DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Official name: Republique Democratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) Location: Central Africa International organisations: The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, The African Union, The Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia Coastline: South Atlantic Ocean Land area: 2,345,410 Km2

Population: 55,200,000
Ethnicity: Many African peoples live in Congo's enormous territory. The largest are the Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu peoples), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic). There are large numbers of refugees from Rwanda and other countries.
Languages: French is the official language and the language of business and communications. Kingwana, Kikongo and Tshiluba are the most widely used African languages.
Religion: About half the population are nominal Catholic Christians, and about 10% are Moslem. Most of the rest follow African animist religions.
Form of government: Democratic presidential republic. Congo is divided into 26 provinces.
Capital: Kinshasa
Constitution: The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo came into effect on 8 February 2006.
Head of state: The President, elected by the people for a five-year term.
Head of government: The President, who appoints the members of the Cabinet.
Legislature: The Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo consists of two chambers, the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) and the Senate (Sénat). An unelected "transitional Parliament" has sat since 2003. In August 2006 the first legislative elections under the new constitution were held. The National Assembly consists of 500 members elected by proportional representation from multi-member constituencies, for a five-year term. The Senate consists of 128 members indirectly elected by the provincial assemblies for a five-year term.
Electoral authority: The Independent Election Commission administers national elections.
Freedom House 2005 rating: Political Rights 6, Civil Liberties 6

Political history

The basin of the Congo River, a territory with no ethnic, linguistic or economic unity, was declared to be a political entity under the sovereignty of the King of Belgium in 1885. King Leopold's agents looted the territory with appalling cruelty, creating such a scandal that the Belgian government assumed responsibility in 1908. Little was done to develop the area, however, and it was completely unprepared for independence when the Belgians suddenly departed in 1960.

Joseph Kasavubu and Patrice Lumumba, the first leaders of independent Congo, were soon overthrown and the country dissolved into civil war. From this chaos emerged the dictator Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (from 1972 styled Mobutu Sese Seko), who held power in Kinshasa from 1965 to 1997. One of Africa's most corrupt rulers, Mobutu exercised only sporadic control over most of the country. From 1971 to 1997 the country was called Zaïre. Mobutu was finally overthrown in 1997 by a rebel army led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who soon proved to be as autocratic, if not quite as corrupt, as his predecessor, and promised elections which were never held. Kabila was assassinated in January 2001 and succeeded by his son Joseph Kabila. Following years of effort by the United Nations, a new constitution was approved by referendum in 2005 and elections were held in August 2006, the first since 1960. The UN mission in Congo has information at the MONUC website.