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Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008) - Canada (2003)

Compare Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008) z Canada (2003)

 Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2008)Canada (2003)
 Congo, Democratic Republic of theCanada
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
10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
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.)
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 3,052,005; female 2,903,007)


15-64 years: 68.6% (male 11,099,907; female 10,984,903)


65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,774,262; female 2,393,029) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish
Airports 237 (2007) 1,389 (2002)
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: 507


over 3,047 m: 18


2,438 to 3,047 m: 15


1,524 to 2,437 m: 149


914 to 1,523 m: 245


under 914 m: 80 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 211


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 99 (2007)
total: 882


1,524 to 2,437 m: 73


914 to 1,523 m: 363


under 914 m: 446 (2002)
Area total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
total: 9,984,670 sq km


land: 9,093,507 sq km


water: 891,163 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US somewhat larger than the US
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. A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Its paramount political problem continues to be the relationship of the province of Quebec, with its French-speaking residents and unique culture, to the remainder of the country.
Birth rate 42.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 10.99 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $700 million


expenditures: $2 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $178.6 billion


expenditures: $161.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 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)
Ottawa
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) varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Coastline 37 km 202,080 km
Constitution 18 February 2006 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs
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: none


conventional short form: Canada
Currency - Canadian dollar (CAD)
Death rate 10.34 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $10 billion (2006 est.) $1.9 billion $NA (2000)
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI


embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8


mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430


telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470


FAX: [1] (613) 688-3097


consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael F. KERGIN


chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001


telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740


FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle


consulate(s): Miami, Princeton, San Francisco, and San Jose
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 managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; uncontested dispute with Denmark over Hans Island sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $1.3 billion (1999)
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. As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. As a result of the close cross-border relationship, the economic sluggishness in the United States in 2001-02 had a negative impact on the Canadian economy. Real growth averaged nearly 3% during 1993-2000, but declined in 2001, with moderate recovery in 2002. Unemployment is up, with contraction in the manufacturing and natural resource sectors. Nevertheless, given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Two shadows loom, the first being the continuing constitutional impasse between English- and French-speaking areas, which has been raising the specter of a split in the federation. Another long-term concern is the flow south to the US of professionals lured by higher pay, lower taxes, and the immense high-tech infrastructure. A key strength in the economy is the substantial trade surplus.
Electricity - consumption 572 million kWh (2005) 504.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 38.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 418 million kWh (2005) 16.11 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 352 million kWh (2005) 566.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 28%


hydro: 57.9%


nuclear: 12.9%


other: 1.3% (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: Mount Logan 5,959 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 air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities
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
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
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 British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%
Exchange rates Congolese francs per US dollar - NA (2007), 464.69 (2006), 437.86 (2005), 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003) Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.57 (2002), 1.55 (2001), 1.49 (2000), 1.49 (1999), 1.48 (1998)
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), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister Paul MARTIN (since 12 December 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Anne MCLELLAN (since 12 December 2003)


cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament


elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general
Exports 229,700 bbl/day (2004 est.) 2.008 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum
Exports - partners Belgium 29.4%, China 21.1%, Brazil 12.3%, Chile 7.8%, Finland 7.2%, US 4.9% (2006) US 87.7%, Japan 2%, UK 1.1% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white
GDP - purchasing power parity - $934.1 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 11%


services: 34% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 2.3%


industry: 26.5%


services: 71.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $29,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2007 est.) 3.3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 E 60 00 N, 95 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 second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US border
Heliports - 12 (2002)
Highways - total: 1.408 million km


paved: 497,306 km (including 16,900 km of expressways)


unpaved: 911,494 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 23.8% (1994)
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 illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector
Imports 8,220 bbl/day (2006 est.) 1.145 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
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) US 62.6%, China 4.6%, Japan 4.4% (2002)
Independence 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) 1 July 1867 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2.2% (2002 est.)
Industries mining (diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas
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.)
total: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 18.2% (2006 est.) 2.2% (2002 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 ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 760 (2000 est.)
Irrigated land 110 sq km (2003) 7,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Constitutional Court; Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation; Council of State; High Military Court; plus civil and military courts and tribunals Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)
Labor force 15 million (2006 est.) 16.4 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
services 74%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, agriculture 3%, other 3% (2000)
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: 8,893 km


border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Land use arable land: 2.86%


permanent crops: 0.47%


other: 96.67% (2005)
arable land: 4.94%


permanent crops: 0.02%


other: 95.04% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5%
Legal system a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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)
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (301 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve for up to five-year terms)


elections: House of Commons - last held 27 November 2000 (next to be held by 2005)


election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 41%, Canadian Alliance 26%, Bloc Quebecois 11%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 12%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12; note - percent of vote by party as of January 2002 - Liberal Party 51%, Canadian Alliance 10%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, New Democratic Party 9%, Progressive Conservative Party 18%; seats by party - Liberal Party 172, Canadian Alliance 66, Bloc Quebecois 38, New Democratic Party 13, Progressive Conservative Party 12
Life expectancy at birth total population: 57.2 years


male: 54.97 years


female: 59.5 years (2007 est.)
total population: 79.83 years


male: 76.44 years


female: 83.38 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 can read and write


total population: 97% (1986 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Central Africa, northeast of Angola Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
Map references Africa North America
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 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)
total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,840,272 GRT/2,740,864 DWT


ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 64, cargo 11, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 3, Monaco 16, United Kingdom 1, United States 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC) (2008) Canadian Armed Forces (comprising Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Training Command)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $7.861 billion (FY01/02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.5% (2006) 1.1% (FY01/02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 8,391,120 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 7,158,016 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 16 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 216,488 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 30 June (1960) Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
Nationality noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
noun: Canadian(s)


adjective: Canadian
Natural hazards periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains
Natural resources cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate 1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 62 km; oil 71 km (2007) crude and refined oil 23,564 km; natural gas 74,980 km
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] Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Canadian Alliance [Stephen HARPER]; Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]; Progressive Conservative Party [Peter MACKAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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.)
32,207,113 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.39% (2007 est.) 0.94% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 535, FM 53, shortwave 6 (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)
total: 49,422 km


standard gauge: 49,422 km 1.435-m gauge (129 km electrified) (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10% Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%


note: based on the 1991 census
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.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
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: excellent service provided by modern technology


domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations


international: 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 9,700 (2006) 20,802,900 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 4.415 million (2006) 8,751,300 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 4 (2001) 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)
Terrain vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Total fertility rate 6.37 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 7.6% (2002 est.)
Waterways 15,000 km (2005) 3,000 km (including Saint Lawrence Seaway)
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