: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:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  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 rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands;
    periodic droughts in south
Note:
    straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo
    River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean

:Zaire People

Population:
    39,084,400 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    97 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    52 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.1 children born/woman (1992)
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
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other
    syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages:
    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

:Zaire 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 April
    1990; new constitution to be promulgated in 1992
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 Jean NGUZ a Karl-i-Bond (since 26 November 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),
    Joseph ILEO; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI), NGUZ
    a Karl-I-Bond; and Congolese National Movement-Lumumba (MNC-L)
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled by ongoing National
    Conference); results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition
  Legislative Council:
    last held 6 September 1987 (next to be scheduled by ongoing National
    Conference); 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
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

:Zaire Government

  US:
    Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
    (mailing address is APO AE 09828); telephone [243] (12) 21532, 21628; FAX
    [243] (12) 21232; the US Consulate General in Lubumbashi was closed and
    evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor security situation
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

:Zaire Economy

Overview:
    In 1990, in spite of large mineral resources Zaire had a GDP per capita of
    only about $260, putting it among the desperately poor African nations. The
    country's chronic economic problems worsened in 1991, with copper and cobalt
    production down 20-30%, inflation near 8,000% in 1991 as 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
    three-quarters of total export earnings. Zaire is the world's largest
    producer of diamonds and cobalt.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $9.8 billion, per capita $260; real growth rate
    -3% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8,000% (1991)
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 -7.3%; accounts for almost 30% of GDP (1989)
Electricity:
    2,580,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 160 kWh per capita (1991)
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 (1970-89), $6.9 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $263
    million
Currency:
    zaire (singular and plural); 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates:
    zaire (Z) per US$1 - 111,196 (March 1992), 15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381
    (1989), 187 (1988), 112 (1987)

:Zaire Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Zaire 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;
    limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
    146,500 km total; 2,800 km paved, 46,200 km gravel and improved earth;
    97,500 unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
    petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
    Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
    2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,921 GRT/30,332 DWT; includes 1
    passenger cargo, 1 cargo
Civil air:
    45 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    284 total, 239 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 73 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast stations - 10 AM, 4
    FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic

:Zaire Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Civil Guard,
    Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 8,521,292; 4,333,492 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)