Friday, Aug 18, 2017 
Reforms in the health sector are improving access and public services. Over 1000 health centers and 200 hospitals are being constructed throughout the... May 18, 2017
Health | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The state has taken major steps to increase access to free education and is overseeing the construction and rehabilitation of over 1,000 schools throughout... May 01, 2017
Education | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
With 80 million hectares of fertile and arable land and only 10% of the soil being worked, the agricultural investment plan aims to ensure food security... Mar 27, 2017
Agriculture | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The ambitious Great Inga Dam project on the Congo River, has the potential to generate 42,000 MW, enough electricity to power DRC and much of the continent.... Feb 13, 2017
Energy | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The government in recent years has stepped up its efforts to bring greater transparency to the mining industry to help drive prosperity and attract more... Oct 24, 2016
Mining | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
Business opportunities in the construction industry and infrastructure are in the form of partnerships, technology transfer, support and training. Infrastructure... Oct 18, 2016
Infrastructure | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The government is working on five transportation modes: sea, lake and river, rail, road and air. Through interconnection, DRC aims to establish a unified... Oct 10, 2016
Infrastructure | Transport | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The government has launched an important project for the construction of a large fibre-optic national network. In the next five years, they plan to deploy... Oct 04, 2016
Telecoms & ICT | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
With the help of international partners such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, the government is implementing strategies to boost the... Sep 27, 2016
Government | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The performance of the Congolese economy is the result of well thought-out economic policies, executed wisely to mitigate the effects of inflation and... Sep 22, 2016
Finance | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The government, through the Armed Forces of the DRC, has regained security in the east of the country, with the neutralisation of rebel groups. Advances... Sep 18, 2016
Government | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
The numerous programmes and reforms implemented by the government have led to significant and substantial socioeconomic progress. With projected GDP growth... Sep 14, 2016
Government | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo
Haut Katanga province is intrinsically linked to DRC’s mining industry, but the lack... Jan 16, 2017
Having been operating in DRC since 1936, Hasson Africa has become a reference point in the... Jan 16, 2017
Renowned for its mining potential and looking to diversify away from its reliance on copper,... Sep 29, 2016
Governor Jacques Mbadu explains the socioeconomic revitalization of Kongo Central Province... Sep 21, 2016
Efforts in the DRC are redoubling to make the country’s long-delayed vision of building... Sep 20, 2016
Julien Paluku Kahongya, Governor of DRC’s North Kivu Province, details the great lengths... Sep 15, 2016
Filip Vanhoutte, General Manager of Special Techniques Company (STS), invites greater competition... Aug 31, 2016
CEO Ibrahim Issaoui tells us about Socimex’s impressive track-record in creating value... Aug 29, 2016
GM Silvestre Ilunga Ilukamba gives us a fantastic radiography of DRC’s needs and opportunities... Aug 26, 2016
Mobility in Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most important challenges for the... Aug 18, 2016
Substantial gains are being achieved in DRC’s social security system, thanks to the... Aug 15, 2016
The DRC is involved in a vast modernization and reconstruction of its infrastructure, and... Jul 13, 2016
Charged with the difficult task of keeping the Congo River and the river ports of Boma and... Apr 19, 2016
Mobility within the country is one of the most important challenges the DR Congo’s... Apr 01, 2016
The DRC government has prioritized the modernization and reconstruction of the country’s... Mar 04, 2016
High growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past decade has been largely... Dec 02, 2015
LOCATION:
Central Africa, northeast of Angola
MAP REFERENCES:
Africa
AREA:
total: 2,344,858 sq km
CLIMATE:
tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)
TERRAIN:
vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
NATURAL RESOURCES:
cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber
ETHNIC GROUPS:
over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
LANGUAGES:
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
RELIGIONS:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%
POPULATION:
79,375,136
INDEPENDENCE:
30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
NATIONAL HOLIDAY:
Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
CONSTITUTION:
several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006; amended 2011 (2015)
LEGAL SYSTEM:
civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary, and tribal law
GDP - real growth rate:
9.2% (2014 est.)
8.5% (2013 est.)
7.1% (2012 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 21.2%
industry: 33.2%
services: 45.7% (2014 est.)
AGRICULTURE - products:
coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
INDUSTRIES:
mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair
EXPORTS:
$12.98 billion (2014 est.)
EXPORTS - commodities:
diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee
EXPORTS - partners:
China 39.3%, Zambia 24.7%, Italy 8.6%, Belgium 4.4% (2014)
IMPORTS:
$11.98 billion (2014 est.)
IMPORTS - commodities:
foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
IMPORTS - partners:
China 19.6%, South Africa 17.9%, Zambia 15.9%, Belgium 6.1%, Zimbabwe 4.9% (2014)
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