1984 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1984 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
main cash crops — coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; main food crops — manioc, bananas, root crops, corn; some provinces self-sufficient
Area
2,343,950 km2; 45% forest; 22% agricultural (2% cultivated or pasture); 33% other
Branches
President elected 1970 for seven-year term; General Mobutu reelected December 1977; limits on reelection removed by new constitution; unicameral legislature (310-member National Legislative Council elected for five-year term); the official party is the supreme political institution
Budget
1982 revenue est., $1.0 billion; current and capital expenditures $1.6 billion
Capital
Kinshasa
Coastline
37 km People
Communisms
no Communist party
Elections
elections for rural collectivities' urban zone councils, and the Legislative Council of the Popular Movement of the Revolution were held June-September 1982; presidential referendum/election held December 1977; presidential election/ referendum scheduled for November 1984 Political parties and leaders: Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR), only legal party
Electric power
2,415,000 kW capacity (1983); 4.6 billion kWh produced (1983), 150 kWh per capita
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
Exports
$1 .058 million (f.o.b., 1982); copper, cobalt, diamonds, petroleum, coffee
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
Fishing
catch 1 15,182 metric tons (1979)
GDP
$3.4 billion (1981), $570 per capita; -1.0% real growth (1981)
Government leader
Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko, President; KENGO Wa Dondo, First State Commissioner (prime minister)
Imports
$830 million (f.o.b., 1982); consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Labor force
about 8 million, but only about 13% in wage structure Government
Land boundaries
9,902 km Water
Language
French (official), English, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, and Tshiluba
Legal system
based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; new constitution promulgated February 1978; legal education at National University of Zaire; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm
Literacy
40% males, 15% females
Major industries
mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement
Major trade partners
Belgium, US, and West Germany
Member of
AfDB, APC, CIPEC, EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy
Monetary conversion rate
27.316 zaires= US$1 (October 1982)
National holiday
Independence Day, 30 June; Anniversary of the Regime, 24 November
Nationality
noun — Zairian(s); adjective — Zairian
Official name
Republic of Zaire
Political subdivisions
eight regions and federal district of Kinshasa
Population
32,158,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.9%
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
Religion
50% Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant, 10% Kimbanguist, 10% Muslim, 10% other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age 18
Type
republic; constitution establishes strong presidential system
Voting strength
MPR slate polled 97.5% of vote in 1977 Political Bureau elections; in February 1980 President Mobutu announced there would be no further elections to the Political Bureau