re, 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
natural hazards:
periodic droughts in south
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change, 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:
42,684,091 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.17% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
48.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
16.74 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
110.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
47.4 years
male:
45.57 years
female:
49.29 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.7 children born/woman (1994 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 (13% of the labor force is wage earners; 51% of the
population is of working age)
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 - re