The Congo War and peacekeeping efforts
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 71 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth most populous nation in Africa, as well as the most populous officially Francophone country. The country is divided into 10 provinces and one city-province (Kinshasa).
Although citizens of the DRC are among the poorest in the world, having the second lowest nominal GDP per capita, the Democratic Republic of Congo is widely considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of US$ 24 trillion.
The economy of the second largest country in Africa relies heavily on mining. The Congo has 70% of the world’s coltan, and more than 30% of the world’s diamond reserves, also being the world’s largest producer of cobalt ore.
Being an ethnically rich(or divided) region, as many as 250 ethnic groups have been identified and named. The most numerous people are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. About 600,000 Pygmies are the aboriginal people of the DR Congo. Although several hundred local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by widespread use of French(the official language) and intermediary languages such as Kongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.
As far as religion is concerned, Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 96% of the population. Kimbanguism was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu", now has about three million members, primarily among the Bakongo of Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. Islam in the Democratic Republic of the... [continues]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 71 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth most populous nation in Africa, as well as the most populous officially Francophone country. The country is divided into 10 provinces and one city-province (Kinshasa).
Although citizens of the DRC are among the poorest in the world, having the second lowest nominal GDP per capita, the Democratic Republic of Congo is widely considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of US$ 24 trillion.
The economy of the second largest country in Africa relies heavily on mining. The Congo has 70% of the world’s coltan, and more than 30% of the world’s diamond reserves, also being the world’s largest producer of cobalt ore.
Being an ethnically rich(or divided) region, as many as 250 ethnic groups have been identified and named. The most numerous people are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. About 600,000 Pygmies are the aboriginal people of the DR Congo. Although several hundred local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by widespread use of French(the official language) and intermediary languages such as Kongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.
As far as religion is concerned, Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 96% of the population. Kimbanguism was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu", now has about three million members, primarily among the Bakongo of Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. Islam in the Democratic Republic of the... [continues]
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