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Outline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

, often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to as the Congo Free State
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...

, the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...

, the Congo-Léopoldville
Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...

, Congo-Kinshasa, and Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...

 (or Zaïre in French), is the second most extensive country on the African continent
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. Though it is located in the Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....

n UN subregion, the nation is economically and regionally affiliated with Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...

 as a member of the Southern African Development Community
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...

 (SADC). It borders the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...

 and South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

 on the north, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

, and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

 on the east, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

 and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

 on the south, the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...

 on the west, and is separated from Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

 by Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...

 on the east. The country enjoys access to the ocean through a forty-kilometre stretch of Atlantic coastline at Muanda
Muanda
Muanda or Moanda is a town lying on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the mouth of the Congo River. It is situated in Bas-Congo Province, and has a population of 50,000...

 and the roughly nine-kilometre wide mouth of the Congo river
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...

 which opens into the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....

. The name "Congo" (meaning "hunter") is coined after the Bakongo
Kongo people
The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...

 ethnic group who live in the Congo river basin.

Formerly the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....

 of the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...

, the country's post-independence name was the Republic of the Congo until August 1, 1964, when its name was changed to Democratic Republic of the Congo (to distinguish it from the neighboring Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...

). On October 27, 1971, then-President
Heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This is the list of the Heads of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since independence in 1960. The current head of state is President Joseph Kabila, since 26 January 2001.-Heads of State:-Affiliations:...

 Mobutu
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...

 renamed the country Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...

, from a Portuguese mispronunciation of the Kikongo
Kongo language
The Kongo language, or Kikongo, is the Bantu language spoken by the Bakongo and Bandundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola. It is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca...

 word nzere or nzadi, which translates to "the river that swallows all rivers." Following the First Congo War
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...

 which led to the overthrow of Mobutu in 1997, the country was renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo. From 1998 to 2003, the country suffered greatly from the devastating Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...

 (sometimes referred to as the African World War), the world's deadliest conflict since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. However, related fighting still continues in the east of the country.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

General reference

  • Pronunciation
    International Phonetic Alphabet
    The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...

    :
  • Common English country names: The Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

    , Congo-Kinshasa, etc.
  • Official English country name: The Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

  • Adjectives: Congolese
    Congolese
    Congoese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the Republic of the Congo in Africa, located west of the Congo River* Something of, from, or related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, through which the Congo River flows...

    , Congo
    Congolese
    Congoese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the Republic of the Congo in Africa, located west of the Congo River* Something of, from, or related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, through which the Congo River flows...

  • Demonym(s):
  • Etymology
    Etymology
    Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

    : Name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • ISO country codes: CD, COD, 180
  • ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:CD
    ISO 3166-2:CD
    ISO 3166-2:CD is the entry for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for the...

  • Internet
    Internet
    The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

     country code top-level domain
    Country code top-level domain
    A country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....

    : .cd
    .cd
    .cd is the Internet country code top-level domain for the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was created in 1997 as a replacement for the .zr ccTLD, which was phased out and eventually deleted in 2001....


Geography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo is: a country
  • Location:
    • Eastern Hemisphere
      Eastern Hemisphere
      The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...

      , on the Equator
      Equator
      An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....

    • Africa
      Africa
      Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
      • Central Africa
        Central Africa
        Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....

      • Middle Africa
    • Time zone
      Time zone
      A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...

      s:
      • West Africa Time
        West Africa Time
        West Africa Time, or WAT, is a time zone used in west-central Africa . The zone is one hour ahead of UTC , which makes it the same as Central European Time...

         (UTC+01)
      • Central Africa Time
        Central Africa Time
        Central Africa Time, or CAT, is a time zone used in central and southern Africa. The zone is two hours ahead of UTC , which is the same as the adjacent South Africa Standard Time and also the same as Eastern European Time....

         (UTC+02)
    • Extreme points of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      • High: Margherita Peak 5109 m (16,762 ft)
      • Low: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
    • Land boundaries: 10,730 km
 Angola 2,511 km
 Republic of the Congo 2,410 km
 Zambia 1,930 km
 Central African Republic 1,577 km
 Uganda 765 km
628 km
 Tanzania 459 km
 Burundi 233 km
 Rwanda 217 km
  • Coastline: Gulf of Guinea
    Gulf of Guinea
    The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....

     37 km
  • Population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
  • Area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
  • Atlas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


  • Climate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecoregions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Renewable energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Geology of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Biosphere reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • National parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo includes its fauna and flora.-Overview:The country's rainforests contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, such as both species of chimpanzee: the common chimpanzee and the bonobo , mountain tigers, okapi and white rhino...
    • Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Natural geographic features of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Glaciers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (located in the Rwenzori Mountains)
  • Islands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Lakes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Rivers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Waterfalls of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Valleys of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: None

Ecoregions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Ecoregions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Administrative divisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Administrative divisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Administrative divisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Territorial Organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:Reference : The administrative hierarchy of Political subdivisions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is as follows* Province ** Mairies *** Cities...


  • Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    There are currently ten provinces and one city-province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:* An Ituri Interim Administration also exists in the Ituri region of Orientale province- Proposed provinces :...

Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


Territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


Municipalities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Demography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This article is about the demographic features of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....


Government and politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second institution in the central executive branch of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first institution being the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has the title of head of state.- Description :Under the...

 and Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Politics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential democratic republic....


  • Form of government
    Form of government
    A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...

    : semi-presidential
    Semi-presidential system
    The semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a president and a prime minister are both active participants in the day-to-day administration of the state...

     democratic republic
    Republic
    A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

  • Capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Kinshasa

  • Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Multi-party elections in the DR Congo were held in July 2006, the first multi-party elections in the country since 1960.The 1960 elections, held in the wake of independence, saw Patrice Lumumba become prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power and declared...
    • (specific elections)
  • Political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Political scandals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Taxation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Branches of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Executive branch of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Head of state
    Head of State
    A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

    : President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , is Congo's elected Head of State, and the ex officio "Supreme Commander" of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ....

    ,
  • Head of government
    Head of government
    Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...

    : Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , is Congo's Head of Government.-History:The current Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Adolphe Muzito...

    ,
  • Cabinet of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Legislative branch of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The National Assembly -External links:*...

     (bicameral)
    • Upper house
      Upper house
      An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...

      : Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.During the transition period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Senate, aside from its Legislative role, also had the task of drafting the country's new constitution...

    • Lower house
      Lower house
      A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...

      : House of Commons of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Judicial branch of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo


International organization membership

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a member of:

  • African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
  • African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
  • African Union
    African Union
    The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...

     (AU)
  • Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
    Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
    The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a free trade area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. COMESA formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981...

     (COMESA)
  • Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries
    Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries
    The Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries is a sub-regional organization with multiple vocation created by the signing of the Agreement of Gisenyi in Rwanda on September 20, 1976, aiming at insuring the safety of member states, at favoring the creation and the development of activities of...

     (CEPGL)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization
    Food and Agriculture Organization
    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

     (FAO)
  • Group of 24 (G24)
  • Group of 77
    Group of 77
    The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...

     (G77)
  • International Atomic Energy Agency
    International Atomic Energy Agency
    The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...

     (IAEA)
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
    International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
    The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...

     (IBRD)
  • International Civil Aviation Organization
    International Civil Aviation Organization
    The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...

     (ICAO)
  • International Criminal Court
    International Criminal Court
    The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...

     (ICCt)
  • International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
  • International Development Association
    International Development Association
    The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...

     (IDA)
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
    International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
    The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...

     (IFRCS)
  • International Finance Corporation
    International Finance Corporation
    The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....

     (IFC)
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development
    International Fund for Agricultural Development
    The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...

     (IFAD)
  • International Hydrographic Organization
    International Hydrographic Organization
    The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...

     (IHO) (suspended)
  • International Labour Organization
    International Labour Organization
    The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...

     (ILO)
  • International Maritime Organization
    International Maritime Organization
    The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...

     (IMO)
  • International Monetary Fund
    International Monetary Fund
    The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

     (IMF)
  • International Olympic Committee
    International Olympic Committee
    The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

     (IOC)
  • International Organization for Migration
    International Organization for Migration
    The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....

     (IOM)
  • International Organization for Standardization
    International Organization for Standardization
    The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...

     (ISO)
  • International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
    International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
    The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...

     (ICRM)

  • International Telecommunication Union
    International Telecommunication Union
    The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...

     (ITU)
  • International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
    International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
    The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization is an intergovernmental organisation charged with overseeing the public service obligations of Intelsat.-External links:*...

     (ITSO)
  • International Trade Union Confederation
    International Trade Union Confederation
    The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...

     (ITUC)
  • Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
  • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
    Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
    The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a member organization of the World Bank Group that offers political risk insurance. It was established to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries. MIGA was founded in 1988 with a capital base of $1 billion and is headquartered in...

     (MIGA)
  • Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
  • Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • Permanent Court of Arbitration
    Permanent Court of Arbitration
    The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...

     (PCA)
  • Southern African Development Community
    Southern African Development Community
    The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...

     (SADC)
  • United Nations
    United Nations
    The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

     (UN)
  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
    United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
    The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....

     (UNCTAD)
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...

     (UNHCR)
  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization
    United Nations Industrial Development Organization
    The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...

     (UNIDO)
  • Universal Postal Union
    Universal Postal Union
    The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...

     (UPU)
  • World Confederation of Labour
    World Confederation of Labour
    The World Confederation of Labour was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of World War II...

     (WCL)
  • World Customs Organization
    World Customs Organization
    The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...

     (WCO)
  • World Federation of Trade Unions
    World Federation of Trade Unions
    The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...

     (WFTU)
  • World Health Organization
    World Health Organization
    The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

     (WHO)
  • World Intellectual Property Organization
    World Intellectual Property Organization
    The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....

     (WIPO)
  • World Meteorological Organization
    World Meteorological Organization
    The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...

     (WMO)
  • World Tourism Organization
    World Tourism Organization
    The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...

     (UNWTO)
  • World Trade Organization
    World Trade Organization
    The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...

     (WTO)


Law and order in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Law of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Capital punishment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the basic law governing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Constitution has been changed and/or replaced several times since its independence in 1960.- Current Constitution :...

  • Crime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Human Rights Watch defines sexual violence as “an act of a sexual nature by force, or by threat of force or coercion,” and rape as “a form of sexual violence during which the body of a person is invaded, resulting in penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of the victim, with a sexual...

  • Human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    In all areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the human rights record remained poor, and numerous serious abuses were committed. Unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces increased during the year, and the transitional government...
    • LGBT rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Freedom of religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have not attained a position of full equality with men and may never get the chance. Although the Mobutu regime paid lip service to the important role of women in society, and although women enjoy some legal rights , custom and legal...

  • Law enforcement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Law enforcement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Law enforcement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has historically been focused on furthering the state's aims with no regard for human rights...


Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Command
    • Commander-in-chief
      Commander-in-Chief
      A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...

      :
      • Ministry of Defence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Forces
    • Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      The Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force , is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

    • Special forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Military history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Military ranks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Local government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Early Congolese history: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. During its history the area has also been known as Congo, Congo Free State, Belgian Congo...

, Timeline of the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Current events of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Economic history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Military history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reflects much of the diversity of its hundreds of ethnic groups and their differing ways of life throughout the country—from the mouth of the River Congo on the coast, upriver through the rainforest and savanna in its centre, to the more densely...


  • Architecture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo varies widely, representing the food of indigenous people. Cassava is generally the staple food usually eaten with other side dishes.-Common Congolese foods and dishes:...

  • Ethnic minorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Festivals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Humor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken . The official language, inherited from the colonial period, is French...

  • Media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • National symbols of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      The arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has changed several times since 1997. The current one was introduced in 2006 and depicts a leopard head, surrounded by an elephant tusk to the left and a spear to the right. Below are the three words which make up the national motto: Justice, Paix,...

    • Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      The flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was adopted on 20 February 2006. A new constitution, ratified in December 2005 and which came into effect in February 2006, promulgated a return to a flag similar to that flown between 1963 and 1971, with a change from a more royal blue to sky blue,...

    • National anthem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • People of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Prostitution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Public holidays in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Records of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 96% of the population. Denominations include Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 39%, other Christian 7%, Muslim 1.5%, Animism 0.7%, and other 2.2%. Kimbanguism was seen as a threat to the colonial regime...
    • Buddhism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the majority religion, followed by about 96% of the population. Denominations include Protestant 39%, Roman Catholic 50, Orthodox 0.1%, and other Christian 7%.-History:...

    • Hinduism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Islam in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Islam in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      Islam in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been present within the area since the 18th century, when Arab traders from East Africa pushed into the interior for ivory and slave trading purposes. Today, Muslims constitute approximately 1.5% of the Congolese population.According to the CIA...

    • Judaism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Sikhism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: None

Art in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Art in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Cinema of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Literature of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Describing the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult, due to vagaries surrounding the meanings of various terms. The country itself was formerly called Zaire and is now sometimes referred to as Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from the Republic of the Congo...

  • Television in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Theatre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Sports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Football in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Football in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Football is the main sport played in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The national football team has won the African Cup of Nations twice; in 1968 and in 1974. The national team has once qualified for the World Cup, namely in 1974 in the former West Germany....

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo at the Olympics

Economy and infrastructure of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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, its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of US$ 24 trillion, yet the economy of the DRC has declined drastically...



  • Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an industry in the country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has plenty of potential.-Overview:...

  • Banking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • National Bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Communications in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Communications in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Telephones - main lines in use:20,000 , 36,000 Telephones - mobile cellular:2,600 000 , 15,000 , 10,000 Telephone system:general assessment: poordomestic:...
    • Internet in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Companies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Currency
    In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...

    : Franc
    Congolese franc
    The franc is the currency of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is subdivided into 100 centimes.-First franc, 1887-1967:During Belgian colonial rule, currency denominated in centimes and francs was issued for use in Congo. These francs were equal in value to the Belgian franc. From 1916, the...
    • ISO 4217
      ISO 4217
      ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...

      : CDF
      CDF
      -Mathematics, science, and computers:* .cdf , the ANDI/netCDF mass spectrometry data interchange file format* Channel Definition Format, an XML standard* Charging Data Function, in the Session Initiation Protocol standard...

  • Economic history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
    • Energy policy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Oil industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Health care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo Stock Exchange
  • Tourism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Tourism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Very few people know about travel in this part of the world, but Democratic Republic of the Congo offers tourists many unique opportunities to see wildlife, indigenous cultures, and geological wonders not found easily or anywhere else in Africa...

  • Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country...
  • Water supply and sanitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Main article: Education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Primary education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is free and compulsory .In 2000, 65 percent of children ages 10 to 14 years were attending school...


Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

See also

  • Index of Democratic Republic of the Congo-related articles
  • List of Democratic Republic of the Congo-related topics
  • List of international rankings
  • Member state of the United Nations
  • Outline of Africa
    Outline of Africa
    The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to the continent Africa:Africa – world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia.-Geography of Africa:* Atlas of Africa* List of cities in Africa...

  • Outline of geography
    Outline of geography
    The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.- Geography is :...



External links

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