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Congo Kinshasa

Capital: Kinshasa; GDP growth (annual %) 2016: -1.9%

Africa’s economic growth in 2016 was driven by East Africa

While the continent’s major economies were hit by the fall in commodity prices in 2016, Africa retained its position as the second-fastest growing continent globally recording an average of 2.2% GDP increase, behind only South Asia, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Much of Africa’s increase in 2016, AfDB says, was driven by East Africa where several nations recorded “strong performances.” In general, of the continent’s sub-regions, East Africa posted the highest increase rate with 5.3%, led by Ethiopia.
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Africa property offers rich pickings for the brave

Some property pundits believe there are major opportunities for investors or companies on the continent.

While most pundits will acknowledge that the saying “Africa is not for sissies” rings authentic at the same time as it comes to property investment , some commentators believe that there are major opportunities for investors on the continent.
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Bill Gates sees US likely to maintain aid levels for Africa

The US will probably maintain its current levels of aid to Africa despite President Donald Trump’s proposals to slash funding, according to Bill Gates, the world’s richest man.

Trump said in May his government would no longer allocate funding for family planning, a move that has the potential to undermine aid programs in the poorest nations in the world. However, with Congress in control of the budget, it’s unlikely that all cuts proposed by the Trump government will go ahead next year, Gates said in an interview in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital.
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hina Shandong Economic & Technical Cooperation Group LTD(SCI),

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

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Africa's Relationship With China Is Ancient History
2017/07/02
In 2002 South Africa's Parliament unveiled a digital reproduction of a map - of China, the Middle East and Africa - that some speculated could be the initial map of the African continent. The Da Ming Hun Yi Tu - the Comprehensive Map of the Great Ming Empire - was drawn up around 1389 during the Ming Dynasty, according to historian Hyunhee Park.

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Climate change laws around the world
2017/05/14
There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.

The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Congo Democratic Republic Security and stability concerns continue to limit commercial opportunities
2017/05/08
Congo Democratic Republic

Security and stability concerns continue to limit commercial opportunities

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Mobile money fails the test for emergency relief in DRC
2014/12/22
Despite the hype around mobile money’s rapid uptake across Africa, in a new study e-vouchers outperformed mobile money - and in a lot of cases physical cash - as the majority effective means of disbursing assistance in emergency settings.

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President Kabila Must Respect the Constitution and Not Seek a Third Term
2014/10/18
There is currently one question dominating political debate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Will President Kabila change the constitution and seek a third term or abide by its current terms? This question is of great relevance to Congo's nascent democratic process, initiated in 2006 with the material, financial, and political support of the international community.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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President Joseph Kabila
2012/12/18

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The friendly and cooperative relations between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Republic of Congo
2015/10/01
The friendly and cooperative relations between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo) continued to grow steadily in 2013.

The two nations maintained frequent political exchanges. In March, President Joseph Kabila Kabange and President of National People's Assembly Aubin Minaku sent letters of congratulations to President Xi Jinping and NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang respectively on their election.

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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.

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