1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

sections with Congo and Zambia are indefinite

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in river basin; cooler, drier in southern highlands

Coastline

37 km

Comparative area

about one-fourth the size of US

Environment

straddles Equator; periodic droughts in south

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

9,902 km total

Land use

3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 78% forest and woodland; 15% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Special notes

very narrow strip of land is only outlet to Atlantic Ocean

Terrain

vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

500 km Sumbs e e Kisangant * Mbandake Ne Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative Lubumbashi

2,345,410 km?; land area: 2,267,600 km?

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

Infant mortality rate

108/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

about 15 million, but only about 13% in wage structure

Language

French (official), English, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba

Life expectancy

men 49, women 52 (1983)

Literacy

55% males, 37% females

Nationality

noun—Zairian(s); adjective— Zairian

Population

32,342,947 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.88%

Religion

50% Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant, 10% Kimbanguist, 10% Muslim, 10% other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs

Administrative divisions

eight regions and federal district of Kinshasa

Branches

President elected originally in 1970 for seven-year term; Marshal Mobutu reelected July 1984; 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

Capital

Kinshasa

Communists

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 July 1984; presidential election/referendum scheduled for 1991 Political parties and leaders: Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR), only legal party

Government leader

Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko, President (since 1965)

Legal system

based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; new constitution promulgated February 1978; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

AfDB, APC, CIPEC, EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, LDA, IFAD, 1FC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holidays

Independence Day, 30 June; Anniversary of the Regime, 24 November

Official name

Republic of Zaire

Suffrage

universal and compulsory over age 18

Type

republic; constitution establishes strong presidential system

Voting strength

Mobutu polled 99.6% of vote in the 1984 election

Agriculture

main cash crops—coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; main food crops—manioc, bananas, root crops, corn; some provinces self-sufficient

Budget

(1985) revenues, $827 million; total expenditures, $1,096 million

Electric power

2,412,000 kW capacity; 5,280 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$1.913 billion (f.0.b., 1985); $1.824 billion (1986 est.) copper (37%), cobalt, diamonds, petroleum, coffee

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 102,000 metric tons (1983)

GDP

$4.7 billion (1985), $150 per capita; 1.8% real growth (1986 est.)

Imports

$1.383 billion (f.0.b., 1985 est.); $1.411 billion (1986 est.) consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Major industries

mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement

Major trade partners

Belgium, US, France, and West Germany

Monetary conversion rate

65.94 zaires=US$1 (November 1986)

Natural resources

cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron, coal, hydroelectric power (potential)

Airfields

335 total, 296 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 70 with runways 1,220-2,4389 m

Highways

145,050 km total; 2,350 km bituminous, 46,230 km gravel and improved earth; remainder unimproved earth

Inland waterways

comprising the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes, the waterway system affords over 15,000 km of navigable routes

Pipelines

refined products, 390 km

Ports

2 major (Matadi, Boma), 1 minor Civil] air: 49 major transport aircraft

Railroads

5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067meter gauge (851 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-meter gauge; 1386 km 0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter gauge

Telecommunications

barely adequate wire and radio-relay service, 31,200 telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 10 AM, 3 FM, 17 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station and 13 domestic satellite stations

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Logistics Corps, Special Presidential Brigade

Military manpower

males 15-49, 7,141,000; 3,608,000 fit for military service