268 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
268 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
ZAIRE
|
||
GEOGRAPHY
|
||
Total area: 2,345,410 km2; land area: 2,267,600 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of US
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 10,271 km total; Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km,
|
||
Central African Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan
|
||
628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 37 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no
|
||
longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of
|
||
the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along
|
||
the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands
|
||
has been made)
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler
|
||
and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands;
|
||
north of Equator--wet season April to October, dry season December to
|
||
February; south of Equator--wet season November to March, dry season
|
||
April to October
|
||
|
||
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in
|
||
east
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, crude oil, industrial
|
||
and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium,
|
||
radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
|
||
|
||
Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
|
||
pastures 4%; forest and woodland 78%; other 15%; includes irrigated
|
||
NEGL%
|
||
|
||
Environment: dense tropical rainforest in central river basin and
|
||
eastern highlands; periodic droughts in south
|
||
|
||
Note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land is only outlet
|
||
to South Atlantic Ocean
|
||
|
||
PEOPLE
|
||
Population: 37,832,407 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1991)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1991)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Zairian(s); adjective--Zairian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are
|
||
Bantu; four largest tribes--Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the
|
||
Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
|
||
|
||
Religion: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%,
|
||
Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
|
||
|
||
Language: French (official), Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo,
|
||
Tshiluba
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 72% (male 84%, female 61%) age 15 and over can
|
||
read and write (1990 est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 15,000,000; agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services
|
||
12%; wage earners 13% (1981); population of working age 51% (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: National Union of Zairian Workers (UNTZA) was
|
||
the only officially recognized trade union until April 1990; other unions
|
||
are now in process of seeking official recognition
|
||
|
||
GOVERNMENT
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Zaire
|
||
|
||
Type: republic with a strong presidential system
|
||
|
||
Capital: Kinshasa
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions,
|
||
singular--region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire,
|
||
Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*,
|
||
Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
|
||
|
||
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium; formerly Belgian Congo,
|
||
then Congo/Leopoldville, then Congo/Kinshasa)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15
|
||
February 1978; amended 1990; new constitution to be promulgated in
|
||
1991
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law;
|
||
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic),
|
||
24 November (1965)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Executive Council
|
||
(cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Conseil
|
||
Legislatif)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
|
||
Chief of State--President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa
|
||
Za Banga (since 24 November 1965);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Bernadin MUNGUL DIAKA
|
||
(since 23 October 1991)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January
|
||
1991--Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include
|
||
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI
|
||
wa Mulumba;
|
||
Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC),
|
||
Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI);
|
||
and Congolese National Movement-Lumumba (MNC-L)
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
|
||
Elections:
|
||
|
||
President--last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held before
|
||
December 1991);
|
||
results--President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition;
|
||
|
||
Legislative Council--last held 6 September 1987
|
||
(next to be held in 1991, probably on a multiparty basis);
|
||
results--MPR was the only party;
|
||
seats--(210 total) MPR 210; note--MPR still holds majority of seats
|
||
but some deputies have joined other parties
|
||
|
||
Communists: no Communist party
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, CIPEC, ECA,
|
||
FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
|
||
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
|
||
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador TATANENE Manata;
|
||
Chancery at 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009;
|
||
telephone (202) 234-7690 or 7691;
|
||
|
||
US--Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 310 Avenue des
|
||
Aviateurs, Kinshasa (mailing address is APO New York 09662); telephone
|
||
243 (12) 21532; there is a US Consulate General in Lubumbashi
|
||
|
||
Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black
|
||
arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away
|
||
from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
|
||
|
||
ECONOMY
|
||
Overview: In 1990, in spite of large mineral resources and one
|
||
of the most developed and diversified economies in Sub-Saharan Africa,
|
||
Zaire had a GDP per capita of only about $200, one of the lowest on the
|
||
continent. The country's chronic economic problems worsened in 1990,
|
||
with copper production down 20% to a 20-year low, inflation near
|
||
250% compared with 100% in 1987-89, and IMF and most World Bank support
|
||
suspended until the institution of agreed-on changes. Agriculture, a key
|
||
sector of the economy, employs 75% of the population but generates
|
||
under 25% of GDP. The main potential for economic development has been
|
||
the extractive industries. Mining and mineral processing account for
|
||
about one-third of GDP and two-thirds of total export earnings.
|
||
Zaire is the world's largest producer of diamonds.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate - 2% (1990
|
||
est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 242% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $685 million; expenditures $1.1 billion, does
|
||
not include capital expenditures mostly financed by donors (1990)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
||
|
||
commodities--copper 37%, coffee 24%, diamonds 12%, cobalt, crude
|
||
oil;
|
||
partners--US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
|
||
|
||
Imports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
||
|
||
commodities--consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other
|
||
machinery, transport equipment, fuels;
|
||
|
||
partners--South Africa, US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, Japan, UK
|
||
|
||
External debt: $7.9 billion (December 1990 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 3.1%; accounts for 30%
|
||
of GDP (1988)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 2,575,000 kW capacity; 5,550 million kWh produced,
|
||
150 kWh per capita (1990)
|
||
|
||
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products
|
||
(including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and
|
||
beverages, cement, diamonds
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: cash crops--coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food
|
||
crops--cassava, bananas, root crops, corn
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic
|
||
consumption
|
||
|
||
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1
|
||
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
|
||
(1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million;
|
||
Communist countries (1970-89), $263 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: zaire (plural--zaire); 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: zaire (Z) per US$1--2,113.55 (January 1991),
|
||
718.58 (1990), 381.445 (1989), 187.070 (1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625
|
||
(1986), 49.873 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
COMMUNICATIONS
|
||
Railroads: 5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067-meter gauge (851 km
|
||
electrified); 125 km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km 0.615-meter gauge;
|
||
1,025 km 0.600-meter gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 146,500 km total; 2,550 km bituminous, 46,450 km gravel
|
||
and improved earth; remainder unimproved earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries,
|
||
and unconnected lakes
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: refined products 390 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Matadi, Boma, Banana
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,802
|
||
GRT/60,496 DWT; includes 1 passenger cargo, 3 cargo
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 38 major transport aircraft
|
||
Airports: 308 total, 255 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: barely adequate wire and radio relay service;
|
||
31,200 telephones; stations--10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth
|
||
stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic
|
||
|
||
DEFENSE FORCES
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie,
|
||
paramilitary Civil Guard
|
||
|
||
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 8,240,412; 4,192,991 fit for
|
||
military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)
|
||
|
||
|