The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

male: 15.4 years

      Population growth rate:

       2.9% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       45.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       14.87 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population

       note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and

       Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in

       August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese internally displaced

       and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding

       countries (2003 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 96.56 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 87.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 105.15 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 48.93 years

       male: 46.83 years

       female: 51.09 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       6.69 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       4.9% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       1.3 million (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       120,000 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Congolese (singular and plural)

       adjective: Congolese or Congo

      Ethnic groups:

       over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the

       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 indigenous beliefs 10%

      Languages:

       French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language),

       Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala,

       Kingwana, or Tshiluba

       total population: 65.5%

       male: 76.2%

       female: 55.1% (2003 est.)

      Government Congo, Democratic Republic of the

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo

       conventional short form: none

       local short form: none

       former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville,

       Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

       local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo

       abbreviation: DROC

      Government type:

       dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative

       government

      Capital:

       Kinshasa

      Administrative divisions:

       10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city*

       (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental,

       Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale,

       Sud-Kivu

      Independence:

       30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

      Constitution:

       24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978,

       amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April

       1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former

       President Laurent KABILA but it was not ratified by a national

       referendum; one outcome of the ongoing inter-Congolese dialogue is

       to be a new constitution

      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 Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001);

       note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire

       KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the

       presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of

       government

       head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001);

       note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire

       KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the

       presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of

       government

       cabinet: National Executive Council, appointed by the president

       elections: prior to the overthrow of MOBUTU Sese Seko, the president

       was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last

       held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997);

       formerly, there was also a prime minister who was elected by the

       High Council of the Republic; note - a Transitional Government is

       drafting a new constitution with free elections scheduled to be held

       in NA 2005

       note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA,

       following the latter's assassination in January 2001, negotiations

       with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a Transitional

       Government in July 2003 with free elections scheduled to be held in

       NA 2005

       election results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese

       Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without

       opposition

      Legislative branch:

       a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in

       August 2000

       elections: NA; members