 352 million kWh (2005) NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


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


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 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 NA
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 -
Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - NA (2007), 464.69 (2006), 437.86 (2005), 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003) -
Executive branch chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 17 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency which he retained through the 2003-2006 transition; he was subsequently elected president in October 2006


head of government: Prime Minister Antoine GIZENGA (since 30 December 2006);


cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president


elections: under the new constitution the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 30 July 2006 with a second round held on 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: results of 29 October 2006 elections (second round); Joseph KABILA 58%, Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42%


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 held on 30 July 2006 and 29 October 2006 confirming Joseph KABILA as president
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports 229,700 bbl/day (2004 est.) -
Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt -
Exports - partners Belgium 29.4%, China 21.1%, Brazil 12.3%, Chile 7.8%, Finland 7.2%, US 4.9% (2006) -
Fiscal year calendar year -
Flag description sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 11%


services: 34% (2000 est.)
-
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2007 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 E 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
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 archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
-
Illicit drugs one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but 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 -
Imports 8,220 bbl/day (2006 est.) -
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels -
Imports - partners South Africa 17.7%, Belgium 10.9%, France 8.5%, Zimbabwe 8.1%, Zambia 6.9%, Kenya 6.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.4% (2006) -
Independence 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) -
Industrial production growth rate NA% -
Industries mining (diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair -
Infant mortality rate total: 65.52 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 71.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 59.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 18.2% (2006 est.) -
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO -
Irrigated land 110 sq km (2003) 0 sq km
Judicial branch Constitutional Court; Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation; Council of State; High Military Court; plus civil and military courts and tribunals -
Labor force 15 million (2006 est.) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
-
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: 2.86%


permanent crops: 0.47%


other: 96.67% (2005)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba -
Legal system a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly (500 seats; 61 members elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies, 439 members elected by open list proportional-representation in multi-member constituencies; to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (108 seats; members elected by provincial assemblies to serve five-year terms)


elections: National Assembly - last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011); Senate - last held 19 January 2007 (next to be held by 2012)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 111, MLC 64, PALU 34, MSR 27, FR 26, RCD 15, independents 63, others 160 (includes 63 political parties that won 10 or fewer seats); Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 22, MLC 14, FR 7, RCD 7, PDC 6, CDC 3, MSR 3, PALU 2, independents 26, others 18 (political parties that won a single seat)
-
Life expectancy at birth total population: 57.2 years


male: 54.97 years


female: 59.5 years (2007 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.)
-
Location Central Africa, northeast of Angola archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references Africa Political Map of the World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,004 GRT/1,640 DWT


by type: petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Congo, Republic of the 1) (2007)
-
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC) (2008) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.5% (2006) -
National holiday Independence Day, 30 June (1960) -
Nationality noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
-
Natural hazards periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes NA
Natural resources cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate 1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Pipelines gas 62 km; oil 71 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders Christian Democrat Party or PDC [Jose ENDUNDO]; Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD [Azarias RUBERWA]; Convention of Christian Democrats or CDC; Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI]; Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA]; People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Joseph KABILA]; Social Movement for Renewal or MSR [Pierre LUMBI]; Unified Lumumbist Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI]; Union of Mobutuist Democrats or UDEMO [MOBUTU Nzanga] -
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 65,751,512


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 2007 est.)
no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 3.39% (2007 est.) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 1, FM 2, 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 (2006)
-
Religions Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10% -
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.979 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.681 male(s)/female


total population: 0.985 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
-
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory -
Telephone system general assessment: Inadequate; state-owned fixed-line operator has been unable to expand fixed-line connections and there are now fewer than 10,000 connections; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate fixed-line infrastructure, the use of cellular services has surged and subscribership now exceeds 4 million - roughly 7 per 100 persons


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) (2007)
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 9,700 (2006) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 4.415 million (2006) -
Television broadcast stations 4 (2001) 1 (1997)
Terrain vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate 6.37 children born/woman (2007 est.) -
Unemployment rate NA% -
Waterways 15,000 km (2005) -
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.