Zaire




                                 Geography


Location:
     Central Africa, between Congo and Zambia
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     2,345,410 sq km
land area:
     2,267,600 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than one-quarter the size of US
Land boundaries:
     total 10,271 km, 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
International 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, petroleum, 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:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     4%
forest and woodland:
     78%
other:
     15%




Irrigated land:
     100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
     deforestation
natural hazards:
     periodic droughts in south
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
     Test Ban, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
     Climate Change, Environmental Modification
Note:
     straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower
     Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical
     rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands


                                  People


Population:
     42,684,091 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.17% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     48.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     16.74 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     110.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     47.4 years
male:
     45.57 years
female:
     49.29 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)
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, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba




Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     72%
male:
     84%
female:
     61%
Labor force:
     15 million (13% of the labor force is wage earners; 51% of the
     population is of working age)
by occupation:
     agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12% (1985)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Zaire
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republique du Zaire
local short form:
former:
     Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville  Congo/Kinshasa
Digraph:
     CG
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)
National holiday:
     Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution:
     24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended
     April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994
Legal system:
     based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted
     compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24
     November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled
     by High Council, the opposition-controlled transition legislature);
     results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition




head of government:
     Prime Minister Etienne TSHISEKEDI (since NA 1993); note - de facto
     executive authority is exercised by President MOBUTU
cabinet:
     National Executive Council; appointed by the president on
     recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
parliament:
     a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the
     Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between
     presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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; Unified Lumumbast
     Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA
Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery:
     1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 234-7690 or 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES
embassy:
     310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address:
     Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828
telephone:
     [243] (12) 21532, 21628
FAX:
     [243] (12) 21232 or 21534/5, ext. 2308
consulate(s) general:
     Lubumbashi (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


                                  Economy




Overview:
     Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate. While meaningful
     economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, the
     largest government deficit ever, and plunging mineral production have
     made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions
     are conducted in hard currency as indigenous banknotes have lost
     almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the
     largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through
     subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able
     to meet its financial obligations to the International Momentary Fund
     or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although
     short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political
     stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively
     exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -6% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
     $500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     35%-40% per month (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $NA
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
     $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil
partners:
     US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports:
     $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport
     equipment, fuels
partners:
     South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt:
     $9.2 billion (May 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,580,000 kW
production:
     6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     160 kWh (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:
recipient:
     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
note:
     except for humanitarian aid to private organizations, no US assistance
     was given to Zaire in 1992
Currency:
     1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates:
     zaire (Z) per US$1 - 7,915,000 (September 1993), 1,990,000 (1992),
     15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381 (1989)
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; limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
total:
     146,500 km
paved:
     2,800 km
unpaved:
     gravel, improved earth 46,200 km; unimproved earth 97,500 km
Inland waterways:
     15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
     petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
     Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
     1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481
     DWT
Airports:
total:
     278
usable:
     233
with permanent-surface runways:
     25




with runways over 3,659 m:
     1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     72
Telecommunications:
     barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast 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, Civil Guard,
     Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 9,178,659; fit for military service 4,674,819
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)