(500 seats; 61 members elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies, 439 members elected by open list proportional-representation in multi-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 19 January 2007 (next to be held on 27 November 2011); National Assembly - last held on 30 July 2006 (next to be held on 27 November 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 22, MLC 14, FR 7, RCD 7, PDC 6, CDC 3, MSR 3, PALU 2, independents 26, others 18 (political parties that won a single seat); National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 111, MLC 64, PALU 34, MSR 27, FR 26, RCD 15, independents 63, others 160 (includes 63 political parties that won 10 or fewer seats)
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation; Council of State; High Military Court; plus civil and military courts and tribunals
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democrat Party or PDC [Jose ENDUNDO]; Congolese Rally for
Democracy or RCD [Azarias RUBERWA]; Convention of Christian
Democrats or CDC; Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI]; Movement
for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA]; People's
Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Joseph KABILA];
Social Movement for Renewal or MSR [Pierre LUMBI]; Unified Lumumbist
Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social
Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI]; Union of Mobutuist Democrats
or UDEMO [MOBUTU Nzanga]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
MONUC - UN organization working with the government; FARDC (Forces
Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo) - Army of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo which commits atrocities on
citizens; FDL (Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) -
Rwandan militia group
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA,
SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU
chancery: Suite 601, 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 234–7690 through 7691
FAX: [1] (202) 234–2609
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Samuel BROCK
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
telephone: [243] (81) 225–5872
FAX: [243] (81) 301–0561
Flag description:
sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope, red the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country
National anthem:
name: "Debout Congolaise" (Arise Congolese)
lyrics/music: Joseph LUTUMBA/Simon-Pierre BOKA di Mpasi Londi
note: adopted 1960; the anthem was replaced during the period in which the country was known as Zaire, but was readopted in 1997
Economy ::Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Economy - overview:
The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - is slowly recovering from decades of decline. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960 and conflict that began in May 1997 has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of more than 5 million people from violence, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. Conditions began to improve in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. The transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress has been slow and the International Monetary Fund curtailed their program for the DRC at the end of March 2006 because of fiscal overruns. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector, and is not reflected in GDP data. Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth from 2006–2008, however, the government's review of mining contracts that began in 2006, combined with a fall in world market prices for the DRC's key mineral exports temporarily weakened output in 2009, leading to a balance of payments crisis. The recovery in mineral prices beginning in mid 2009 boosted mineral exports, and emergency funds from the IMF boosted foreign reserves. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the mining sector and the economy as a whole. The global recession cut economic growth in 2009 to less than half its 2008 level, but growth returned to 3% in 2010. The DRC signed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF in 2009 and received $12 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief in 2010.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$22.92 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $22.25 billion (2009 est.)
$21.64 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.6 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 2.8% (2009 est.)
6.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$300 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 229 $300
