democratic republic of the congo map and information page

Description

Dissected by the Equator, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly called Zaire, is the third largest country on the African continent.

The country is still the ancestral homeland for over 200 ethnic groups, most descended from individual kingdoms established long before the Europeans arrived in the late 1800s.

Commissioned by King Leopold II of Belgium, Henry Stanley was the first European to explore the Congo Basin area.

Upon hearing Stanley's report regarding the indigenous natural attributes of the land, King Leopold subsequently took control, imposing a system of force labor that was the catalyst for the first human rights movement in the 20th century. He was forced to grant colonial status to the then Belgium Congo in 1908.

After gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, a non-stop parade of assassinations, civil wars, coups, corrupt dictators, brutal murders, rebellions and needless bloodshed plagued the land.

Ethnic strife, political instability, and poor management of infrastructure has impacted the country in a most negative way. Travelers are warned that journeying to the Congo (DRC) can be quite dangerous.

The economy of this land of vast, natural resources, has declined dramatically in the past few decades. Reforms are being implemented, but serious recovery is projected to be many years away.

Read more about Congo (DRC) here!

Facts and Figures

Official Name Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire

Population 66,660,551

Capital City Kinshasa (9.3 million)

Largest Cities Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi, Kolwezi, Kananga

Currency Congolese Franc (CDF)

Currency Converter here

Latitude/Longitude 4º31' S, 15º32' E

Languages French (official), Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Swahili and Tshiluba

Flag here

National Day 30 June; Independence Day

Religions Catholic, Protestant, others

Land

Land Area 2,267,600 sq km (875,520 sq miles)

Landforms The vast Congo River basin occupies and central and northwestern parts of the country, while further south, savanna grasslands extend to the border with Angola.

In the east, the land rise into a plateau with heights over 5,000 ft., and then into the higher volcanic mountains of the Great Rift Valley. Southeast, the land rises into the peaks of the Shaba Plateau.

A number of lakes front the country's eastern borders, including Lakes Albert, Edward, Kivu, Mweru and Tanganyika.

The country is dominated by the Congo River system and its many tributaries. The river itself is 2,733 miles long, and is navigable for almost 900 miles. Its basin contains the planet's largest rain forest.

Highest Pt. Mt. Stanley (5,110 m) (16,765 ft)

Lowest Pt. Atlantic Ocean (0 m) (0 ft)

Land Divisions 10 provinces and one city* (ville); including Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale and Sud-Kivu.

All maps, graphics and original descriptions created by Graphic Maps, a d/b/a of the Woolwine-Moen Group, unless otherwise noted and/or directly linked to the source, and use of same for any application whatsoever (with the exception of outline maps) requires written permission.

We make no copyright claim on any statistical data on this page, nor on any non-original graphics, and/or pictures not produced by us. Certain statistical data is gathered from the CIA World Factbook, as well as numerous public domain reference materials.

Every effort is made to be as accurate as possible when disseminating information on any worldwide destination. We are not responsible for unintentional data entry errors or omissions. If you would like to submit an addition, change or correction, or suggest a new link, please forward it to our map department and we will give it our immediate attention.

Maps

Large (color) map here

Congo (DRC) Outline Map here

Congo (DRC )Map CIA version here

Congo (DRC) Maps at UT here

African Continent (printable) here

African Continent here

Africa Landforms Map here

African Outline Map here

Suggested Links

Congo (Complete) information on the (GDP) overall economy, imports and exports, resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here

Congo Pages Web Site here

Congo (DRC) Lake Region here

Congo (DRC) Web Site here

Congo (DRC) Travel Info and Warnings here

Climate The Democratic Republic of the Congo is hot and humid both central and west. Daily highs approach 90º.

In the upper reaches of the eastern and southeastern plateaus and mountains, conditions moderate dramatically. Countrywide, however, the mean temperature approaches 76º.

Heavy rains are common from October through May (south of the equator), and from April to November in the northern regions. Yearly amounts exceeding 60 inches are commonplace.