Capital: Kinshasa
Major Languages: French, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Life Expectancy: 51 years (women), 47 years (men)
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Current President: Joseph Kabila
GNP: $2.9 billion (1996)
GNP growth rate: -8% (1992)
GDP per capita: <$100
Total Debt: $11.2 billion (1999)
Inflation: 15,000% (1992), 500% (2001)
Largest producer of cobalt in the world
Second largest producer of tin
Third largest producer of diamonds
Fifth largest producer of copper
Number of ethnic groups: 250
Number of deaths in the current war: 1.7 million (1998-2000)
Number of child soldiers: 12,000
Major Media Sources:
Press: L'Analyste (daily), Boyoma (daily), Elima (evening daily), Mjumbe (daily), L'Palmares, Le Potentiel, La Reference, Le Soft
Television: Radio-Television Nationale Congolaise (RTNC--state-controlled), Television Congolaise (government commercial station run by RTNC), Antenne A (private commericial channel), Canal Z (commercial channel), Canal Kin 1 (private channel), Canal Kin 2 (private channel), Radiotelevision Kin Malebo (RTKM--private channel)
Radio: La Voix du Congo (state-controlled, operated by RTNC, broadcasting in French, Swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba, and Kikongo)
New Agencies: Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP--state controlled), Documentation et Informations Africaines (DIA--Roman Catholic news agency)
