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CONGOLESE Facts & Figures

Size: 905,355 square miles

Population: 71,812,867

Capital: Kinshasa

Currency: Congolese Franc

Weather / Climate:

The DRC lies on the Equator, with one-third of the country to the north and two-thirds to the south. The climate is hot and humid in the river basin and cool and dry in the southern highlands, with a cold, alpine climate in the Ruwenzori Range. There is a South of the Equator, the rainy season lasts from October to May and north of the Equator, from April to November. Along the Equator, rainfall is fairly regular throughout the year. During the wet season, thunderstorms often are violent but seldom last more than a few hours. The average rainfall for the entire country is about 1,070 mm (42 in).

Taken from wikipedia

CONGOLESE languages

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken (Ethnologue.com lists 214 living languages). The official language, inherited from the colonial period, is French. Four indigenous languages have the status of national language: Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba.

When the country was a Belgian colony, it had already instituted teaching and use of the four national languages in primary schools, making it one of the few African nations to have had literacy in local languages during the European colonial period. During the colonial period both Dutch and French were the official languages but French was by far the most important.

French is the official language of the country since its colonial period under Belgian rule. Therefore, the variety of French used in the DRC has many similarities with Belgian French. The colonial language has been kept as the official language since the time of independence because it is widely spoken around the educated groups in the country, as it belongs to none of the indigenous ethnic groups and eases communication between them as well as with the rest of the Francophonie. According to the OIF [1], 6,080,000 or 10% of the population were proficient French speakers in 2005 whereas another 18,240,000 or 30,0% were partially French speaking. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently the most populous French-speaking country.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo

CONGOLESE culture

The Belgian Congo was created in 1885; this huge region of southern-central Africa was the personal property of the Belgian monarch, King Leopold II.

The Belgians provided only the minimum infrastructure necessary to support the extraction of the country's vast mineral wealth, setting a pattern which has dominated this benighted country ever since.

In 1925, under a mandate from the League of Nations, the territories of Rwanda and Urundi (now Burundi) were incorporated into the Belgian Congo.

After the end of WWII, the Belgian Congo was another African colony whose occupiers were concerned simply to dispose of it with minimum fuss and maximum commercial advantage.

The Belgian Congo was duly granted independence, with minimal preparation, in 1960.

With the support of the Americans and Belgians, and exploiting the country's myriad factional, tribal and regional disputes, the government was deposed after six months in an army coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu.

In 1961, a civilian administration backed by Mobutu was installed under Cyrille Adoula.

Four years later, Mobutu, now army Chief of Staff, took control for himself and established the regime which ruled Zaire - as the country had been renamed - for the next three decades.

In the 30 years before his demise, Mobutu Sese Seko (his adopted title) had reduced the country to the point where it barely functioned as a nation state.

The military campaign which finally brought down the Mobutu regime was triggered by the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, where militias from the majority ethnic group, the Hutu, were engaged in a campaign of genocide against the minority Tutsi.

The genocide had been brought to an end by the intervention of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led force based in Uganda.

The Hutu militia had mostly fled into northeastern Zaire. The RPF pursued them, but their incursion took on a different aspect and a momentum of its own as other groups, including many long-term exiled opponents of Mobutu, coalesced around the RPF.

Laurent Kabila was adopted as leader of this newly-formed anti-Mobutu coalition. By the autumn of 1996, the Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Liberation du Congo-Zaire (AFDL) had completed their takeover.

Once in power, however, Kabila proved incapable of ruling the country, which was renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo. Laurent Kabila was assassinated in 2001 by one of his bodyguards; his son Joseph took over the presidency.

A vast country with immense economic resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has been at the centre of what could be termed Africa's world war. This has left it in the grip of a humanitarian crisis. The five-year conflict pitted government forces, supported by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, against rebels backed by Uganda and Rwanda.

Despite a peace deal and the formation of a transitional government in 2003, people in the east of the country remain in terror of marauding militia and the army.

The war claimed an estimated three million lives, either as a direct result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition. It has been called possibly the worst emergency to unfold in Africa in recent decades.

The war had an economic as well as a political side. Fighting was fuelled by the country's vast mineral wealth, with all sides taking advantage of the anarchy to plunder natural resources.

The history of DR Congo has been one of civil war and corruption. After independence in 1960, the country immediately faced an army mutiny and an attempt at secession by its mineral-rich province of Katanga.

A year later, its prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, was seized and killed by troops loyal to army chief Joseph Mobutu.

In 1965 Mobutu seized power, later renaming the country Zaire and himself Mobutu Sese Seko. He turned Zaire into a springboard for operations against Soviet-backed Angola and thereby ensured US backing. But he also made Zaire synonymous with corruption.

After the Cold War, Zaire ceased to be of interest to the US. Thus, when in 1997 neighbouring Rwanda invaded it to flush out extremist Hutu militias, it gave a boost to the anti-Mobutu rebels, who quickly captured the capital, Kinshasa, installed Laurent Kabila as president and renamed the country DR Congo.

Nonetheless, DR Congo's troubles continued. A rift between Mr Kabila and his former allies sparked a new rebellion, backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe took Kabila's side, turning the country into a vast battleground.

Coup attempts and sporadic violence heralded renewed fighting in the eastern part of the country in 2008. Rwandan Hutu militias clashed with government forces in April, displacing thousands of civilians.

Another militia under rebel General Laurent Nkunda had signed a peace deal with the government in January, but clashes broke out again in August. Gen Nkunda's forces advanced on government bases and the provincial capital Goma in the autumn, causing civilians and troops to flee while UN peacekeepers tried to hold the line alongside the remaining government forces.

In an attempt to bring the situation under control, the government in January 2009 invited in troops from Rwanda to help mount a joint operation against the Rwandan rebel Hutu militias active in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda arrested the Hutu militias' main rival, Gen Nkunda, a Congolese Tutsi hitherto seen as its main ally in the area.

Congohas many beautiful landscapes, with lakes and forests, waterfalls and wildlife. However, this is a vast country, with an almost non-existent transport infrastructure. It is mired in conflict and a long and intricate history.

The population is divided into Roman Catholics 50%, Islam 10%, Protestants 20%, indigenous beliefs 10% and Kimbanguist 10%. Casual clothes are widely suitable, although scanty beachwear should be confined to the beach or poolside. A permit is required. Even then, local authorities are likely to be sensitive. Avoid official areas, airports and riverbanks.

Visitors are advised to check the latest travel advice before visiting

Holidays

· 01 January – New Year's Day

· 04 January – Commemoration of the Martyrs of Independence

· 17 January – National Heroes’ Day

· 01 May – Labour Day

· 17 May – National Liberation Day

· 30 June – Independence Day

· 01 August – Parents’ Day

· 14 October – Youth Day

· 17 November – Army Day

· 25 December – Christmas

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

CONGOLESE people

The Republic of the Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with 85% of its total population living in a few urban areas, namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities or villages lining the 332-mile railway which connects the two cities. In rural areas, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in recent years, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence. Before the 1997 war, about 15,000 Europeans and other non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French. Presently, only about 9,500 remain. Pygmies make up between 5 to 10 percent of Congo's population.[1]

Population

4,243,929

Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to STD's; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.4% (male 864,407/female 853,728)

15-64 years: 50.7% (male 930,390/female 945,545)

65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,430/female 63,814) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.835% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 3.4% (2009 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: 77,000 (2009 est.)

Deaths: 5,100 (2009 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Ethnic groups

Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Republic_of_the_Congo

CONGOLESE food

The cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo varies widely, representing the food of indigenous people. Cassava is generally the staple food usually eaten with other side dishes.

Less than 2% of the land is cultivated, and most of this is used for subsistence farming. Congo's farmland is the source of a wide variety of crops. These include maize, rice, cassava (manioc), sweet potatoes, yam, taro, plantain, tomatoes, pumpkin and varieties of peas and nuts. These foods are eaten throughout the country, but there are also regional dishes. The most important crops for export are coffee and palm oil. Wild plants,^[1]fruits, mushrooms,^[1] honey and other foods such as bushmeat and fish are also gathered and hunted and used in dishes.^[1] People often sell these crops at markets, or by the roadside. Cattle breeding and the development of large-scale agricultural businesses has been hindered by the recent war and the poor quality of the road system.

Congolese meals often consist of a starchy ingredient, along with vegetables and meat in the form of a stew. The starch can come in the form of a paste or mash made of cassava and/or corn flour, called fufu or ugali. When eaten, the fufu is rolled into golf ball-sized balls and dipped into the spicy stew—often an indentation is made with the thumb in order to bring up a thimbleful of sauce. A type of fermented bread, kwanga, made from cassava, is commercially produced throughout the country. Lituma is a popular plantain dish made from mashed plantains which are formed into balls and baked. Sweet potatoes are prepared in a similar way, and mixed with roasted peanuts in some parts of the country. Rice is often mixed with beans. To accompany these starchy ingredients, green vegetables such as cassava leaves, tshitekutaku (a spinach-like plant) and okra are often added. Mushrooms, especially prized amongst the Luba people, are often seen as a substitute for meat in times of shortage. Though actual vegetarianism is unknown, most meals are eaten without meat due to its high price.

Fish are plentiful along the River Congo, its tributaries, and various lakes; and are baked, boiled or fried for immediate consumption; or smoked or salted when preserved. Markets often sell ready-to-eat peppered fish baked in banana leaves. Goat is the most widely consumed meat.^[1]Mwambeis a common way of cooking chicken with peanut sauce.^[1] Edible insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars are eaten;^[1] they tend to have a nutty flavour.

Sauces to mix with the ingredients above can be made with tomatoes, onions, and the local aromatic herbs. Vegetable oil, together with salt, hot red chile pepper and sweet green pepper are used to impart extra flavour. These spices are less frequently used in the far south.

However, unlike 1980s advert claimed, Um Bongo, a tropical mixed fruit drink, has never been available in Democratic Republic of the Congo or any of its previous names.

Nganda restaurants

Kinshasa's nganda restaurants, with a greater mix of ethnicities, are ethnic restaurants serving food from specific parts of the country, as well as Western imports such as bread and beer. Often owned by unmarried women, the nganda occupy a middle ground between bars and restaurants. Three typical types of nganda restaurants are:

Riverside nganda serve baked fish served with cooked plantains: recipes from up river.
Kongo nganda serve fish dishes with a vegetable sauce, together with kwanga mentioned above. These dishes originate downriver from Kinshasa.
Kasainganda serve goat meat with rice and green vegetables. They also use rabbit as the grand dessert at a special occasion.

Ngandarestaurants are often geared not only to specific regions, but also different classes—from migrant menial workers and miners, to professionals and government officials.

List of Congolese foods

Mwamba, a sauce or a dish prepared with a sauce usually made from the pericarp (not the seeds) of palm nuts, the fruit of the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) tree, in western Middle Africa.
Chikwanga, made from cassava, cooked and stored in banana leaves, darker in some parts of the country, nearly white in other parts.
Fufu, sticky dough-like dish made of cassava flour. This is a staple dish much like rice or potatoes. Various recipes exist, such as Loso na Madesu beans and rice.
Sombe or Mpondu, boiled, mashed and cooked cassava leaves
Ndakala, small dried fish
Pili pili, very hot pepper, served with nearly everything, even occasionally dried and sprinkled on fruit.

Taken from wikipedia

Places to go in CONGO KINSHASA

Kinshasa, the capital, does not have many sights of historic interest, but visitors should not miss the prehistoric and ethnological museums at Kinshasa University. A brightly coloured chapel crowns the top of the hill. Nearby is a corner of the equatorial forest surrounding a beautiful lake called Ma Vallée with a tavern on its banks. Other attractions include the fishing port of Kinkole, the Gardens of the Presidential Farm of Nsele made of pagodas, and the extensive pools where angling and swimming may be enjoyed. In both the markets and the suburbs of Kinshasa, there are craftspeople who produce wood and metal items. The National Museum includes some unique pieces of national art.

Local craft-ware includes bracelets, ebony carvings and paintings. The large towns all have markets and shopping centres, selling everything from fresh ginger to baskets and African carvings.

Kinshasais the best place for nightlife, especially in the sprawling township of the Cité, where most of the population live. In spite of recent political turmoil, the local music scene is thriving. There are hundreds of dance clubs in Kinshasa. Congolese music is popular throughout Africa as well as in Europe and the USA.

The woods, caves and waterfalls of Boma and equatorial Mayumbe and the Tombs of Tshela can be visited on the way to the ocean beach of Moanda.

Bunia is the point of departure for numerous excursions into the forests and mountains, native villages, the Caves of Mount Hoyo and the Escaliers de Venus Falls.

In the southwest, the Inkisi Falls (60m/197ft high) at Zongo, and the caves in the region of Mbanza-Ngungu may be visited in one day, but it is preferable to stay for two or three days, for Mbanza-Ngungu is a pleasant resort with a good climate.

Enjoy the Democratic Republic of Congo's areas of watery beauty: Kalemie and the banks of Lake Tanganyika are reminiscent of the French Riviera; the whole of the south is dotted with freshwater lakes such as Munkamba, Fwa and Kasai, with Lake Albert containing more fish than any other lake in Africa and Lake Edward being home to birds of all sizes and colours; and there are numerous impressive waterfalls, such as Kiobo, on the River Lufira, and Lofol, 384m (1,259ft) high, north of Lubumbashi.

While in the Mbanza-Ngungu area, stop at Kisantu to visit the Frère Gillet Botanic Gardens with their world-famous rare orchids.

See the highest peak in the Ruwenzori range, the Pic Marguerite, at an altitude of 5119m (15,795ft). The snowline is at 533m (1,776ft). This region is also inhabited by gorillas and by the extremely rare okapi. The mountain scenery between Goma and Beni was regarded as some of the most spectacular in Africa, although the volcanic eruption of Nyiragongo (3,470m/11,385ft) in 2002 damaged the surrounding area to some extent.

Upemba National Park straddles the River Lualaba, northeast of Bukama, and includes several lakes inhabited by hippos, crocodiles and numerous aquatic birds.

Here too are fishermen, cattle farmers and peasants, as well as a number of mining communities. In the north is the Garamba National Park, covering 400,000 hectares (990,000 acres) and featuring lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and giraffes. Virunga National Park comprises two jagged mountain ranges and game that includes lions, elephants, warthogs, buffaloes, hippos and antelopes. Best of all, this park is also renowned for its mountain gorillas.

Taken from www.worldtravelguide.net

Doing business in CONGO KINSHASA

Although citizens of the DRC are among the poorest in the world, having the second lowest nominal GDP per capita, the Democratic Republic of Congo is widely considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of US$ 24 trillion.^[41][42][43]

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nation endowed with resources of vast potential wealth, has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. At the time of its independence in 1960, DRC was the second most industrialized country in Africa after South Africa, it boasted a thriving mining sector and its agriculture sector was relatively productive.^[44] The two recent conflicts (the First and Second Congo Wars), which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in deaths of more than five million people from war, and associated famine and disease. Malnutrition affects approximately two thirds of the country's population.

Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations.

Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. A number of International Monetary Fund and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. A United Nations Human Development Index report shows human development to be one of the worst in decades.

The economy of the second largest country in Africa relies heavily on mining. However, the smaller-scale economic activity occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data.^[45] The largest mines in the Congo are located in the Shaba province, in the South. The Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt ore,^[46] and a major producer of copper and industrial diamonds, the latter coming from the Kasai province in the West. The Congo has 70% of the world’s coltan, and more than 30% of the world’s diamond reserves.,^[47] mostly in the form of small, industrial diamonds. The coltan is a major source of tantalum, which is used in the fabrication of electronic components in computers and mobile phones. In 2002, tin was discovered in the east of the country, but, to date, mining has been on a small scale.^[48] Smuggling of the conflict minerals, coltan and cassiterite (ores of tantalum and tin, respectively), has helped fuel the war in the Eastern Congo. Katanga Mining Limited, a Swiss-owned company, owns the Luilu Metallurgical Plant, which has a capacity of 175,000 tonnes of copper and 8,000 tonnes of cobalt per year, making it the largest cobalt refinery in the world. After a major rehabilitation program, the company restarted copper production in December 2007 and cobalt production in May 2008.^[49] The Democratic Republic of Congo also possesses 50 percent of Africa’s forests and a river system that could provide hydro-electric power to the entire continent, according to a U.N. report on the country’s strategic significance and its potential role as an economic power in central Africa.^[50] It has one of the twenty last ranks among the countries on the Corruption Perception Index.