Democratic Republic of the Congo

I

Introduction

Democratic Republic of the Congo, republic, central Africa, bordered on the north by the Central African Republic and Sudan; on the east by Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Lake Tanganyika (which separates it from Tanzania); on the south by Zambia; on the south-west by Angola; and on the north-west by the Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaïre) has a 40-km (25-mi) coastline to the west, on the Atlantic Ocean, which separates Angola’s Cabinda province (an enclave lying within the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from the rest of that country.

The country was known as the Belgian Congo until it became independent in 1960 as the Republic of the Congo. In 1964 it became the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its name was changed in 1971 to Zaïre by President Mobutu Sese Seko. The country reverted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 1997 when Mobutu was overthrown by forces led by Laurent Kabila. To distinguish it from its neighbour, the Republic of the Congo, the countries are popularly known as Congo-Kinshasa (the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Congo-Brazzaville (the Republic of the Congo).

The extreme western portion of the country is a narrow wedge terminating in the short Atlantic coastline. The maximum width of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is about 1,930 km (1,200 mi); its greatest length from north to south is about 2,010 km (1,250 mi). Its total area is 2,344,885 sq km (905,365 sq mi). The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Kinshasa.

II

Land and Resources

The dominant physiographical feature of the country (occupying 60 per cent of its area) is the rainforested basin of the River Congo. This region, constituting the entire central area, is a vast depression that slopes upward on all sides into plateaux and mountain ranges. The highest mountain group, running along the eastern border with Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda, is the Mitumba Range, with elevations above 4,877 m (16,000 ft). The River Ubangi, chief northern tributary of the Congo, rises on the north-western slopes of this range. In the south-east the basin is fringed by rugged mountain country, called the Katanga, or Katanga, Plateau. The Katanga region, about 1,220 m (4,000 ft) above sea level, contains rich copper fields, uranium, and other mineral deposits.

In the south-west of the country the mountain chains are collectively designated the Angola Plateau. Here are located the sources of the Kasai, chief southern tributary of the Congo. Both the Congo basin and the mountain regions are traversed by numerous rivers, the valleys of which are covered with dense vegetation. Virtually impenetrable equatorial forests occupy the eastern and north-eastern portions of the country. The largest, known variously as the Ituri, Great Congo, Pygmy, and Stanley Forest, extends east from the confluence of the Aruwimi and Congo rivers nearly to Lake Albert, covering some 64,750 sq km (25,000 sq mi). In this area, on the Ugandan border, is the Ruwenzori Range. The more elevated regions around the edge of the Congo basin consist of savannah land.

A

Climate

Except in the upland regions, the climate of the country is equatorial, being extremely hot and humid, with rain throughout the year. The mean annual temperature is about 26.7° C (80° F) in the low central area, with extremes considerably higher in February-April, the hottest months. In areas with altitudes above 1,524 m (5,000 ft), the mean annual temperature is about 18.9° C (66° F). The average annual rainfall is about 1,524 mm (60 in) in the north and 1,270 mm (50 in) in the south. Outside the equatorial areas of year-round rains, there are rainy seasons from April to November north of the equator and from October through May south of the equator. The highest summits of the mountains have considerable snowfall; at slightly lower elevations the climate is temperate alpine.

B

Natural Resources

The country has vast mineral deposits, notably copper, uranium, gold, and diamonds. The wide range of climatic areas permits diversified agricultural production, and timber resources are enormous. The country’s rainforests constitute almost 6 per cent of the world’s total, and nearly 50 per cent of Africa’s remaining woodlands. Exploitation of many known resources that are situated off the main transport routes is difficult, however. The Congo and its tributaries provide a network of navigable waterways and have vast hydroelectric potential.