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Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2004) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)

Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2004) z Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)

 Holy See (Vatican City) (2004)Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2002)
 Holy See (Vatican City)Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Administrative divisions none 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
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.)
Agriculture - products - coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Airports none (2003 est.) 232 (2001)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 205


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 91 (2002)
Area total: 0.44 sq km


land: 0.44 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 2,345,410 sq km


land: 2,267,600 sq km


water: 77,810 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Background Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, the failing health of Pope JOHN PAUL II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. 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.
Birth rate - 45.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $245.2 million


expenditures: $260.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002)
revenues: $269 million


expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million
Capital Vatican City Kinshasa
Climate temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) 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
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 37 km
Constitution new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929) 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
Country name conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)


conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)


local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)


local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
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
Currency euro (EUR) Congolese franc (CDF)
Death rate - 14.93 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external - $12.9 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome


mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624


telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428


FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel MONTALVO


chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121


FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
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
Disputes - international none 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)
Economic aid - recipient none $195.3 million (1995) (1995)
Economy - overview This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world, as well as by special collections (known as Peter's Pence); the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; fees for admission to museums; and the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 4.55 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh 404 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh 5.268 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 2%


hydro: 98%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: unnamed location 19 m


highest point: unnamed location 75 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Environment - current issues NA 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
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
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
Ethnic groups Italians, Swiss, other 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 euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003),1.1324 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) 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
Executive branch chief of state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October 1978)


head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 1 December 1990)


cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope


elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope


election results: Karol WOJTYLA elected pope
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
Exports 0 kWh $750 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities - diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
Exports - partners - Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $32 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 54%


industry: 9%


services: 37% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $590 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - -4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 54 N, 12 27 E 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights 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
Heliports - 1 (2002)
Highways none; all city streets total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
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
Imports NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy $1.024 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities - foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners - South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)
Independence 11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps, a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
Infant mortality rate - 98.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 358% (2001 est.)
International organization participation CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer) 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2001)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 110 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See


note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force NA 14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Land boundaries total: 3.2 km


border countries: Italy 3.2 km
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
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
arable land: 2.96%


permanent crops: 0.52%


other: 96.52% (1998 est.)
Languages Italian, Latin, French, various other languages French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Legal system based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Pontifical Commission 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
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 49.13 years


male: 47.19 years


female: 51.13 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: 100%


male: NA


female: NA
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.)
Location Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Map references Europe Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope -
Military branches Swiss Guards Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera) Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Security Battalion
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.6% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 11,996,175 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 6,110,595 (2002 est.)
National holiday Coronation Day of Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978) Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Nationality noun: none


adjective: none
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards NA periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes
Natural resources none cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
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.)
Pipelines - petroleum products 390 km
Political parties and leaders none 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)]
Political pressure groups and leaders none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers) NA
Population 921 (July 2004 est.) 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.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate 0.01% (2004 est.) 2.79% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors none Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)
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.)
Religions Roman Catholic Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other 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: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage limited to cardinals less than 80 years old 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: automatic exchange


domestic: tied into Italian system


international: country code - 39; uses Italian 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)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 20,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 15,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1996) 4 (2001)
Terrain low hill vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Total fertility rate - 6.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways - 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
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