Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC)

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Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC)

 

General information.

It is located in the Central Africa, borders on Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Ruanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola. Till 1960 it was colonial possession of Belgium. Till 1998 the country was called Republic Zaire. The territory is 2 million 345 thousand sq. km. The population is about 70 million persons (2008). The ethnic structure differs the big variety. The Official language is French, however the majority of inhabitants speak on local language adverbs to a bow. 59 % of the population profess Christianity, from them of 42 % – Catholics, 14 % – Protestants, 3 % – orthodox; about 3 % – Islam. More than 6 % of citizens of the country are adherents of the Christian -African.

Monetary unit – Congolese franc (on the beginning 2007 1 US dollars = 535,1 Congolese фр.).

Capital – Kinshasa (about 12 million persons.).

The largest cities – Lubumbashi, Kananga, Kisangani.

 

Political system.

DROC is presidential republic. The president supervises over armed forces and the government. The constitution has come into force on February, 18th, 2006.

 

Administrative division.

Consists of 11 provinces operated governors (executive power) and provincial assemblies legislature).

The basic imperious institutes DRK are the president, the government, National meeting, the Senate (the parliament upper chamber), judicial bodies.

National holiday – on June, 30th – Day of declaration of independence (1960).

 

The economic situation

The debts was 11,5 billion US dollars loans by the beginning of 2008. Inflation throughout a year continued to grow and reached 20 %. The state budget for 57 % is financed at the expense of external sources. The basic donors are: the European Union, the USA, Belgium, France, China, and also IMF, the World bank, the London and Parisian clubs.

In 2006 some decrease in volume of the economic help of the foreign donors disturbed by absence of the budgetary plan on 2007 took place. Consequences of that was that such countries, as Belgium, France and the Netherlands in granting of new credits for DROC before acceptance of the specified document became a consequence of it.

The economic situation in the country is characterized by stagnation of the basic macroeconomic indicators. Volumes of extraction of diamonds and rare metals (tantalum, niobium, lithium, zirconium, a yttrium, caesium are reduced, etc.), some increase in manufacture of the electric power and timber cuttings is thus observed. Position in industries remains difficult because of a deterioration of the equipment and a lack of circulating assets.

In the foreign trade balance following the results of 2007 the tendency to import excess (4,38 bln. dollars of the USA) over export (2,77 bln. dollars of the USA) remains. Consumer goods, raw materials, the various equipment and the electric power are imported first of all. In export structure prevail production mining (gold, diamonds, ores of metals) and agricultural (cocoa, coffee, peanut oil) sectors, and also oil and raw wood.

Priority directions of economic activities of DROC are restoration transport (an auto- and railway) infrastructures, agricultural production and power expansion, development of system of public health services and formation.

 

Last Updated (Friday, 13 August 2010 14:03)