The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is located in Central
Africa, Northeast of Angola. The climate is tropical in the river
basin and cooler and drier in the southern highlands.
Natural resources include cobalt, copper, industrial and gem
diamonds, gold, silver, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower,
and timber. The government is a republic and has based its civil
law on Belgian law. DRC declared independence on June 30, 1960. The
Congo has a population of 70,916,439 people and is ranked 19 in
comparison with the world. The languages spoken are French,
Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, and Tshiluba. The main industries in
The Congo are mining, mineral processing, consumer products,
cement, and commercial ship repair.
GDP (purchasing power
parity): $21.93 billion (2009 est.)
Country comparison to the world: 119
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$300 (2009 est.)
Country comparison to the world: 229
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
Currency
$1 USD = 905 Congolese franc (CDF)
Infant Mortality Rate
total: 79.36 deaths/1,000 live births
Country comparison to the world: 15
Male: 87.13 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 71.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life Expectancy at
Birth
total population: 54.73 years
Country comparison to the world: 198
Male: 52.93 years
Female: 56.59 years (2010 est.)
Total Fertility Rate
6.11 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world: 7
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala,
Kingwana, or Tshiluba
Total population: 67.2%
Male: 80.9%
Female: 54.1% (2001 est.)