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zaire |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: zaire n 1: the basic unit of money in Zaire 2: a republic in central Africa; formerly under Belgian control [syn: {Zaire}, {Belgian Congo}, {Democratic Republic of the Congo}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Zaire Zaire:Geography Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola Map references: Africa Area: total area: 2,345,410 sq km land area: 2,267,600 sq km comparative area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of US Land boundaries: total 10,271 km Angola 2,511 km Burundi 233 km Central African Republic 1,577 km Congo 2,410 km Rwanda 217 km Sudan 628 km Uganda 765 km Zambia 1,930 km Coastline: 37 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made) Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 78% other: 15% Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; 1.2 million Rwandan refugees are responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in eastern Zaire natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification Environmental Modification Note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands Zaire:People Population: 44,060,636 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (female 10,522,368; male 10,527,451) 15-64 years: 50% (female 11,211,353; male 10,630,118) 65 years and over: 2% (female 647,307; male 522,039) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 3.18% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 48.33 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 16.57 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: in 1994, more than one million refugees fled into Zaire to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi; a small number of these are returning to their homes in 1995 despite fear of the ongoing violence; additionally, Zaire is host to 105,000 Angolan, more than 250,000 Burundian and 100,000 Sudanese refugees; repatriation of Angolan refugees was suspended in May 1994 because of the recurrence of fighting in Angola; if present peace accords hold repatriation of Angolans may recommence Infant mortality rate: 108.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.54 years male: 45.68 years female: 49.46 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Zairian(s) adjective: Zairian Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are Bantu; 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 traditional beliefs 10% Languages: French, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana Kikongo Tshiluba Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 72% male: 84% female: 61% Labor force: 15 million (25% of the labor force comprises wage earners) by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12% (1985) Zaire:Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Zaire conventional short form: Zaire local long form: Republique du Zaire local short form: Zaire former: Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa Digraph: CG Type: republic with a strong presidential system Capital: Kinshasa Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu Bas-Zaire, Equateur Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965) Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994 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 Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24 November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held by 9 July 1995); results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition head of government: Prime Minister Leon KENGO wa Dondo (since 14 June 1994) cabinet: National Executive Council; appointed by mutual agreement of the president and the prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral parliament: a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between presidential supporters and opponents Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC); Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI); Unified Lumumbast Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA Union of Independent Democrats (UDI), Leon KENGO wa Dondo Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB CCC, CEEAC CEPGL ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN UNCTAD UNESCO, UNHCR UNIDO UPU, WCL, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador TATANENE Manata chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John M. YATES embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (12) 21532, 21628 FAX: [243] (12) 21534 ext. 2308, 21535 ext. 2308; (88) 43805, 43467 Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the hoist side uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia Economy Overview: Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate although Prime Minister KENGO has had some success in slowing the rate of economic decline While meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by Zaire's hyperinflation chronic large government deficits, and plunging mineral production have made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank notes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through subsistence farming and petty trade The government has not been able to meet its financial obligations to the International Monetary Fund or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $18.8 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $440 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% per month (1993 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $362 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil partners: US Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK Japan, South Africa Imports: $356 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels partners: South Africa, US Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK External debt: $9.2 billion (May 1992 est.) Industrial production: growth rate -20% (1993); accounts for 16% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 2,830,000 kW production: 6.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 133 kWh (1993) Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds Agriculture: cash crops - coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops - cassava, bananas, root crops, corn Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $263 million note: except for humanitarian aid to private organizations, no US assistance has been given to Zaire since 1992 Currency: 1 zaire Z = 100 makuta Exchange rates: new zaires Z per US$1 - 3,275.71 (December 1994), 1,194.12 (1994), 2.51 (1993); zaire Z per US$1 - 645,549 (1992), 15,587 (1991), 719 (1990) note: on 22 October 1993 the new zaire, equal to 3,000,000 old zaires, was introduced Fiscal year: calendar year Zaire:Transportation Railroads: total: 5,138 km note - severely reduced trackage in use because of civil strife narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge Highways: total: 146,500 km paved: 2,800 km unpaved: gravel, improved earth 46,200 km unimproved earth 97,500 km Inland waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes Pipelines: petroleum products 390 km Ports: Banana, Boma, Bukavu Bumba, Goma, Kalemie Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani Matadi, Mbandaka Merchant marine: none Airports: total: 270 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 97 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 22 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 127 Zaire:Communications Telephone system: NA telephones local: NA intercity: NA barely adequate wire and microwave service in and between urban areas; 14 domestic earth stations international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 18 televisions: NA Zaire:Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, paramilitary Civil Guard, Special Presidential Division Manpower availability: males age 15-49 9,479,245; males fit for military service 4,828,367 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $46 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)
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