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Country Guide > Africa > Congo (Democratic Republic Of) | |
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General Information Area 2,344,885 sq km (905,365 sq miles).
Population 51,201,000 (UN estimate 2002). Population Density 21.8 per sq km. Capital Kinshasa. Population: 5,253,000 (UN estimate 2001). Geography The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third-largest country in Africa and is bordered to the north by the Central African Republic and Sudan, to the east by Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, to the south by Zambia and Angola, and to the west by the Republic of Congo and the Angolan enclave, Cabinda. The country has a coastline of only 27km (17 miles), at the outlet of the Congo River, which flows into the Atlantic. The country straddles the Equator and has widely differing geographical features, including mountain ranges in the north and west, a vast central plain through which the Congo River flows, and the volcanoes and lakes of the Kivu region. The river has given rise to extensive tropical rainforests on the western border with the Republic of Congo. Government Republic. Gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Head of State: President Joseph Kabila since 2001. Kabila took over following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Language The official language is French. There are many local languages, the most widely spoken being Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba and Kikongo. Religion Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and traditional beliefs. Time Kinshasa and Mbandaka: GMT + 1. Haut-Zaïre, Kasai, Kivu and Shaba: GMT + 2. Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 243. Outgoing international code: 00. Internal telephone service is often unreliable and exists only in major towns. Satellite or cellular telephones are often used by international organisations. Mobile telephone GSM 900 and 1800 network cover Kinshasa. Network operators include Celtel Congo, SAIT Telecom SPRL (OASIS) and Vodacom Congo (website: www.africanwireless.com). Roaming agreements exist. Using a handset in public can attract unwanted attention and make the user a target for robbery. Fax A few hotels have facilities; business centres in the capital may be cheaper however. Internet Can be accessed, though power shortages may cause difficulties. There are Internet cafes in Kinshasa. Telegram These can be sent from chief telegraph offices, but are unreliable and sometimes subject to delays – particularly internal. Post Post office opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1700. The country is included in the Universal Postal Union and the African Postal Union. Airmail to Europe takes 4 to 18 days but can take much longer. Press The daily newspapers are in various African languages. The main newspapers are L’Analyste, Boyoma and Mjumbe. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |
