NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Democratic Republic of the Congo (new)

(Following the promulgation (in the very near future) of the new Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been adopted by refermdum the December 18 and 19 2005 by the Congolese people, as confirmed Febraury 04 2006 by the Supreme Court of this country, here is what the DRC page will look like) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo — also referred to as DRC, DR Congo, Congo and Congo-Kinshasa, and formerly Zaire — is a nation in central Africa and the third largest country on the continent. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, and the Republic of the Congo on the west. The country enjoys access to the sea through a narrow forty kilometre stretch, following the Congo river into the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Congo" (meaning "hunter") is coined after the Bakongo tribe, living in the Congo river basin. Formerly, the Belgian colony of the Belgian Congo, the country's post-independence name was changed in 1971, from Congo-Kinshasa (after its capital, to distinguish it from the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville) to Zaire, until 1997. Since 1998, the country has suffered greatly from the devastating Second Congo War (sometimes referred to as the African World War), the world's deadliest conflict since World War II. Image File history File links Flag_of_Congo_Kinshasa_1963. ... Image File history File links DRCongo_Coat_of_Arms. ... Flag ratio: 2:3, since 1997 Flag of Association Internationale Africaine as well as the Congo Free State (1877-1908) and the Belgian Congo (1908-1960) 1960-1963 independence flag 1963-1966 flag 1966-1971 flag Flag of Zaire (1971-1997) Unofficial variation of the independence flag The flag of... Democratic Republic of the Congo is simply an adaptation of the national flag. ... This page lists state and national mottos for the worlds independent states and their subdivisions. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their official national song. ... Debout Congolais (Arise Congolese) is the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Download high resolution version (1357x628, 21 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in a country, state, or other territory. ... Lingala is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ... Kongo is the Bantu language spoken by the Kongo people living in the tropical forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and Angola. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ... Contents // Categories: Bantu languages | Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Language stubs ... List of Heads of State of Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) Affiliations:- See also:- Congo Heads of Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Heads of State of the Congo Free State Colonial Heads of Congo Zaire Lists of Incumbents Categories: Lists of office-holders | Democratic Republic of the... A transitional government is a temporary ruling organization usually put into place pending the establishment of a permanent government. ... Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different surface areas, here is a list of areas between 1 million kmÂ² and 10 million kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, estimated for the year 2005. ... List of countries/dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ² The figures in the following table are based on areas including inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... These are two lists of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita for the year of 2004, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for... World map indicating HDI of UN member states, 2003. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... World map indicating HDI of UN member states, 2003. ... The Congolese Franc is the currency of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... ISO 4217 is an international standard describing three letter codes to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Daylight saving time (also called DST) is the North American term for a system intended to save daylight (the British observe summer time, and likewise the Europeans). ... Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of UTC+1 time zone, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Eastern European Time (EET) is the time zone 2 hours ahead of UTC. Time zones of Europe, Blue WET or GMT or UTC , Red CET/MET, Green EET, Khaki MSK During summertime, DST (Daylight Saving Time) is in effect in some countries such as Finland and all other member states... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time or Z, is an atomic realization of Universal Time (UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time or Z, is an atomic realization of Universal Time (UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The following is a list of currently existing Internet Top-level domains (TLDs). ... .cd is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country in Africa. ... // At a glance In depth Zone 1 â€“ North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ... Regression analysis is any statistical method where the mean of one or more random variables is predicted conditioned on other (measured) random variables. ... Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area. ... The Congo is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic southwest of Africa. ... The Bakongo people (aka. ... In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a geographically-distant state (or city, in ancient times). ... The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King LÃ©opold IIs formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November, 1908, to the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June, 1960. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA. Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. ... The Second Congo War was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 8 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. ...

History

The earliest inhabitants of the area were Pygmy peoples. They were largely replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations. The area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. by Bantus from present-day Nigeria. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... Human migration denotes any movement by humans from one locality to another, often over long distances or in large groups. ...

Congolese pre-history

From 2000 BC to AD 500, waves of Bantu migrations moved into what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Although the term "Congo" usually encompasses neighboring Congo-Brazzaville as well) from the northwest, adding to and displacing the indigenous Pygmy populations into the southern regions of the modern DRC state. Subsequent migrations from the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan into the northeast, as well as East Africans migrating into the eastern Congo added to the mix of ethnic groups. The Bantus imported agriculture and iron-working techniques from West Africa into the area, as well as establishing the Bantu language family as the primary set of tongues for the Congolese. Early Congolese History starts with waves of Bantu migrations from 2000 BC to 500 AD moving into the area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Darfur (Arabic Ø¯Ø§Ø± ÙÙˆØ±, meaning home of the Fur) is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ... Kordofan is a former province of central Sudan. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Eastern Africa ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ...

In the fifth century, a society began to develop in a region that initially encompassed only a 200 kilometre (125 mi) area along the banks of the Lualaba River in the modern day Katanga province. This culture, known as the Upemba, would eventually evolve into the more significant Luba kingdom. A mile is a unit of distance (or, in physics terminology, length) currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or 63,360 inches. ... The Lualaba is the headstream of the Congo River, running from the vicinity of Lubumbashi north to Kisangani, where the Congo officially begins. ... Capital Lubumbashi Created June 1960 Dissolved January 1963 Demonym Katangan Currency Katanga franc Katanga is the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional capital Lubumbashi (formerly Elizabethville). ... Luba may refer to: Luba, Equatorial Guinea Luba, a tribe in western Africa Tshiluba language Luba, a comic book character This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The process in which the original Upemba societies transitioned into the Luba kingdom was gradual and complex. This transition ran without interruption, with several distinct societies developing out of the Upemba culture prior to the genesis of the Luba. Each of these kingdoms became very wealthy due mainly to the region's mineral wealth, especially in ores. The civilization began to develop and implement iron and copper technology, in addition to trading in ivory and other goods. The Luba established a strong commercial demand for their metal technologies and were able to institute a primitive but long-range commercial net (the business connections extended over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi), all the way to the Indian Ocean). By the 1500s the kingdom had an established strong central government based on chieftainship. An ore is a mineral deposit containing a metal or other valuable resource in economically viable concentrations. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... An elaborately carved ivory decoration Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, etc. ...

Medieval kingdoms

The Kongo Empire

By the fifteenth century, the dominant political force of the Congo region was the Kongo Empire. The Kongo was a highly developed state located primarily in the southwest portion of the modern Congo, in addition to occupying portions of northern Angola and Cabinda. The state was particularly noted by Europeans on their arrival as having developed an intricate system of taxation. At its greatest extent, the empire reached from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo River in the north to the Loje River in the south. The kingdom was headed by a king known as the Manikongo who exercised his authority over the Bakongo (Kongo peoples) from his capital in Mbanza-Kongo, which grew into the present day city of Sao Salvador. The empire established itself as the hub of an extensive Central African trade network in which it traded slaves especially, along with other natural resources. The Kongo would eventually sell so many people into slavery that the empire collapsed due to lack of human resources and war with the Portuguese. The Empire Kongo The Kongo Kingdom was an African kingdom located in southwest Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... The Empire Kongo The Kongo Kingdom was an African kingdom located in southwest Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Map of Angola, highlighting Cabinda Cabinda is a small territory, currently administered as an exclave of Angola, resulting from the fusion of three kingdoms: Ngoyo, Loango and Cacongo. ... The Congo is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Manikongo was the title of the ruler of the 14th century - 17th century Kingdom of Kongo, a large area consisting of land in present-day Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, who ruled from the kingdoms capital Mbanza-Kongo, present day capital city of the Angolan province of... The Bakongo people (aka. ... Mbanza Kongo, formerly known as SÃ£o Salvador, is the capital of Zaire province in Northwestern Angola, close to the DOC Border. ...

Other states

There were numerous other, but much smaller states scattered throughout the territory in the north and northeast of the basin, with Pygmies and other primarily hunter-gatherer populations located mostly in the southern portions of the region. Of particular note is that the populations of the Eastern regions of the premordial Congo were heavily disrupted by constant slaving, mainly from Zanzibari slave dealers. The slave trade in this portion of Africa was primarily Arab in nature (as opposed to the European or Atlantic slave trade) and captured persons were typically shipped off to the Middle East or holdings of Arabian kingdoms for labor. Generally speaking, pygmy (from Greek pygmaios, fist sized, a kind of dwarf in Greek mythology) can refer to any human or animal of unusually small size, for example, the pygmy hippopotamus. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar (Unguja) (1994 est. ... The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ Ê»arab) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... The Atlantic slave trade was the purchase and transport of Africans into bondage and servitude in the New World. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia consisting mainly of desert. ...

European exploration and administration (1870–1960)

Main articles: Colonisation of the Congo, Congo Free State, and Belgian Congo Colonisation of the Congo refers to the period from Henry Morton Stanleys first exploration of the Congo (1867) until its annexation as a personal possession of King LÃ©opold II of Belgium (1885). ... The Congo Free State was a kingdom privately and controversially owned by King Leopold II of Belgium that included the entire area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King LÃ©opold IIs formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November, 1908, to the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June, 1960. ...

European exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. The area was first mapped by the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley. He prepared the region for European colonization. Stanley had undertaken his explorations mainly under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium, who desired what was to become the Congo as a colony. In a succession of negotiations Leopold, professing humanitarian objectives in his capacity as chairman of the Association Internationale Africaine, played one European rival against the other. The Congo territory was acquired formally by Leopold at the Conference of Berlin in 1885. He made the land his private property and named it the Congo Free State. Leopold's regime began undertaking various development projects, such as the railway that ran from the coast to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) which took years to complete. Nearly all of these projects were aimed at increasing the capital Leopold and his cohorts could extract from the colony, leading to atrocious exploitation of Africans. In the Free State, the local population was brutalized in exchange for rubber, a growing market with the development of rubber tires. The selling of the rubber made a fortune for Leopold, who built several buildings in Brussels and Ostend to honour himself and his country. During the period between 1885 and 1908, between five and fifteen (the commonly accepted figure is about ten) million Congolese died as a consequence of exploitation and diseases. To enforce the rubber quotas, the Force Publique (FP) was called in. The FP was an army, but its aim was not to defend the country, but to terrorise the local population The Force Publique made the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives as a means of enforcing rubber quotas a matter of policy; this practice was disturbingly widespread. However, there were international protests spearheaded mainly by E. D. Morel and British diplomat/Irish patriot Roger Casement, whose 1904 report on the Congo condemned the practice, as well as famous writers such as Mark Twain. Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness also takes place in Congo Free State. In 1908, the Belgian parliament bowed to international pressure in order to save their last bit of prestige in Europe, forcibly adopting the Free State as a Belgian colony from the king. From then on, it became the Belgian Congo. Clearing tropical forests ate away at profit margins. ... Clearing tropical forests ate away at profit margins. ... Sir Henry Morton Stanley (also known as Bula Matari (Breaker of Rocks) in Congo), born John Rowlands (January 28, 1841 â€“ May 10, 1904), was a 19th-century Welsh-born American journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. ... The Association Internationale Africaine (French) was an organization created by King Leopold II of Belgium for supposedly furthering humanitarian projects in the area of Central Africa that was to become the Congo Free State and subsequently todays Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... For the Cold War conference see Berlin Conference of 1954. ... The Congo Free State was a kingdom privately and controversially owned by King Leopold II of Belgium that included the entire area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky emulsion (known as latex) in the sap of a number of plants but can also be produced synthetically. ... Bold textItalic textBold text // Headline text Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel, German: BrÃ¼ssel) is the capital of Belgium, the French community of Belgium, the Flemish community and of the European Union. ... Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French: Ostende) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... The Force Publique (FP) was the official armed force for what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1885 (when the territory was known as the Congo Free State) until the beginning of the Second Republic in 1965. ... Edmund Dene Morel, originally Georges Edmond Pierre Achille Morel de Ville (July 10, 1873 â€“ November 12, 1924) was a British journalist, author and socialist politician. ... Roger Casement, commemorated on a 1966 Irish stamp Roger David Casement (September 1, 1864 â€“ August 3, 1916) was a British diplomat by profession and a poet, Irish revolutionary and nationalist by inclination. ... Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 â€“ April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a famous American humorist, novelist, writer and lecturer. ... Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (December 3, 1857 â€“ August 3, 1924) was a Polish novelist, who wrote in English. ... Heart of Darkness is a novella (published 1902) by Joseph Conrad. ... The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King LÃ©opold IIs formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November, 1908, to the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June, 1960. ...

During World War II the small Congolese army achieved several victories against the Italians in north Africa. The Belgian Congo, which was also rich in uranium deposits, supplied the uranium that was used to build the American atom bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, helping bring World War II to an end. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 8 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. ...

Political Crises (1960-1965)

In 1959, Patrice Lumumba, with the MNC party or Mouvement National Congolais, won the first free legislative elections. He was therefore appointed Prime Minister, while Joseph Kasavubu was elected President by the parliament. His party was the ABAKO (Alliance des Bakongo). Other parties that emerged include the PSA or Parti Solidaire Africain (Antoine Gizenga), the PNP or Parti National du Peuple (Albert Delvaux, Laurent Mbariko). Shortly after independence the provinces of Katanga (with Moise Tshombe) and South Kasai seceded. Subsequent events led to a crisis between the President and the Prime Minister. On September 5th 1960, the President dismissed the Prime Minister, who would later be killed in Katanga on January 17th 1961 by Belgian government and Katangan forces. Several governments successively took over in the widespread confusion. They were led by technicians (College des Commissaires), Joseph Ileo, Cyrille Adoula, Moise Tshombe, and Evariste Kimba. Patrice Lumumba Patrice Emery Lumumba (2 July 1925 - 17 January 1961) was an African nationalist leader and the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo when it declared its independence in June 1960. ... Joseph Kasa Vubu (c. ... Antoine Gizenga (b. ... Laurent Jean-Pierre Mbariko (January 19, 1925 in the Kwilu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo - December 30, 1972) was a Congolese politician who played a significant role in Congos independence from Belgium. ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Lubumbashi Largest city Lubumbashi National Language Swahili, Tshiluba Land areaÂ¹ 496. ... Moise Kapenda Tshombe (November 10, 1919 - June 29, 1969) was a Congolese politician. ... Flag of South Kasai South Kasai was a secessionist region in the area of south central Congo (Kinshasa) during the early 1960â€™s. ... Cyrille Adoula (born September 13, 1921 in LÃ©opoldville â€“ died May 24, 1978 in Lausanne, Switzerland) was a Congolese politician. ... Moise Kapenda Tshombe (November 10, 1919 - June 29, 1969) was a Congolese politician. ...

Zaire (1965–1996)

Following five years of extreme instability and civil unrest, Mobutu, now Lieutenant General, overthrew Kasavubu in a 1965 coup d'état. A one-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. He would occasionally hold elections in which he was the only candidate. Relative peace and stability was achieved, but Mobutu's government was accused of human rights violations, repression, a cult of personality (every Congolese bank note displayed his image, his portrait was displayed in all public buildings, most businesses, and on billboards, and it was common for ordinary people to wear his likeness on their clothing) and excessive corruption — in 1984 he was said to have four billion U.S. dollars, an amount close to the country's national debt, stashed away in personal Swiss bank accounts. In an effort to spread African national awareness, starting on June 1, 1966, Mobutu renamed the nation's cities (Leopoldville became Kinshasa [the country was now Democratic Republic of The Congo–Kinshasa], Stanleyville became Kisangani, and Elisabethville became Lumbumbashi). This city-renaming campaign was completed in the 1970s. In 1971, he renamed the country the Republic of Zaire, its fourth name change in eleven years and its sixth overall. The Congo River became the Zaire River. In 1972, Mobutu renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko. A coup dÃ©tat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government against the volontÃ© gÃ©nÃ©rale formed by the majority of the citizen, usually done by a smaller supposedly weaker body that just replaces the top power figures. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Joseph Stalin is often credited with creating the first modern-day cult of personality. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-BÃ©del Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Mobutu Sese Seko in the 1960s sporting his signature leopardskin toque and glasses. ...

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. relations with Kinshasa cooled, as Mobutu was no longer deemed a necessary Cold War ally, and his opponents within Zaire stepped up demands for reform. This atmosphere contributed to Mobutu declaring the Third Republic in 1990, whose constitution was supposed to pave the way for democratic reform. The reforms turned out to be largely cosmetic, and Mobutu's rule continued until conflict forced him to flee Zaire. The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... For the generic term for high-tension and / or indirect struggle between states, falling short of actual open hostilities, see cold war (war). ...

War (1996–present)

Main articles: First Congo War and Second Congo War The First Congo War was a conflict from late 1996 to 1997 in which Zairean President Mobutu SÃ©sÃ© Seko was eaten by rebel forces backed by foreign powers such as Uganda and Rwanda. ... The Second Congo War was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). ...

Since 1994, the Congo has been rocked by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila in May, 1997; he changed the country's name back to Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa. But his former allies soon turned against him, and his regime was challenged by a Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the new regime in Kinshasa. See Foreign relations of Congo and First Congo War. Mobutu Sese Seko in the 1960s sporting his signature leopardskin toque and glasses. ... Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila (November 27, 1939 â€“ January 18, 2001) was President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from May 1997, when he overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko until his assassination in January 2001. ... Its location in the center of Africa has made DROC a key player in the region since independence. ... The First Congo War was a conflict from late 1996 to 1997 in which Zairean President Mobutu SÃ©sÃ© Seko was eaten by rebel forces backed by foreign powers such as Uganda and Rwanda. ...

A cease-fire was signed on July 10, 1999; nevertheless, fighting continues apace especially in the eastern part of the country, financed by revenues from the illegal extraction of minerals such as coltan, cassiterite and diamonds. Kabila was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war. Fighting continued, even after an accord signed in South Africa in 2002. But by late 2003, a fragile peace prevailed. Kabila appointed four vice-presidents, two who had been fighting to oust him until July 2003. Image File history File links Pictures of peacekeepers for the UN mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Image File history File links Pictures of peacekeepers for the UN mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Coltan is the colloquial African name for (columbite-tantalite), a metallic ore comprising Niobium and Tantalum. ... Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ...

Politics

From the day King Leopold II established colonial authority in what is now Congo-Kinshasa to today, the country's government has been unstable. This is reflected in its seven name changes since 1885: (1) Congo Free State (1885–1908), (2) Belgian Congo (1908–60 [this, incidentally, was the longest period of tranquility the country has experienced]), (3) Republic of The Congo-Leopoldville (1960–64), (4) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Leopoldville (1964–66), (5) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa (1966-71), (6) Republic of Zaire (1971–97), and (7) Democratic Republic of The Congo-Kinshasa (since 1997). Download high resolution version (1100x1654, 342 KB)President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo meets with Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz at the Pentagon on Nov. ... Download high resolution version (1100x1654, 342 KB)President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo meets with Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz at the Pentagon on Nov. ... Despite President Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabilas claims that his was a transitional government leading to a new constitution and full elections by April 1999, these elections have not as of 2004 been held, and a 1998 draft constitution has not been finalized. ...

The government of former president Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent Kabila in May 1997, with the support of Rwanda and Uganda. They were later to turn against Kabila and backed a rebellion against him 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. Elections currently planned for June 2005 appear to have been put on hold as Congolese politicians have yet to approve the newly created constitution. Mobutu Sese Seko in the 1960s sporting his signature leopardskin toque and glasses. ... Note: if you came to this web page after seeing it in a SPAM email, please be advised that (a) we have nothing to do with that spam and (b) the person who sent you the message is a criminal who is trying to steal your money. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ...

Despite the peace deal: "After eighteen months in power, the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains fragile, far from its goals of peace and effective administration of this huge central African nation. Installed after five years of civil war, the uneasy coalition of former belligerents is plagued by mistrust, dissatisfaction among troops not yet fully integrated in a new national army—including an aborted rebellion by some of them, and challenges from armed groups outside the peace process. It also faces continued interference from neighboring countries, in particular Uganda and Rwanda [1]."

The presence of UN troops has not stopped most of the eastern portion of the country from the rule of tyranical warlords such as those of the Nationalist and Integrationist Front (NFI), who have committed well-documented human rights abuses in their own economic interests [2]. The NFI has been accused in the killing of nine UN peacekeepers in February 2005 [3], in addition to massive exploitation of regional mineral wealth, particularly gold [4]. According to the Human Rights Watch, the east is a human rights disaster area with, "soldiers of the national army and combatants of armed groups continu(ing) to target civilians, killing, raping, and otherwise injuring them, carrying out arbitrary arrests and torture, and destroying or pillaging their property. Tens of thousands of persons have fled their homes, several thousand of them across international borders. After the attempted rebellion and a massacre of Congolese refugees in neighboring Burundi, ethnically-based fear and hatred have risen sharply, emotions that are amplified and manipulated by politicians and some civil society leaders [5]." Continuing violence amongst civilians, ethnic hostility, economic explotation, and the violation of civil and political rights are amongst the many human rights abuses that plague the area. The Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI) is a militia group comprised of ethnic Lendu active in the Ituri region of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Human Rights Watch is a U.S.-based international human rights non-governmental organization located in New York City, USA, that conducts advocacy and research on human rights issues. ...

The new government has almost no control militarily over the country, especially in the chaotic eastern regions and particularly the Ituri district. The revamped Congolese "military" is a hodge-podge of Kabila's allies coalitioned with former rebel militias. A hundred members of one of these militias went on a rampage in a major town near Kinshasa, killing a number of civilians [6] in July 2005. Ituri is a region located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ...

On 18 and 19 December 2005, a successful nationwide referendum was carried out on a draft constitution which sets the stage for elections in 2006. The voting process, though technically difficult due to the lack of infrastructure, was facilitated and organized by the Congolese Independent Electoral Commission with support from UN mission to the Congo (MONUC). Early UN reports indicate that the voting was for the most part peaceful, but spurred violence in many parts of the war-torn east and the Kasais. On February 3rd, 2006, the Supremec Court of the DRC confirmed the adoption of the new constitution by the Congolese people, and it was promulgated on the (date to come here) by President Joseph Kabila December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ...

Many Congolese have complained that the constitution is a rather ambiguous document and are unaware of its contents. This is due in large part to the high rates of illiteracy in the country. However, interim President Kabila urged Congolese to vote 'Yes', saying the constitution is the country's best hope for peace in the future. An impressive 25 million Congolese turned out for the two-day balloting. [7] [8] According to results released in January 2006, the constitution was approved by 84% of voters. [9] Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikisource â€“ The Free Library â€“ is a Wikimedia project to build a free, wiki library of primary source texts, along with translations of source-texts into any language and other supporting materials. ...

The country's first democratic elections in four decades are scheduled to be held on 29 April 2006 with a possible presidential run-off on 2 June. Polling will once again be facilitated by UN peacekeepers. [10] April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI in Roman) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ...

Political divisions

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is divided into 10 provinces, and one independent city Bandundu Bas-Congo Equateur Kasai-Occidental Kasai-Oriental Katanga Kinshasa Maniema Nord-Kivu Orientale (formerly Haut-Zaire) Sud-Kivu Categories: Lists of subnational entities | Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

Provinces

The Congo is divided into 25 provinces, and one independent city (Kinshasa). Image File history File links Provinces_de_la_RÃ©publique_dÃ©mocratique_du_Congo_-_2005. ... Image File history File links Provinces_de_la_RÃ©publique_dÃ©mocratique_du_Congo_-_2005. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Bandundu is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... The Lomami River is a major tributary of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... Sud-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... Nord-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... Ituri is a region located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Mbandaka Largest city Mbandaka National Language Lingala Land areaÂ¹ 403,292 kmÂ² Governor Yves Mobando Yogo Population Density 4,820,000 (est. ...

Major cities

Image File history File links Nyiragongo_volcano_-_SRTM.jpg PIA03337 Nyiragongo volcano, Congo, Pre-eruption Perspective View, SRTM / Landsat Source: http://photojournal. ... Image File history File links Nyiragongo_volcano_-_SRTM.jpg PIA03337 Nyiragongo volcano, Congo, Pre-eruption Perspective View, SRTM / Landsat Source: http://photojournal. ... Image File history File links Kinshasa_2003. ... Image File history File links Kinshasa_2003. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying at the southern end of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda. ... Ilebo, formerly known as Port-Francqui, is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying at the highest navigable point of the Kasaï River. ... Isiro is a city located in Orientale Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Kalemie, fomerly Alberville, is a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ... Kananga is the capital of the Kasai-Occidental province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Kindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Kisangani, formerly Stanleyville, (population 500,000) is a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. ... Kolwezi is a city in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi in the province of Shaba. ... View of Jadotville (now Likasi), c1930. ... Lubumbashi (formerly Elisabethville) ranks as the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (capital Kinshasa, formerly Zaire) and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. ... Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki Rivers. ... Mbanza-Ngungu, formerly known as Thysville, is a city in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the Kinshasa â€“ Matadi railway. ... Mbuji-Mayi (formerly Bakwanga) serves as the capital of Kasai-Oriental (Anglicized as East-Kasai) province in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo. ...

Geography

The Congo is situated at the heart of the west-central portion of sub-Saharan Africa and is bounded by (Clockwise from the west) Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania across Lake Tanganyika, and Zambia. Its territory also straddles the Equator, with one-third to the north and two-thirds to the south. Map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from [1]. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from [1]. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Democratic Republic of the Congo includes the greater part of the Congo River Basin, which covers an area of almost 1 million square kilometers (400,000 sq. ... A satellite composite image of Africa showing the ecological break between North and Sub-Saharan regions Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa south of the Sahara, is the term used to describe those countries of Africa that are not considered part of North Africa or some areas of West Africa. ... Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ... The equator is an imaginary circle drawn around a planet (or other astronomical object) at a distance halfway between the poles. ...

As a result of its equatorial location, the Congo experiences extremely high amounts of rainfall. The average rainfall for the entire country is about 1,070 millimeters (42 in), which have created the second largest rain forest in the world (after the Amazon). This massive expanse of lush jungle covers most of the vast, low-lying central basin of the river, which slopes toward the Atlantic Ocean in the west. This area is surrounded by plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest, by mountainous terraces in the west, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. High mountains are found in the extreme eastern region. Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A river in the Amazon rainforest The Amazon Rainforest is a term widely used to describe the moist broadleaf forests of the Amazon Basin. ... Basin has several meanings: Look up basin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An Inner Mongolia Grassland. ... The Congo is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ...

The tropical climate has also produced the Congo River system which dominates the region topographically along with the rainforest it flows through, (though they are not mutually exclusive). The name for the "Congo" state is derived from that of the river, along with that of the Kongo Empire which controlled much of the region in precolonial times. The river basin (meaning the Congo River and all of its myriad tributaries) occupy nearly the entire country and an area of nearly one million square kilometers (400,000 sq mi). The river and its tributaries (major offshoots include the Kasai, Sangha, Ubangi, Aruwimi, and Lulonga) form the backbone of Congolese economics and transportion, they have a drastic impact on the daily lives of the people. The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru. The river flows generally west from Kisangani just below Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwest, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa and Brazzaville are actually on opposite sides of the river at the Pool (see NASA image), then the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), and then running past Boma into the Atlantic. The river also has the second-largest flow and the second-largest watershed of any river in the world (trailing the Amazon in both respects). The river provides the country's only outlet to the Atlantic, a narrow strip of land on its north bank, otherwise the Congo would be completely landlocked. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... The Congo is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Empire Kongo The Kongo Kingdom was an African kingdom located in southwest Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ... Kasai may be Kasai, Hyogo in Japan the Kasai River in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now divided into eastern and western districts This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ... The Ubangi River (also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in Central Africa. ... The Aruwimi River is a tributary of the Congo River, located to the north and east of the Congo. ... The Lulonga is a river in the Equateur province of Congo-Kinshasa. ... Northern section of the Great Rift Valley. ... Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... Kisangani, formerly Stanleyville, (population 500,000) is a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. ... Boyoma Falls, formerly known as Stanley Falls, consists of seven cataracts extending over 100 km on the Lualaba River near Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki Rivers. ... The Ubangi River (also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in central Africa. ... The Pool Malebo (formerly Stanley Pool, also seen as Malebo Pool), is a lake-like widening in the lower reaches of the Congo River. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA. Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. ... Livingstone Falls, named for David Livingstone, is a rapids of the lower Congo River in west equatorial Africa below Malebo Pool. ... The port town of Boma (1984 pop. ... A watershed is a region of land where water drains downhill into a specified body of water, such as a river, lake, sea, ocean or wetland. ... The Amazon River (occasionally River Amazon; Spanish: RÃo Amazonas, Portuguese: Rio Amazonas) of South America is one of the two longest rivers on Earth, the other being the Nile in Africa. ...

The previously mentioned Great Rift Valley, in particular the Eastern Rift, plays a key role in shaping the Congo's geography. Not only is the northeastern section of the country much more mountainous, but due the rift's tectonic activities, this area also experiences low levels of volcanic activity. The rifting of the African continent in this area has also manifested itself as the famous Great Lakes which lie on the Congo's eastern frontier. The country is bordered in the east by two of these: Lake Albert and Lake Tanganyika. Perhaps most important of all, the Rift Valley has endowed most of the south and east of the Congo with an enormous amount of mineral wealth. These include cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, and coal. Unfortunately, this wealth has been both a blessing and a curse; the Congo people have not so far reaped the benefits of their country's tremendous mineral resources. Northern section of the Great Rift Valley. ... ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... The Great Lakes and the East African coastline as seen from space. ... Lake Albert and its river systems. ... Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ... This article is about minerals in the geologic sense; for nutrient minerals see dietary mineral; for the band see Mineral (band). ...

Economy

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a nation endowed with vast potential wealth—has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The two recent conflicts, which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in the deaths from war, famine, and disease of perhaps 3.8 million people. 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, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Sparsely populated in relation to its area, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to a vast potential of natural resources and mineral wealth, yet the economy of the DROC has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. ... The First Congo War was a conflict from late 1996 to 1997 in which Zairean President Mobutu SÃ©sÃ© Seko was eaten by rebel forces backed by foreign powers such as Uganda and Rwanda. ... The Second Congo War was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). ... A famine is a phenomenon in which a large percentage of the population of a region or country are so undernourished that death by starvation becomes increasingly common. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ...

Demographics

The population was estimated at 56.6 million in 2003, growing quickly from 46.7 million in 1997. As many as 250 ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. Although 700 local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala. This article needs to be wikified. ... The Empire Kongo The Kongo Kingdom was an African kingdom located in southwest Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... The Ba-Luba are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa. ... Mongo may refer to: The act of riding a skateboard using ones leading foot to push. ... The Kongo Empire was an African kingdom located in southwest Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Contents // Categories: Bantu languages | Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Language stubs ... This article is about the language. ... Lingala is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ...

About 80% of the Congolese population are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. Most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religions or syncretic sects. Traditional religions embody such concepts as monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and sorcery and vary widely among ethnic groups; none is formalized. The syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals. The most popular of these sects, Kimbanguism, was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu," now has about 3 million members, primarily among the Bakongo of Kongo central and Kinshasa. As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Monotheism (in Greek Î¼ÏŒÎ½Î¿Ï‚ = single and Î¸ÎµÏŒÏ‚ = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... In religion, the term Animism is used in a number of ways. ... Vitalism is the doctrine that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... Witchcraft, in various historical, religious and mythical contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. ... Magic (also called magick to distinguish it from stage magic) is a supposed way of influencing the world through supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means. ... Kimbanguism (The Church of Christ on Earth) is a branch of Christianity founded by Simon Kimbangu in what was then the Belgium Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). ... The Bakongo people (aka. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

Languages

There is an estimated total of 242 languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Out of these, only 4 have the status of national languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Kongo is the Bantu language spoken by the Kongo people living in the tropical forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and Angola. ... Lingala is one of the Bantu languages spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ... Contents // Categories: Bantu languages | Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Language stubs ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ...

Lingala was made the official language of the army under Mobutu, but since the rebellions the army also uses Swahili in the West. Lingala is one of the Bantu languages spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ... Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga (or Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga; October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ...

French is the official language of the country. It is meant to be an ethnically neutral language, to ease communication between all the different ethnic groups of the Congo.

When the country was a Belgian colony, the four national languages were already used in primary schools, which makes the country one of the few to have had literacy in local languages during the occupation by Europeans.

Culture

The culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reflects the diversity of its hundreds of ethnic groups and their differing ways of life throughout the countryâ€”from the mouth of the River Congo on the coast, upriver through the rainforest and savanna in its centre, to the more densely...

Flora and fauna

The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, including both species of chimpanzee: the Common chimpanzee and the bonobo (also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee), mountain gorilla, okapi and white rhino. Five of the country's national parks are listed as World Heritage Sites: the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga National Parks, and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The civil war and resultant poor economic conditions have endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could not afford to continue their work. All five sites are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage In Danger. Image File history File links Landscape of Bas-Congo, November 2003 Photo by Vberger File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Landscape of Bas-Congo, November 2003 Photo by Vberger File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Matadi Largest city Matadi National Language Kikongo Land areaÂ¹ 53. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystem on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or one of various ways of being not native (e. ... Binomial name Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775) The Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a great ape. ... Binomial name Pan paniscus Schwarz, 1929 The Bonobo (Pan paniscus), until recently usually called the Pygmy Chimpanzee and less often the Dwarf or Gracile Chimpanzee, is one of the two species comprising the chimpanzee genus, Pan. ... Trinomial name Gorilla berengei berengei Matschie, 1914 The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of two subspecies of Eastern Gorillas. ... Binomial name Okapia johnstoni (P.L. Sclater, 1901) Okapi distribution The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is an unusal animal native to the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. ... Binomial name Ceratotherium simum Burchell, 1817 The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exists and is one of the few megaherbivore species left. ... Yosemite National Park in the United States. ... Site #86: Memphis and its Necropolis, including the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt). ... Garamba National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, was established in 1938. ... Sign at the entrance to the park. ... Salonga National Park is a national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... The Virunga National Park lies in the Virunga Mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcans National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori National Park in Uganda. ... The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a World Heritage Site in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with Sudan and Uganda. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1945. ...

Over the past century or so, the DRC has developed into the epicenter of what has been called the Central African "bushmeat" problem, which is regarded by many as a major environmental, as well as, socio-economic crisis. "Bushmeat" is another word for the meat of wild animals. It is typically obtained through trapping, usually with wire snares, or otherwise with shotguns or arms originally intended for use in the DRC's numerous military conflicts. African brush-tailed porcupine sold for meat in Cameroon Bushmeat (from the French viande de brousse) hunting is common in sub-Saharan Africas dense forests. ... The Natural Environment comprises all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth. ... Socioeconomics is the study of the social and economic impacts of any product or service offering, market intervention or other activity on an economy as a whole and on the companies, organization and individuals who are its main economic actors. ...

The "bushmeat crisis" has emerged in the DRC mainly as a result of the poor living conditions of the Congolese people. A rising population combined with deplorable economic conditions has forced many Congolese to become dependent on bushmeat, either as a means of acquiring income (hunting the meat and selling), or are dependent on it for nutritional sustainance. Unemployment and urbanization throughout Central Africa have exacerbated the problem further by turning cities like the urban sprawl of Kinshasa into the prime market for bushmeat. Nutrition is interpreted as the study of the organic process by which an organism assimilates and uses food and liquids for normal functioning, growth and maintenance and to maintain the balance between health and disease. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

This combination has caused not only widespread endangerment of local fauna, but has forced humans to trudge deeper into the wilderness in search of the desired animal meat. This overhunting results in the deaths of more animals and makes resources even more scarce for humans. The hunting has also been facilitated by the extensive logging prevelant throughout the Congo's rainforests (from corporate logging, in addition to farmers clearing out forest in order to create areas for agriculture), which allows hunters much easier access to previously unreachable jungle terrain, while simultaneously eroding away at the habitats of animals [11]. Bonobo (cropped, from de:) source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bonobo (cropped, from de:) source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Bonobo (disambiguation). ... Loggers on break, c. ... Hunters was a commissioned soundtrack for the Discovery Channel series Hunters: The World of Predators and Prey. ... A habitat (from the Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular organism usually lives or grows. ...

A particularly alarming case of bushmeat hunting is that of primates. The Congo is inhabited not only by two distinct species of chimpanzee, both belonging to the genus Pan, the Common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo (Pan paniscus), but gorilla as well. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the only country in the world in which bonobo are found in the wild. The two species of chimpanzees as well as gorillas are the closest living evolutionary relatives to humans. Both the Pan and Gorilla genuses are now considered to be part of the subfamily Homininae to which humans also belong and it has even been proposed that the chimpanzees should be recatagorized in the genus Homo as well. These apes are closely related to humans and are considered highly intelligent and much concern has been raised about Great ape extinction. Because of hunting and habitat destruction, the chimpanzee and the gorilla, both of whose population once numbered in the millions have now dwindled down to only about 200,000 per species. Gorillas and both incarnations of chimpanzee are classified as Endangered by the World Conservation Union. For the ecclesiastical use of this term, see primate (religion) Families 13, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all lemurs, monkeys, and apes, including humans. ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species. ... Binomial name Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775) The Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a great ape. ... Binomial name Pan paniscus Schwarz, 1929 The Bonobo (Pan paniscus), until recently usually called the Pygmy Chimpanzee and less often the Dwarf or Gracile Chimpanzee, is one of the two species comprising the chimpanzee genus, Pan. ... Type Species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... Genera Gorilla Pan (chimpanzees) Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Homininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, including Homo sapiens and some extinct relatives, as well as the gorillas and the chimpanzees. ... Species Homo sapiens See text for extinct species. ... Ape extinction, particularly great ape extinction, is one of the most widely held biodiversity concerns. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

Contents

History

Congolese pre-history

Medieval kingdoms

The Kongo Empire

Other states

European exploration and administration (1870–1960)

Political Crises (1960-1965)

Zaire (1965–1996)

War (1996–present)

Politics

Political divisions

Provinces

Major cities

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Languages

Culture

Flora and fauna

See also

Miscellaneous topics

Further reading

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Congolese pre-history

Medieval kingdoms

The Kongo Empire

Other states

European exploration and administration (1870–1960)

Political Crises (1960-1965)

Zaire (1965–1996)

War (1996–present)

Politics

Political divisions

Provinces

Major cities

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Languages

Culture

Flora and fauna

See also

Miscellaneous topics

Further reading

External links

History