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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.
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- 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
- Languages French (official), Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Swahili and Tshiluba
- National 30 June; Independence Day
- Religions Catholic, Protestant, others
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- Land Area 2,267,600 sq km (875,520 sq miles)
- Highest Point Mt. Stanley (5,110 m) (16,765 ft)
(9,850 ft), located in the Ahaggar Mountains
- Lowest Point 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.
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Positioned in west-central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo straddles the Equator.
It's bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania across Lake Tanganyika, and Zambia.
This massive expanse of the Congo Rainforest, the second largest rainforest in the world (after that of the Amazon) covers most of the Congo River basin, central and west. The Congo River itself is 2,733 miles long, and is navigable for almost 900 miles.
This area of the DRC is surrounded by plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest, by mountainous terraces in the west, and by dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north.
In the east, the land rise into a plateau with heights over 5,000 ft., and then into the higher glaciated and 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. |
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- Latitude/Longitude 4º 31' S, 15º 32' E
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Although the DRC is now more stable than it has been in the past decade, security remains problematic. Of note, the large-scale unrest that took place as recently as March 2007 in Kinshasa has not recurred.
In addition to the Congo River wetlands, this large country has significant national parks and lakes with vast animal populations, however, with an almost non-existent transportation infrastructure, the DRC is not fully developed for tourism, as yet.
Travel Recommendations Before finalizing and/or making your travel plans to any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate and research all of the important details regarding applicable health, passport and visa requirements.
If you require additional assistance, the experienced professionals at Travel Visa Pro can answer all of your questions!
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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.
As a result of its equatorial location, the Congo experiences large amounts of precipitation and has the highest frequency of thunderstorms in the world.
Heavy rains are common from October through May (south of the equator), and from April to November in the northern regions. The annual rainfall can total upwards of 80 inches (2,000 mm) in some places.
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A stylish African mask......
The massive Congo River......
The Nyiragongoval Volcano......
A river stilt house...... |
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