PROFILE OF THE D.R. CONGO

Largest economy in the heart of Africa

DRC is vital to world economy. It contains the largest portion of the African rain forest, vast mineral deposits (mainly Uranium, Copper, Cobalt, Col-Tan, Diamond and Gold). The D.R. Congo alone contains more than 70% of world reserve of Col-Tan so vital to our digital technology (computer, IPads, cell phones, video games) DRC is located right in the Centre of Africa with a surface area of 2,345,000 Km�. Incredible possibilities of various widely developing activities: Agricultural, Breeding, Forest, Mining, Industrial, Tourism, etc. Surrounded by nine neighboring countries (common borders of 9,165 Km). Focal point of access to other African markets. Junction points with roads of Central Africa, the East, the West, the North and the South.

 

Poorest nation amongst the world

Although the Congo is very rich in natural resources, 100 years of poor Belgian colonial system, local dictatorships and civil war, have left the country at the bottom as one of the 5 poorest nations in the world. Hunger, poverty, and lack of good educational system and infrastructures are rampant in the Congo. The monthly salary for most people in the Congo is between 50-150 dollars. Since 1997 the Congo has suffered the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, killing 5.4 million people. Citizens of the DRC are currently among the poorest in the world, having the second lowest nominal GDP per capita according to the IMF.
 
The two recent conflicts (the First and Second Congo Wars), which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in deaths of more than five million people from war, and associated famine and disease. Malnutrition affects approximately two thirds of the country's population. In Kinshasa, for example, 50% of the population have only one meal per day, 25% have one meal every two days. According to the 2011 Report of the GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX, the Congo-DRC is the only country to move from alarming to "extremely alarming" hunger situation.

As a result of the 6-year civil war, over 5.2 million children in the country receive no education. Many schools and educational infrastructures are in ruin in this vast country of 70 million people. In 2002, there were over 19,000 primary schools serving 160,000 students; and 8,000 secondary schools serving 110,000 students. However, primary school education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is neither compulsory, free nor universal, and many children are not able to go to school because parents were unable to pay the enrollment fees. Parents are customarily expected to pay teachers' salaries. In 1998, the most recent year for which data are available, the gross primary enrollment rate was 50 percent.