Africa > Central Africa > Congo Kinshasa

Congo Kinshasa

Capital: Kinshasa; GDP growth (annual %) 2016: -1.9%
map
Key Facts
Full name: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Population: 67.7 million (UN, 2011)
Area: 2.34 million sq km (905,354 sq miles)
Major languages: French, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 47 years (men), 51 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Congolese franc = 100 centimes
Main exports: Diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
GNI per capita: US $180 (World Bank, 2010)
Internet domain: .cd
International dialling code: +243

 
  • Africa: Making Things Happen at the Bank - 'Not a Talk Shop' - Akin Adesina

    2017/07/02

    Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is focusing on five areas to achieve the African and world goals for a prosperous continent since becoming president of the African Development Bank - Africa's major public financial institution in September 2015. He was a keynote speaker at this month's Corporate Council on Africa's U.S.- Africa Business Summit in Washington D.C. and moderated a lively panel with five African government ministers. He as well received the Gene White Lifetime Succcess Award from the World Child Nutrition Foundation. This week, he was named the 2017 recipient of the World Food Prize, a prestigious honor that includes a $250,000 award. In an interview in Washington, DC, Adesina discussed the Development Bank's ambitious schedule and his vision for attracting the increase capital Africa needs. Posting questions for AllAfrica was Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga.

  • Grand Inga Dam Project ‘Coherence & efficiency’ define new energy approach

    2016/12/10

    Efforts in the DRC are redoubling to make the country’s long-delayed vision of building the world’s major hydroelectric dam on the Congo River a reality. Bruno Kapandji Kalala, Project Director for the Agency for Grand Inga Development and Promotion Agency (Agence pour le Developpement et la Promotion du Projet Grand Inga, ADPI) explains what evolution is being made on the project and how the government is encouraging the private sector to take part in a project that could be a major supplier of electricity across the continent.

  • Outlook for 2016-17

    2016/05/29

    The country (Democratic Republic of the Congo) is situated in Central Africa, northeast of Angola.
    Congo (Kinshasa) has borders with Angola for 2511km, Burundi for 233km, Central African Republic for 1577km, Congo (Brazzaville) for 2410km, Rwanda for 217km, Sudan for 628km, Tanzania for 459km, Uganda for 765km and Zambia for 1930km.
    Land in Democratic Republic of the Congo is vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east.
    Congolese or Congo land covers an area of 2345410 km².

    The climate is tropical, hot and humid in equatorial river basin and it is cooler and drier in southern highlands;
    Congolese (singular and plural) speak French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba.

    Country Overview

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country with vast resources. Its spans a surface area of 2.3 million square kilometers, the equivalent of two-thirds of the European Union. According to the new NSI (National Statistics Institute) estimates, fewer than 40% of the nearly 70 million inhabitants live in urban areas. With 80 million hectares of arable land and over 1,100 minerals and precious metals identified, the DRC has the potential to become one of the richest nations on the African continent and a driver of African increase.

  • Augustin Matata Ponyo Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo

    2015/12/03

    High increase in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the completed decade has been largely driven by the mining industry, and analysts believe it will continue to be one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest growing economies over the next decade, with increase rates well above 6%. Increase this year is forecasted to be in the region of 8.4%, down from an estimated 9.2% in 2014 as a result of weakened commodity prices.

    In this interview with PM Communications, Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo discusses how DRC is working to diversify the economy away from the extractive sector by investing in energy and agro-industry in order to create sustainable development. He as well discusses how widespread reform has led to a significant development in the business climate and increased investor confidence, the $12 billion Inga dam hydroelectric project, his leading role in the fight against crime and corruption, and opportunities for foreign investors through public-private partnerships.

  • Kinshasa

    2012/12/18

    Kinshasa (formerly French Léopoldville, and Dutch Leopoldstad (help·info)) is the capital and the major city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River.
    Once a site of fishing villages, Kinshasa is now an urban area with a people of 9 million inhabitants. It faces the capital of the neighbouring Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, which can be seen in the distance across the wide Congo River. The city of Kinshasa is as well of the DRC's 11 provinces. Because the administrative boundaries of the city-province cover a vast area, over 90% of the city-province's land is rural in nature, and the urban area only occupies a small section in the far western end of the city-province.