The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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: 67.2%

      male: 80.9%

      female: 54.1% (2001 est.)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 8 years

      male: 9 years

      female: 6 years (2008)

      Education expenditures:

      NA

      Government ::Congo, Democratic Republic of the

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo

      conventional short form: DRC

      local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo

      local short form: RDC

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

      abbreviation: DRC

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: Kinshasa

      geographic coordinates: 4 19 S, 15 18 E

      time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu

      note: according to the Constitution adopted in December 2005, the current administrative divisions will be subdivided into 26 new provinces by 2009

      Independence:

      30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

      Constitution:

      18 February 2006

      Legal system:

      civil law based on Belgian law with Napoleonic Civil Code influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 17 January 2001);

      head of government: Prime Minister Adolphe MUZITO (since 10 October 2008)

      cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: under the new constitution the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 30 July 2006 and on 29 October 2006 (next to be held on 27 November 2011); prime minister appointed by the president

      election results: Joseph KABILA elected president; percent of vote (second round) - Joseph KABILA 58%, Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42%

      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 held on 30 July 2006 and a run-off on 29 October 2006 confirming Joseph KABILA as president

      Legislative branch:

      bicameral legislature consists of a Senate (108 seats; members elected by provincial assemblies to serve five-year terms) and a National Assembly (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