Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
Bantu, Sudanic, and other migrants from West and Northeastern Africa arrived in the Congo River Basin between 2000 B.C. and A.D. 500. The territory that is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 200 ethnic groups that trace their histories to many communal organizations and kingdoms. The Kingdom of Kongo, for example, ruled the area around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to 19th centuries. Meanwhile, the Kingdoms of Luba and Lunda, located to the south and east, were also notable political groupings in the territory and ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Government
- semi-presidential republic
- Population
- 119,038,825
- Area
- 2,344,858 sq km
- Location
- Central Africa, northeast of Angola
- Climate
- tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands;
- Natural resources
- cobalt; copper; niobium; tantalum; petroleum; industrial and gem diamonds…
- Languages
- French (official); Lingala (a trade language); Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili); Kikongo…
- Religions
- Christian 93/1% (Roman Catholic 29.9%; Protestant 26.7%; other Christian 36.5%); Kimbanguist 2.8%…
- Independence
- 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
- Administrative divisions
- 26 provinces; Bas-Uele (Lower Uele), Equateur, Haut-Katanga (Upper Katanga), Haut-Lomami (Upper Lomami), Haut-Uele (Uppe…
- Currency
- Congolese francs (CDF)
- Export partners
- China 69%; UAE 7%; India 3%; Spain 3%…
- Import partners
- China 35%; Zambia 12%; South Africa 12%; India 5%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain