Features of the relief of the country of the Congo. Geographical location and natural and climatic conditions

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in West Africa, stretching along the right bank of the river. Congo in the middle reaches, having access to the Atlantic Ocean. The area is 342 thousand km2.

The territory of the Congo is located on both sides of the equator. It occupies the western part of the Congo Basin, as well as a belt of uplands separating it from the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean coast is framed by a strip of lowlands 40 - 50 km wide, further to the east stretch the low mountains of Mayombe with average heights of 300 - 500 m. Further east is the Niari-Nyanga depression (about 200 m high). Its central part is a limestone plain, where karst phenomena are widely developed. In the north and east, the depression is bounded by the spurs of the Shayu Mountains with a height of more than 700 m, in the southeast - the Cataract Plateau. The central part of the Congo is occupied by the vast Bateke plateau, to which the highest point of the country, the city of Leketi (1040 m), is confined. The entire northeastern territory of the country is occupied by a swampy and often flooded valley of the river. Congo.

Relief of the Republic of the Congo

The surface of the Republic of the Congo resembles a huge, slightly inclined towards the Atlantic Ocean, a dish, the middle of which is formed by a vast depression of the river. Congo (Zaire), and the edges - a closed ring of hills. The bottom of the depression lies at an altitude of 300-400 m above sea level. sea ​​and is a swampy plain formed by wide valleys of the river. Zaire and its tributaries. The bottom of the depression is bordered by an amphitheater of terraces and terrace-like plateaus from 500 to 1000 m high. Zaire, on the one hand, r. Nile and lake Chad, on the other. In the southwest, the Congo Basin is separated from a narrow strip of the coastal lowland of the Atlantic Ocean by the South Guinea Upland.

Even more significant are the heights along the southern margin of the basin, where on the watershed of the Zaire and Zambezi rivers they reach 1200-1500 m or more. In the south-east of the country, the flat-topped horst massifs of the Mitumba Mountains, the sandstone plateaus of Manika and Kundegungu rise.

The eastern outskirts of the country are the most elevated. Here, the western branch of the East African Rift Zone stretched in a giant arc from north to south. In this fault zone there is a chain of the Great African Lakes - Tanganyika, Kivu, Idi-Amin-Dada, Mobutu-Sese-Seko. In one of the side spurs of the main fault depression lies Lake. Mveru, in the other - part of the upper reaches of the river. Zaire.

Along the edges of the fault depressions, mountain ranges reach 2000-3000 m, their slopes are steep ledges. The Rwenzori massif on the border of Zaire and Uganda has the highest height, with the third highest peak in Africa - Margherita Peak (5,109 m).

Between the lake Idi-Amin-Dada in the north and lake. The Kivus are located in the south of the Virunga Mountains. This area is characterized by strong seismicity. There are more than 100 volcanoes, the highest is the extinct volcano Karisimbi (4507 m). Its round top is covered from time to time with a snow cap sparkling in the rays of the sun.

There are also active volcanoes. This is Nyi-ragongo (3470 m) and located north of Nyamlagir (3058 m). Especially strong was the eruption in 1938-1940. Nyiragongo has long been considered an extinct volcano. However, studies carried out in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century, alerted scientists. A fiery-liquid lava lake was discovered in the ring-shaped crater of the volcano. On one of the clear nights of 1927, the Nyiragongo crater lit up with clouds of gases. Since then, Nyiragongo has not calmed down for a minute. It erupted in 1938 and 1948. Since the beginning of the 1970s, its activity has increased again. In 1977, there was the most powerful eruption: red-hot lava destroyed the surrounding villages, burned vegetation, destroyed roads, and left thousands of people homeless.

Minerals of the Republic of the Congo

In terms of diversity and mineral resources, the Congo (Zaire) is one of the richest countries not only in Africa, but also in the world. The Shaba region is the richest in them, called by scientists a “geological miracle”. Deposits of copper ore (“shaba” means “copper”), which is accompanied by cobalt, zinc, uranium, silver, radium, molybdenum, nickel and other metals, are located in a folded system composed of Upper Precambrian deposits. The "copper belt" of Shaba, up to 100 km wide and more than 400 km long, stretches from the northwest to the southeast and goes to neighboring Zambia. The total copper reserves are estimated at 27-36 million tons, the metal content in the ore is 4% on average.

Large deposits of tin ore - cassiterite, located mainly in the Kivu region and in the north of Shaba, are associated with granites of a folded system that extends in these areas in a northeasterly direction. Tin is often accompanied by rare metals - tantalum, niobium (in terms of their reserves, the country ranks first in the world), as well as tungsten, beryllium.

Rich in Congo and diamonds. Their placers, contained in the Upper Cretaceous kwango sand series, are located in the areas of Western Kasai and Eastern Kasai on an area of ​​400 thousand square meters. km. On average, 1 cu. m placer accounts for one carat of diamonds. In the northeast and eastern parts The country has significant vein and alluvial deposits of gold. Oil-bearing horizons have been discovered in the shelf zone of the ocean and in a number of inland regions. Upper Congo-Zaire has oil shale reserves that are not yet exploited. High-quality iron ores were also found in Shaba. They also exist in other parts of the country. Manganese deposits have been found in several places. The bowels of Zaire are rich in bauxite and coal, natural gas and asbestos, potassium salts and sulfur, barite and titanium ores, etc. Apparently, further exploration work will lead to the discovery of new mineral deposits.

Climate of the Republic of the Congo

The climate of the Republic of the Congo, located in the equatorial and subequatorial climatic zones, generally hot. There is no clearly defined alternation of seasons. Regional climatic differences are very noticeable. They manifest themselves primarily in the amount of precipitation and the time of its occurrence, and to some extent in the temperature difference. In that part of the country, which is located between 3 ° N. sh. and 3°S sh., the climate is equatorial, constantly humid. It is warmest here in March and April - an average of 25-28 °, cooler in July-August, although even then the thermometer can show 28 ° during the day, but daily temperature drops at this time reach 10-15 °. Precipitation in this zone falls 1700-2200 mm per year. Especially heavy rains come from March to May and from September to November. But in the remaining months, precipitation also falls in the form of short and rare rains. After them, the mango fruits begin to ripen, and the locals call such rains "mango".

Rains in the equatorial zone most often occur in the afternoon. The air warmed by the sun is saturated with evaporation from the surface of water bodies. The sky, which remained cloudless from morning to mid-afternoon, is covered with powerful thunderclouds. A strong wind rises, and under the deafening peals of thunder, streams of water fall on the ground. Peculiar records of precipitation have been registered in areas located along the equator. So, in Mbandaka, 150 mm of precipitation once fell in one day, and in Boende, 100 mm in 1.5 hours. Usually, after 2-2.5 hours, the equatorial downpour ends and a clear, quiet night sets in. The stars shine brightly, the air becomes cooler, and by morning fog appears in the lowlands. In the southernmost part of Zaire, the climate is subequatorial, more precisely, equatorial-monsoonal. Rains are brought here by the equatorial monsoon, which is replaced in the second half of the year by the southeast trade wind, which brings dry tropical air, almost no precipitation. In the extreme south, they fall 1000-1200 mm per year.

The higher the area above sea level, the cooler it is. On the high plateaus of the Shaba region average temperature October 24°, and July - only 16°. The diurnal fluctuations, reaching 22°, are also significant here. Occasionally, in the mornings, light frost covers the soil in open elevated places. In the mountains of the eastern part of Zaire, the average annual temperatures are 5-6 ° lower than in the Congo Basin, which lies at the same latitude. Precipitation here falls up to 2500 mm per year. The Rwenzori massif is crowned with a cap of eternal snows.

Water resources of the Republic of the Congo

Zaire has the densest river network in central Africa and on the continent. The rivers, fed by rains and partly by underground springs, are full of water and abound in waterfalls and rapids. Rapids and rapids are interspersed with areas with a calm current. It is unlikely that any significant river will be found in the country, navigable throughout its entire length. Many waterfalls are known for their scenic beauty. Flowing under the canopy of the forests of the Ituri region. Isakhe forms a multi-stage waterfall "Stairs of Venus": here each of the low thresholds is, as it were, crowned with an intricate water lace. The Guillaume waterfalls, which are formed by three branches of the river, are very peculiar. Quango. The water here falls from a height of 30 meters into a narrow and deep cleft. In the Shaba region on the river. Lovoi is the 340-meter Kaloba waterfall, considered the highest of all vertical waterfalls in Africa.

Plain areas of the terrain are periodically flooded or swamped, and this hinders their economic development. Small rivers in the northeast of the country belong to the Nile basin. All other rivers belong to the river basin. Congo. Within the Republic of Zaire is 60% of the area of ​​the basin of this river.

The great African river called Lualaba originates on an elevated plateau near the border with Zambia and flows for many kilometers like a water snake, lost in swamps formed among tree-covered hills. The upper reaches of the river are not navigable. Here it only gains strength and, narrowing in some places to a width of 30 meters, flows in the Mitumba mountains between sheer cliffs reaching 400 meters in height. Passing through the southern spurs of these mountains, the river forms the rapids of Nzilo. Here, on a 70-kilometer section, the fall of the river bed is 475 m.

North of these rapids, the river calms down, and from the city of Bukama, for 666 km, it serves as a good communication route. However, immediately after the city of Kongolo, the river again becomes unnavigable. Roaring and rearing, it overcomes the Porte d'Anfer (Hell's Gate) gorge narrowing to 100 m and then forms five rapids in crystalline rocks; up to Kibombo it flows calmly, but in the section from Kibombo to Kindu its current again becomes turbulent until the Shambo waterfalls are left behind. Behind them, the river calms down and flows for more than 300 km, as if gaining strength, to overcome the seven-stage Stanley waterfalls and fall from a 40-meter height into the central basin.

Outside the city of Kisangani r. The Congo (Zaire) becomes a typically flat river. As if reluctantly, it washes the sandy shores of numerous large and small islands overgrown with forests, sometimes it spills 15 or more kilometers wide. Often, an equatorial forest approaches the water with a wall, in which only in some places there are glades; on them the huts of the villages huddle together.

Below Kisangani, the river receives its main tributaries on the right and left. South of Kinshasa, the river forms a chain of more than 70 waterfalls named after the famous English traveler D. Livingston. They stretched for about 350 km, the level difference is 270 m. The nature of the river changes again: again its waters roar and foam in whirlpools, break on rocks, fall from ledges, not for a second slowing down their run to the ocean. At Matadi, the river slows down, it becomes wider and deeper. The river carries such a mass of water into the Atlantic Ocean that the sea remains fresh 75 km from its mouth, and the characteristic yellowish tint of water can be traced 300 km from the coast.

The internal lakes of the country are the remains of an ancient lake-sea that once filled the entire central basin. The largest of them is the Mai-Ndombe. It is notable for the fact that during the rainy season its area increases by more than 3 times.

Despite the abundance of inland waters, the system of navigable river routes exists only in the Congo basin and has no access to the ocean due to waterfalls and rapids in the lower reaches of the river. Congo.

The Congo River is the most big river in Central Africa and the most abundant river the globe after the Amazon. Its lower course has been known to Europeans since the 16th century, and the rest since 1877 (the time when Stanley explored it). Congo originates at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, about 9 ° south latitude and 32 ° east longitude, between lakes Niassa and Tanganaika, goes around the southern side of Lake Bangweola, taking in its sources. From here, under the name of Luapula, it meanders for 300 kilometers to Lake Meru or Mkata, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level, and further, heading north-north-west, it connects with Ankora at 6 ° 30` south latitude, then with Adalaba at 27° east longitude. At 5°40` south latitude and 26°45` east longitude it takes in Lukuga, the source of Lake Tanganaiki; striving north, joins with Luama and, having reached a width of 1,000 meters, under the name of Lualaba, enters the land of Manyema at 4 ° 15 `south latitude and 26 ° 16` east longitude. Between Nyong and the equator, the Congo is navigable and flows straight north, taking in its path many as yet unexplored rivers, originating in gigantic forests.

From Nyangwa, towards the mouth, the Congo ceases to be navigable, due to the rapids and Stanley waterfalls encountered here, but then becomes navigable again to the mouth of Kassai and here, taking in the Aruvimi, it expands to 20 kilometers and flows through a swampy region rich in lakes; then the channel of the Congo narrows again. Connecting with the last tributary, the channel of the Congo narrows with mountains and, on the way to Vivi, the river forms 32 waterfalls - Livingston rapids. Between Banana and Shark Point, the Congo flows into the Atlantic Ocean in a channel 11 kilometers wide and 300 meters deep, bringing 50,000 cubic meters of water per second into the sea, and carrying fresh water on its surface for 22 kilometers. At 40 km, the Congo has tides, then at 64 km the color of the water is light tea, and at 450 km it is brown. From the mouth, for 27 km, the Congo dug a seabed for itself. It contributes 35,000,000 cubic meters of particulate matter to the sea every year. High water occurs twice a year, at the mouth the highest water is in May and December, the lowest is in March and August; during high water, the muddy waters of the Congo are visible hundreds of kilometers away in the ocean.

Tributaries of the Congo: Aruvimi (right), Rubi (right), Mongalla (right), Mobangi (right), Saaga-Mambere (right), Likuala-Lekoli (right), Alima (right), Lefini (right), Lomami (left) ), Lulongo (left), Ikelemba (left), Ruki (left), Kassai (left), Lualaba (left)

Flora and soils of the Republic of the Congo

More than half of the territory of Zaire is occupied by evergreen tropical rainforests. About 50 species of trees, especially valuable for their wood, grow here, including ebony, iroko, okume, and others. Powerful red-yellow ferralitic soils are developed under these forests. By themselves, they are infertile. Only the decomposition of organic residues, which the forest itself provides in large quantities, maintains the natural fertility of these soils. When forests are cleared, soils are quickly depleted. In the lowest regions of the Congo Basin, where the runoff of river waters is especially slow, hydromorphic lateritic-leu alluvial soils are developed.

A narrow strip of the estuary of the river. Congo is covered with mangrove forest, under which swampy soils dominate, containing a large amount of silt brought by the river.

As you move away from the equator, the forests become sparse, they grow only along the banks of rivers. If the river is not wide, the crowns of trees close over the channel, forming shady vaults, which is why such forests are called gallery forests. A significant part of the territory of Zaire is occupied by tall grass savannah. It dominates in the south, as well as in large areas in the Bandundu region, and north of the equator - in the basins of the Uele and Ubangi rivers. In some places in the savannah you can find separate groves where the trees are spaced at a sufficient distance from each other. This is the so-called park savannah.

In the tall grass savanna, red ferralitic soils are formed, the humus content in the upper layer of which reaches 8%. The cultivation of agricultural crops entails the rapid depletion of soils, the fertility of which can be restored by the application of large amounts of fertilizers. In the extreme south and southeast of the country, brown-red slightly leached soils are developed under the park savannah. They are more fertile and, given enough moisture, can produce good yields.

In the mountainous regions in the east of Zaire, up to about 3000 m, vegetation grows similar to that of the plains. The slopes of the mountains are covered with moist equatorial forests, in the upper belt of which conifers appear - podocarpus, tree-like junipers, and also tree-like ferns. At an altitude of 3000-3500 m thickets of bamboo and arborescent heather predominate, higher they are replaced by alpine meadows. Above 4000 m only mosses and lichens grow. The soils of the mountain regions, developed on volcanic deposits, are very fertile.

Fauna of the Republic of the Congo

The fauna of the Congo is exceptionally rich and diverse. The equatorial forests of the central basin are the habitat of semi-monkeys - lemurs and a small furry animal - the nocturnal tree hyrax. Land mammals in these forests include pygmy antelopes, wild warthogs, and long-haired boars. The okapi living only in Zaire are very beautiful, attractive for their variegated color: transverse white stripes are located not all over their body, like zebras, but only along the croup and limbs. The neck and legs of the okapi are shorter than those of giraffes; these meek and shy animals feed on foliage and rarely leave the thicket of the forest. 30 km from Bukavu in the equatorial forest is one of the national parks - Kahuzi-Biegu. Here you can see mountain gorillas.

To do this, you need to make many hours of climbing into the mountains. Having passed the tea plantations, located at an altitude of 1500-1800 m and lined with silvery eucalyptus trees, a narrow, barely visible path rushes up, often getting lost in the coastal mud. It is a rare luck to meet gorillas, but the animals are not shy and, it happened, let people approach them at a distance of 5-10 m. Gorillas live in forests on the slopes of the Virunga mountains in small herds, lead mainly a terrestrial lifestyle, eat plant foods. Hunting for these rare animals is prohibited.

The savannah is inhabited by antelopes, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, hyenas, hyena-like dogs; elephants, buffaloes, rhinos also live here. There are also extremely rare now white rhinos. There are many crocodiles and hippos in the rivers and lakes. Everywhere you can meet lizards, turtles, snakes. Most snakes are poisonous - cobras, black and green mamba, vipers, there are also non-venomous snakes - pythons.

The world of birds, large and small, flying and running, is exceptionally diverse. Ostriches, sunbirds, partridges, quails, bustards, guinea fowls are found in the savannah, and peacocks, parrots, blackbirds, woodpeckers, hoopoes, banana-eaters are found in the forests, herons, storks, kingfishers, pelicans, ducks, flamingos, marabou, etc. d.

Rivers and lakes abound with fish. In Zaire, there are about a thousand species of fish: perches, pikes, tiger fish, catfish, lungfish, eels, etc.; a blind fish with a pale pink, scaleless body lives in cave reservoirs. Tarpon and barracudas are found in the coastal waters of the ocean.

There are many insects in the country: butterflies, wasps, various beetles, bees, termites, red, black, white ants. Malarial mosquitoes and tsetse flies pose a great danger to large animals and humans.

Population of the Republic of the Congo

The population of the Republic of the Congo is 2.95 million (2003). The Congo is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Africa. Covered with forests and swamps, the northern regions of the country are practically uninhabited. The average population density of the Congo is 8.6 people / km2. OK. 80% of the population is made up of peoples of the Bantu language group: Kongo, Teke, Bangi, also live Kota, Mboshi, etc. In the depths of the forests, pygmies have survived, living mainly by hunting. Official language- French. 40% of believers are Catholics, St. 24% are Protestants. A third of the population of the Republic of the Congo adheres to local traditional beliefs, there are Muslims. Urban population 59%.

Source - http://zaire.name/

WEATHER, CLIMATE

The Republic of the Congo (not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo) covers an area of ​​342,000 km². It has land borders with five countries: Gabon in the west, Cameroon and the Central African Republic in the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) in the east and Angola in the south. The extreme southwestern borders are washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Brazzaville.

The relief of the country is diverse, from plains and depressions to high mountain plateaus. Average heights of mountain ranges: 700-800 meters above sea level. Major rivers: Kuilu and Congo. In the north of the country lie tropical rainforests, which make up 50% of the territory. To the south are tall grass savannahs.

Congo lies in two climatic zones: equatorial (in the north) and subequatorial (in the south). The seasons are divided into two seasons: dry and wet, which alternate throughout the year. July is one of the coldest months of the year, with average temperatures of +22°C. January, on the contrary, is hot, the air warms up to + 26 ° C. From May to September and from January to February, there is no or very poor rainfall, this period is called the dry season. Tropical showers pour from March to April and from October to December. These seasons are called wet. Humidity is high throughout the year.

The best time to visit the country is the dry season. To determine the date of departure, check the weather by month.

Weather in Republic of the Congo in January

From January to February, the country has a short dry season. This is the perfect time to travel. The average air temperature is kept at +26°С. In the capital of Brazzaville, the figures vary from +23°С to +17°С. The average wind speed is 6 km/h. There is little precipitation, up to 45 mm in the capital. Humidity level 80%. Water warms up to +26°С…+28°С.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in February

In February, the relatively dry season continues, with rainfall in the capital reaching 55 mm. In other regions, up to 120 mm of precipitation falls. On average, the air in the country warms up to +28°C. In the capital of Brazzaville, the indicators range from +22°С to +32°С, humidity reaches 79%. The wind is light, up to 6 km/h.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in March

In March, the dry season gives way to a short rainy season, which will last two months. Precipitation is frequent and plentiful. In the capital, the figures reach 77 mm, in other territories - up to 170 mm. The first month of spring is the warmest month of the year. In Brazzaville, average temperatures range from +23°C at night to +32°C during the day. Humidity above 80%. The air throughout the country warms up to +28°С. The water on the coast reaches a maximum temperature of +29°C.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in April

In April, rains and thunderstorms continue. In the capital this month, up to 83 mm of precipitation falls, throughout the country these figures reach 183 mm. In the capital during the day + 33 ° С, at night + 23 ° С. The water temperature is kept at +29°C. The wind is blowing at a speed of 6 km/h. Average temperatures across the country range from +27°C during the day to +22°C at night. Air humidity 79%.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in May

In May, average daily temperatures continue to drop. There is a long dry season that will end in October. The average temperature in the country varies from +22°C at night to +27°C during the day. The maximum figures for this month were +32°C. In the capital, average temperatures range from +23°С to +31°С. The water temperature on the coast drops to +28°C. The wind is light, up to 6 km/h. Air humidity 81%.

Weather in Republic of the Congo in June

In the central regions of the Congo, the dry season is clearly marked. Here from June to July there is no precipitation or they are minimal. In the capital, up to 0.1 mm of dew falls. The air temperature drops to +26°С…+21°С. In Brazzaville during the day +29°С, at night the air cools down to +25°С. The humidity level is 80%, the average wind speed is 6 km/h. Water on the coast drops to a temperature of + 22 ° С ... + 23 ° С.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in July

This month sees a decrease in daily temperatures throughout the country, as July is one of the coldest of the year. The average indicators are kept at the level of +25°С…+29°С. In Brazzaville, the air temperature ranges from +19°C at night to +28°C during the day. The minimum indicators dropped to + 20 ° С. Air humidity 77%. There is no precipitation in the capital this month. Wind speed 7 km/h. Water on the coast cools down to +20°С…+22°С.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in August

In August, the air gradually warms up, reaching an average of +25.5°C. This month, 160 mm of precipitation falls, which brings humidity up to 75%. In the capital, the average temperature at night drops to +20°С, during the day the air warms up to +29°С. Precipitation is extremely scarce - up to 0.3 mm. Water temperature +21°С. On the windiest days, wind gusts reach 8 km/h.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in September

September is the last dry and windiest month before the start of the rainy season. Wind gusts reach 9 km/h. Average temperatures in the country range from +21°C during the day to +27°C at night. The maximum indicators in this month reached +30°C. In the capital of Brazzaville, +22°C during the day and +31°C at night. Water warms up to +22°С…+24°С. At the end of the month, up to 200 mm of precipitation falls.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in October

In October, the long rainy season begins, which will last until December. Average temperatures in the country range from +26°C during the day to +22°C at night. In the capital during the day the air warms up to +31°С, at night it cools down to +22°С. Here falls 60 mm of precipitation, humidity rises to 82%. The water temperature on the coast is +25°C. Humidity 67%. The wind blows at a speed of 6-7 km/h.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in November

November is the rainiest month of the year. Up to 135 mm of precipitation falls in the capital. Humidity rises to 85%. Average temperatures in Brazzaville range from +22°C during the day to +31°C at night. The water on the coast warms up to +26°C. The wind is blowing at a speed of 6 km/h.

Weather in the Republic of the Congo in December

In December, the number of rainy days is significantly reduced. This month, up to 90 mm of precipitation falls in the capital. The average indicators for the country vary from +21°С to +27°С. In Brazzaville, the air cools down to +22°C at night and warms up to +31°C during the day. The wind blows at a speed of 6 km/h, the air humidity is 82%. Water on the coast is not lower than +26°C.

The climate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is equatorial, in the southern and northern regions of the country it is subequatorial. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the largest African countries. It is located in the very center of the African continent and is crossed by the equator from west to east. There is a lot of water here and it is very humid all year round. The humid equatorial climate gives this territory numerous rainfall throughout the year, and the branched and densest river network in Africa, numerous lakes and huge wetlands only reinforce the title of a humid and “wet” country. One of the main natural resources of the country is the energy of rivers. About 3/4 of the territory is covered with moist equatorial forests (second place in the world after the Amazon).

Most of the country is located at an altitude of several hundred meters (from 300 to 800 meters, and in some areas even from 800 to 1300 meters, as in the southeast), such heights are quite enough to moderate the hot equatorial climate. In the DRC Congo, you can observe the changing seasons of the year. Only this is not autumn, winter, spring and summer, but dry and rainy seasons. In general, there are 4 seasons in a year: "small" dry season (January - March), "small" rainy season (April - May), large dry season (June - August), large rainy season (September - December). These seasons differ in duration and abundance of precipitation - more abundant rains fall in the central part of the country (at the very equator), in the north and south of the country the rains are not so frequent and strong. In general, the rule applies here: the farther from the equator, the less abundant precipitation and shorter rainy seasons.

Precipitation is the only thing that happens in the DRC Congo strictly on schedule, they usually go late in the evening, at night or early in the morning. Rain in the DRC Congo is, as a rule, just a wall of water falling from the sky, where several tens (!) Liters of water pour out in a minute. Very often this natural event is accompanied by thunder and lightning (DRC Congo is the country that receives the most lightning strikes in the world), so the sensations, you know, are not pleasant. Rains in the local Lingala language are called "mbulya makasi". Much, almost everything in the country depends on the mbuli makasi: these are full-flowing rivers saturated with fish, and small agricultural lands with their productivity, and endless savannahs with wild animals. Local residents are used to mbuli makasi, by themselves, but they try, if possible, not to fall under local downpours. For example, mbulya makasi is an absolutely normal reason not to go to work. That's it. And there's nothing you can do about it.

Winter in the DRC Congo (Little dry season)

In December, the big wet season still continues in the central part of the country. But in the northern and southern regions of the country - December - this is already a dry season, there is very little precipitation. But in January and February, the amount of precipitation decreases everywhere, but the concept of a “dry” season is very conditional, since at this time, periodically, it rains throughout the DRC Congo, just not so strong and not so often.

In winter, the climate in the capital of the DRC Congo - the city of Kinshasa is very favorable. At this time there is no suffocating heat. The air temperature at this time of the year does not fall below +23°C (at night) and does not rise above +35°C (during the day). The average daily air temperature in Kinshasa in winter is +28 - +30°C. The Congolese are cold, put on jackets, hats and even get sick with acute respiratory infections (!!!).

Spring in the DRC Congo (Little rainy season)

March is a transitional month in most of the country. It is transitional from dry climate to rainy. In March, April and the first half of May, the DRC Congo is flooded with showers, but from the second half of May, the amount of precipitation decreases quite sharply - after all, there is a big dry season ahead. At the same time, despite the large amount of precipitation, the air temperature practically does not change compared to the winter temperature, and in Kinshasa averages +28 - +31°C, dropping to +23°C at night. It will be a little cooler in the north and south of the country, as well as on the hills.

Summer in the DRC Congo (Large dry season)

The summer months - June, July and August - are perhaps the driest and hottest. The weather is especially pleasing in the capital of the country - Kinshasa, here for three months there is no rain, the climate is dry and comfortable, and the humidity level is only 54%, so you can safely exclude the possibility that you will be taken by surprise by heavy rain. At the same time, the average daily air temperature in summer in Kinshasa is already noticeably higher, and is +32 - +35°C. Hot and dry - these are the words you can define the weather in the capital. Approximately similar weather can be found in the north and south of the country.

But this weather summer months stands by no means throughout the DRC Congo. Cities and regions located on or near the equator receive abundant rainfall at this time of the year, although less than in spring. For example, the large city of Kisangani in the summer months is visited by rains every day, even if only in the afternoon, albeit mild and then the sun shines again, nevertheless they are here. The average daily air temperature in summer in Kisangani is +29 - +31°C, but the humidity in these months is very high - more than 80%, therefore, the heat is more difficult to bear than in the capital.

In the mountains of the Kivu and Katanga regions, the climate is cooler and drier. On the heights of the eastern and southeastern plateaus and mountains, climatic conditions are significantly softened. Here, the average daytime air temperatures reach only +24°C, but they drop significantly at night - up to +12 - +15°C.

Autumn in DRC Congo (Big rainy season)

The big rainy season in the DRC Congo lasts from September to mid-December (in the northern and southern regions - until the end of November) and, in general, is characterized by constant heavy rainfall, atmospheric pressure drops and high humidity.

Despite the fact that it is autumn, there can be no question of any decrease in temperature. Well, if only for a couple of degrees, which are practically not noticeable in the cycle of insane humidity. The average daily air temperature in Kinshasa in autumn is +27 - +30°C, at night, all the same, up to +23°C. The maximum amount of precipitation is observed in November - here the weather is gloomy and not sunny for 10 days a month. In the rest of the autumn months, it also pours well, and the air humidity reaches 80%. But at the very equator of the country, the air humidity in the autumn months reaches 90 - 100%, and October is the rainiest here. At the same time, 2-3 times more precipitation falls on the equator of the DRC Congo than in other regions of the country.

Equatorial showers are very strong and plentiful, but, as a rule, short-lived. Usually they pass in the afternoon, and often their companion is a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms occur more often here than in any other country in the world (!). In the subtropical zone of the DRC Congo, the rains are not so plentiful.

The territory of the DRC Congo is abundantly supplied with precipitation. In the equatorial zone of precipitation, 1,700 - 2,200 mm of precipitation falls annually, with especially heavy rains from April to May and from September to November. The farther from the equator (to the south and north), the more pronounced dry periods are: up to 1,200 mm of precipitation per year falls here. It is cooler in the mountains, and there is more precipitation - up to 2,500 mm of precipitation per year.

When to go to DRC Congo It is very difficult to determine the best time to travel to the DRC Congo, since the country is huge, there are many areas with their own microclimate, in addition, there are vast mountainous areas. We can only say one thing: if your trip to the DRC Congo is not limited to visiting only Kinshasa - then you will definitely get caught in the rain at any time of the year!

The best time to visit the DRC Congo is during the dry summer months of June, July and August, as this is the least rainy season. It will be very hot in the capital, but dry. In the dry season, it will also be interesting to visit the National Reserves of the country, because many animals gather near rivers and streams for a drink, which means there is a chance to see a maximum of representatives of the local flora and fauna. It will also be nice to visit the mountainous regions of the country - although it is worth taking warm clothes here - it can be very cool in the evening and at night.

You can visit the DRC Congo in the small dry season - in the months of January and February, but you will not be able to completely avoid precipitation at this time - the equatorial climate will definitely remind you of yourself. Although in general, the small dry season is quite suitable for tourists to visit.

But in the rainy season in the DRC Congo, it’s better not to show your nose. Unpleasant weather conditions are notable for the small rainy season - the months of March, April and the first half of May, characterized by very heavy showers and high humidity, and the large wet season - the months from September to mid-December, will pour so much water on you that you are unlikely to forget it. At this time of the year, the weather will constantly test you for strength, and if you want an extreme holiday, you can come to the DRC Congo in the fall.

The main rule for all travelers is the following: remember, extreme heat and high humidity give the effect of a steam bath, when it is recommended to avoid heavy physical exertion and drink more water, as the body is going through hard times at this moment. The effect of a steam bath gives a poor supply of oxygen to the blood, it becomes more difficult to breathe, and people who are not accustomed to such a climate may experience oxygen starvation, therefore, people with lung disease, as well as those with cardiovascular disease, should avoid visiting the DRC Congo during the rainy seasons! You are simply risking your life and health! The climate is very harsh!

Capital- Kinshasa.

General information

State in Central Africa. It borders on the west with the People's Republic of the Congo, on the northwest. and S. with the Central African Republic, in the north-east. with Sudan; in the east with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania; in the southeast. and S. with Zambia, in the S.-W. with Angola. It comes out to the west to the Atlantic Ocean in a narrow strip along the right bank of the estuary of the river. Congo (Zaire) (sea coast length 40 km). Area 2345.4 thous. km 2. Population 22.5 million people (1971, estimated from Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, N. - Y., 1972, March). The capital is Kinshasa.

In administrative terms, the territory of Z. is divided into nine provinces (see Table 1) (the city of Kinshasa with its suburbs is separated into a separate administrative unit and equated to a province).

Administrative division

Provinces	Area, thousand km 2	Population, thousand people	Administrative center
Kinshasa
Bandundu			Bandundu
Upper Zaire (Haut-Zaїre)			Kisangani
Eastern Kasan (Kasaї Orien-			Mbuji-Mayi (Mbuji-May i)
Western Kasan (Kasaї Occidentale)			Kananga
			Bukavu
Lower Zaire (Bas-Zaїre)			Matadi
Shaba (former Katanga; Shaba)			Lubumbashi
Equatorial (Equateur)			Mbandaka

Political system

The current constitution came into force on June 24, 1967. The head of state and government is the president, who is elected by the population for a term of seven years. The President appoints and dismisses members of the government, all military and civil officials, is the supreme commander of the armed forces and the police, has the right to issue ordinances having the force of law, declares a state of emergency and siege, and exercises the right to pardon.

The highest body of legislative power is the unicameral National Assembly; consists of 420 deputies elected by general and direct elections by secret ballot for 5 years. The right to vote is granted to all citizens who have reached the age of 18. Elections are held according to a single list of candidates nominated in each constituency by the ruling party.

The government - the Council of Ministers - is responsible only to the president and resigns after the expiration of the president's term. Consists of ministers and deputy ministers.

At the head of the provinces are governors, in cities and urban communes - burgomasters appointed by the governor. Burgomasters of large cities are appointed by the president, members of city and communal councils - by the governor from among civil servants and party workers. In rural communes, management is carried out by traditional tribal leaders.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the District, Police and Magistrates' Courts. A special judicial body is the Constitutional Court of 9 advisers appointed by the president. National emblem and the state flag, see tables to articles and.

Nature

The territory of the West is located in the area of ​​the Congo Basin and its marginal uplifts, within the equatorial and subequatorial belts of the northern and southern hemispheres.

Relief.

The center and west of the country is occupied by the lowest part of the Congo Basin (300-350 m), which is a flat, mostly swampy, periodically flooded alluvial plain, formed by wide floodplain valleys of the river merged together. Congo (Zaire) and its tributaries. From the center of the depression to its periphery, the area rises in the form of an amphitheater of terraces and terraced plateaus up to 500-600 m. Along the northern edge of the Congo Basin there is a belt of plateaus and uplands with cuesta ledges. In the extreme north of the country there are basement plains (average height 600-900 m) with island mountains forming the southern slope of the Azande uplift. To the south-west Z. partly includes the South Guinea Upland with a complex structural-denudation relief (the Cataract Plateau, the Bangu, and the Mayumbe Mountains), which separates the Congo Basin from the narrow strip of the coastal lowland of the Atlantic Ocean. The relief of the southern part is dominated by table plateaus (height from 700-1000 m up to 1200-1300 m). In the area of ​​the watershed of the Congo (Zaire) - Zambezi, in the south of the province of Shaba (former Katanga) - high (1200-1500 m and more) basement plains. Outcrops of the most stable rocks are isolated in the form of narrow ridges separated by longitudinal depressions. In the central and eastern regions of the province of Shaba - flat-topped horst massifs of the Mitumba mountains (1889 m), sandstone plateaus of Manica (1679 m) and Kundelung (1772 m), separated by wide tectonic depressions with alluvial bottoms.

The most elevated and dissected relief is the eastern outskirts of the country, covering the marginal zone of the East African Plateau. Along the eastern border of the Z. stretches from the south to the north a grandiose system of fault depressions - the so-called. , the edges of which are formed by mountains with a height of 2000-3000 m.; the Rwenzori massif reaches its highest height (5109 m) - on the border of Z. and Uganda. There are active volcanoes - Nyamlagira and Nyiragongo: strong seismicity.

Geological structure and minerals.

About 1 / 2 of the country's territory is occupied by the Congo Basin, filled with continental deposits of the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic; its central part was occupied by a large lake even in the Anthropogenic time. The Upper Cretaceous Kwango sandy series at the periphery of the basin contains redeposited diamonds. In the southeastern part, the Congo Basin is superimposed on older troughs composed of coal-bearing sediments of the Karoo (Late Paleozoic) "system", and Upper Precambrian sedimentary formations protrude along its northern and partly southeastern periphery. To S.-V., V., Yu.-V. iYu. from the Congo depression and in the extreme west, along the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire), Precambrian basement rocks are developed. The oldest of these, deeply metamorphosed and granitized rocks of the Lower Precambrian, form the Kasai massif in the south of the country and also jut out in the east and northeast. and in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire), where rapids form. Weakly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks of the lower part of the Upper Precambrian - quartzites, shales, form in the southeast. iV. The countries of the kibar folded system of the northeast strike; large deposits of tin and some other metals are associated with granites introduced into it. Deposits of the upper Precambrian make up the extreme Yu.-V. countries a folded system with rich deposits of copper ores, with which cobalt, zinc, uranium, and other metals are associated. The total copper reserves, according to various sources, are estimated at 27 to 36 million tons. t(including reliable and probable 12-19 million t), zinc 2 million. t, uranium 5-6 thousand tons t U 3 O 8 , cobalt

600 thousand t(including reliable and probable 200 thousand t), tin 450 thous. t(including reliable and probable 200 thousand tons). Known deposits iron ore(mainly in Western Kasai and Upper Zaire), bauxite (in the province of Lower Zaire; total reserves 50-100 million tons). t), oil shale (in Upper Zaire); an oil show was discovered in the coastal strip. There are also deposits of manganese ores, gold and coal.

Climate.

Part Z., concluded between 3 ° with. sh. and 3°S sh., has an equatorial climate, constantly humid, with 2 maximum precipitation (March - May and September - November). In the southern part and in the extreme north of the country, the climate is subequatorial, with rainy summers and dry winters; The duration of the dry season near the northern border of the Z. does not exceed 2–3 months. (December-February), in the south it reaches 5-7 months. (from April - May to September - October). In the Congo Basin and on the plateaus surrounding it, the average temperature of the warm month(March or April) ranges from 24°С to 28°С, the coldest (July or August) - from 22°С to 25°С; daily temperature amplitudes are greater than annual ones, but they do not go beyond 10-15°C. In the elevated regions in the east and southeast. the climate is cooler (in Lubumbashi from 16°C in July to 24°C in October); daily fluctuations in temperature can exceed 20°C. Precipitation in equatorial belt from 1700-1800 to 2000-2200 mm per year (in the mountains in the East - up to 2500 mm and more). As you move away from the equator, the annual amount of precipitation decreases: in the extreme north to 1300-1500 mm, in the extreme south - up to 1000-1200 mm.

Inland waters.

The river network is very dense and full of water. Over 9/10 of the country's territory belongs to the river basin. Congo; the largest rivers are the Congo (Zaire) and its tributaries: the right ones are Lufira, Luvua, Aruvimi, Itimbiri, Mongala, Ubangi; left - Lomami, Lulonga, Ruki, Kasai. Almost all rivers abound in rapids and waterfalls, and only in the Congo depression do they form a single system of shipping routes, which, however, does not have access to the ocean due to a series of waterfalls and rapids in the lower reaches of the Congo (Zaire). The presence of steep drops in the longitudinal profile of rivers, combined with their high water content, determines the enormous amount of potential hydropower resources (according to estimates, over 100 million tons per year). kW at medium flow rates). In the east, the west partly includes the large lakes Albert, Eduard, Kivu, Tanganyika, and Mweru, which lie in discharge depressions; in the Congo depression are the shallow lakes of Leopold II and Tumba.

Soils and vegetation.

Dense moist evergreen forests grow in the equatorial zone; they reach their greatest density on the eastern slopes of the Congo Basin. Thick red-yellow ferralitic soils are developed under the forest canopy. A special type of forest vegetation is formed by periodically flooded and swampy forests on hydromorphic laterite-gley soils in the lowermost part of the Congo Basin. There are many valuable species in the forests: red, yellow, ebony, limba, agba, iroko, etc., giving high-quality wood, oil palm, copal tree, various rubber plants, etc.

To the north from 3-4 ° with. sh. and to the south from 4-5 ° south. sh. closed forests have survived only in small areas or narrow strips along rivers (gallery forests), but for the most part they have been reduced by man and replaced by secondary tall-grass savannahs with individual low-growing deciduous trees and shrubs; Under the savannahs, red ferrallitic soils are formed with a pronounced seasonal drying of the profile; in some places, dense surface ferruginous crusts are developed. In the extreme south and south-east. Tropical light forests (savannah forests) are common in the country, shedding foliage during the dry season, on brown-red soils. On the slopes of the high mountains on the eastern outskirts of the West, a vertical zonality of vegetation can be traced (a belt of mountain moist evergreen forests with thickets of bamboo near its upper boundary, an Afro-Subalpine belt dominated by tree-like heather, and an Afro-Alpine belt with tree-like ragworts and lobelia). At the mouth of the river Congo (Zaire) - mangroves.

Animal world

It is very rich and diverse, although it has undergone significant extermination (especially large animals). There are many herbivorous mammals in savannahs and light forests: various types of antelopes, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffes; of predators, lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, hyena-like dogs are common. Elephants, warthogs, okapi are found in dense forests; there are numerous animals that have adapted to life on trees, such as various monkeys. There are many hippos in the rivers and lakes. Species of birds, reptiles (mainly crocodiles and snakes), fish, and insects (including the tsetse fly) are widely represented. There are 3 large national parks - Kivu, Garamba and Upemba.

Population

About 85% of the population are peoples of the language family (1969, est.). The most numerous of them are Bakongo, inhabiting the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). To the east of them live the mongo and the related batetela, balengola, lokele, and others; along the middle reaches of the Congo (Zaire), the Bangala and related bobangas, ngombe, and others. The outskirts of the city of Kinshasa are inhabited by the bateke and others; in the south of the country - baluba and bemba. The northern regions are inhabited by peoples who speak the languages ​​of Central and Eastern Sudan: Azande, a group of Moru-Mangbetu peoples (the latter are also spoken by small tribes of pygmies in the Ituri river basin). On the border with Uganda and Sudan live the peoples of Alur, Bari, and others, whose languages ​​belong to the Nilotic family. There are 40-50 thousand Europeans in the country (1967, estimate). About 52% of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs, 45% are Christians (mainly Catholics), about 300 thousand are Muslims, and about 1.5 thousand are Judaists. The official language is French. Official calendar - Gregorian (see) .

Population 48.9 million (1998). In the capital Kinshasa, there are approx. 5 million inhabitants.

The colony of the Belgian Congo gained independence on June 30, 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo. In August 1964 the country was named the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Joseph-Desire Mobutu renamed it the Republic of Zaire on October 27, 1971. On May 17, 1997, after the overthrow of the Mobutu regime by Laurent-Desire Kabila, the country regained its former name - the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

NATURE

Relief and water resources.

The central part of the DRC is an alluvial plateau with an average height of approx. 910 m above sea level In the south-east of the country and along its eastern border, the ridges of the Mitumba Mountains rise 1520–4880 m above sea level, the highest point of which, Margherita Peak (5109 m), is located on the Rwenzori massif. The entire territory of the DRC is located in the basin of the Congo River (the second longest in Africa) and its many tributaries. The most important among them are Ubangi, Lualaba, Aruvimi and Kasai, which form their own extensive river system. There are many swamps in the country, and the Congo River expands in several places and forms lakes, in particular Malebo (Stanley Pool). Most large lakes located in a chain along the eastern border: Albert, Edward, Kivu, Tanganyika (natural border with Tanzania) and Mweru. The largest of the lakes inland are Mai-Ndombe and Tumba.

Climate.

The climate in the Congo basin is tropical with little temperature difference between the coolest month, July, and the hottest month, February. The average annual temperature is approx. 26° C, precipitation falls from 1100 to 1700 m per year, mainly during the rainy season from October to March. In the mountains of the Kivu and Shaba (formerly Katanga) regions, the climate is cooler and drier.

Soils and natural vegetation.

The best soils are found in the floodplains of the middle reaches of the Congo River, where silt accumulates. Approximately 64.7 thousand square meters. km in the equatorial part of the Congo basin is occupied by a tropical rainforest with tall trees and a closed canopy. To the north and south, it gives way to park savanna woodlands, and in the Kivu region in the east of the country, pure grasslands are found in places.

The natural vegetation of the country is very diverse. Many valuable tree species are found in the forests, in particular, mahogany and ebony, as well as palm trees and rubber trees. Bananas, cotton and coffee trees grow wild. In the southeast of the Shaba (Katanga) region, there is an extensive belt of light forests. One of the most important sources of commercial timber is the Mayumbe forest with an area of ​​5.2 thousand square meters. km off the Atlantic coast, but in principle, it is believed that almost half of the country's territory is covered by plantations suitable for exploitation.

Animal world.

The fauna of the DRC is rich and varied. Elephants, chimpanzees and other primates, lions, leopards, jackals and many different snakes are found in forests and woodlands. The rivers abound with crocodiles and hippos, and the savannah abounds with African buffaloes, antelopes and other herbivorous ungulates. There are several national parks in the DRC, of ​​which the most important is Virunga around Lake. Edward. Birds include endemic storks, parrots, ibis, terns and herons. Among insects, pathogens of diseases of people and livestock are abundant - malarial mosquitoes and tsetse flies. The lakes are rich in many kinds of fish.

POPULATION

Demography.

Population estimates, like most of the available statistics for the Congo, are unreliable. Accurate estimates are difficult to make because domestically, rural residents migrate to cities, and refugees periodically migrate from a number of neighboring countries - Angola, Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan, who sooner or later return. According to official censuses, the population in 1970 was 21,638 thousand people, in 1974 - 24,327 thousand, and in 1984 - 29,671 thousand. According to the most accurate independent estimates, 56.6 million people lived in the country in 2003.

The annual population growth in 2003 was approximately 2.9% and was mainly due to natural increase, since the birth rate significantly exceeds the death rate. In 2003, the birth rate was 45.12 per 1,000 people and the death rate was 14.87 per 1,000. Most experts believe that the real death rate was higher due to the decline of the economy and the medical sector, but its true extent is unknown. The highest population growth rates were observed in the south of the country and in the cities. In the rural areas of the north, the demographic situation was relatively stable. Despite rapid urbanization, approximately 55% of Congolese remained rural in the mid-1990s. Average life expectancy in 2003 was estimated at 46.83 years for men and 51.09 years for women.

Ethnic composition, language and religion.

Pygmies, the inhabitants of Central Africa, were the indigenous population of the territory of modern DRC. Currently, there are few of them left and they live only in remote forest areas. The ancestors of the peoples who now make up the bulk of the population of the DRC settled here in the 2nd-1st millennium BC. during numerous migrations. There are approximately 250 peoples and ethnic groups in the country, the vast majority of which speak Bantu languages. Among the most numerous and best studied ethnic groups are the Bakongo in the west of the country, the Mongo in the center of the Congo River basin, the Baluba in the south and in the center of the eastern part of the country, the Lunda in the south, the Bashi near Lake. Kivu and Azande in the northeast.

The regional languages ​​of interethnic communication are Kikongo in the west, Chiluba in the south of the central part of the country, Swahili in the east and Lingala in the north and in the center of the Congo basin. The most widely spoken African language in the DRC is Lingala. It is spoken in Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the capital of the neighboring Republic of the Congo. It was Lingala that was the only African language that was used as a means of communication in the armed forces from colonial times until the overthrow of Mobutu. Most folk songs are sung in Lingala. The official language is French, which is used in government and educational institutions, in the armed forces and in business life.

About 90% of the population are Christians. Approximately 60% of them are Catholics, the rest are Protestants, Kimbangists (supporters of the Christian-African Church) and a small number of Orthodox Christians. The number of Muslims living mainly in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country is approx. 2 million people.

Cities.

Since the 1950s, the DRC has been urbanizing at an impressive pace. In 1940, only 47 thousand people lived in the capital of the country, Kinshasa, by 1957 - 380 thousand, and by 1991 - about 4 million. According to recent estimates, the population of the capital is from 5 to 6 million people. The economic and political crises had a significant impact on the demographic situation in other large cities as well. The population has declined in areas where ethnic cleansing has taken place, such as in the three important mining centers of the Copper Belt - Lubumbashi, Kolwezi and Likasi. The cities of Mbuji Mayi, Kananga, Kisangani, Goma and Bukavu, where displaced persons have taken refuge, have increased in population. Despite the process of job cuts in cities that began in 1991, their population continues to grow. In the absence of reliable statistics, the approximate population of the country's regional centers in the late 1990s was estimated as follows: Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi and Kisangani - approx. 1 million people each, Kananga, Goma and Bukavu - 0.5 million people each, Kolwezi and Likasi - a quarter of a million people each. Other large administrative and business centers with a population of at least 100 thousand people are Mbandaka, Bandundu, Matadi and Boma. Mbuji-Mayi is the center of diamond mining in the Kasai East, Kikwit area of ​​palm oil processing. The main seaport is Matadi, located upstream near the mouth of the Congo River. Minor volumes of cargo are handled at the port of Boma, upstream of the Congo. It is planned to build a deep-water port in the town of Banana located on the Atlantic coast.

During the colonial period, the Belgian administration controlled internal migration, limiting the influx of people into the cities. After the declaration of independence, these restrictions were lifted, and a mass of people, mostly rural youth, rushed to the cities. The spontaneous growth of cities has led to the fact that around the center of every large city, where administrative buildings, shopping centers and capital houses built by the state or private companies, huge slum areas have appeared. One of the biggest problems in Congolese cities is unemployment.

GOVERNMENT AND POLICY

From 1965 to 1990, there was a strong centralized presidential regime in the Congo. President Mobutu has concentrated enormous power in his hands. Mobutu came to power after a period of 1960-1985 when the country was engulfed in chaos and separatism and a weak federal government was unable to restore order. The corruption of the state apparatus and the long rule of Mobutu led to the breakdown of domestic political stability in the late 1980s and massive demands for political reforms. In 1990–1996, the country's political leaders engaged in long and difficult negotiations on the democratization of the political system. In October 1996 war broke out, Mobutu's dictatorship fell, and in May 1997 a new regime came to power led by Laurent Kabila. In August 1997, another group of rebels, backed by Rwanda and Uganda, resumed hostilities. The armed opposition announced that it intends to remove President Kabila and establish a democratic regime in the country.

The traditions of strong centralized power in the Congo developed during the colonial period, but after the declaration of independence, the authoritarian regime could no longer ensure the high rates of socio-economic development of the country. Under the conditions of a one-party system, when power relations were built on the principle of "patron-client", most of the state resources became the personal property of the autocratic ruler and his inner circle.

Federal authorities.

In 1965-1990, the Congo was ruled by an authoritarian regime, and all executive power was in the hands of the president. In the presidential elections held every seven years, Mobutu was elected on a non-alternative basis. The unicameral parliament, composed of loyal members of the ruling party, approved the budget and passed the necessary laws.

In 1990, attempts to reform the political system from above intensified in order to create more efficient and corruption-free governments during the transition period. It was assumed that presidential powers would be limited, and the activities of the executive would be under the control of parliament, an independent judiciary and a free press. Mobutu and his entourage in every possible way prevented the process of democratization, which completely stalled after Kabila came to power, banning the activities of political parties.

Regional and local authorities.

The 1967 constitution abolished the federal structure of the Congolese state, declared in the constitutions of 1960 and 1964, and restored the centralized structure of regional and local government. According to the 1967 constitution, governors of regions, heads of administration of districts and smaller territorial units appointed by the central government. The number of regions was reduced from 21 to 8, and later increased to 10. In addition, the capital of the country, Kinshasa, received the status of a region. Currently, in territorial and administrative terms, the country is divided into the following regions: Bandundu (administrative center of Bandundu), Lower Congo (Matadi), Equatorial (Mbandaka), Upper Congo (Kisangani), Western Kasai (Kananga), Eastern Kasai (Mbuji-Mayi ), Katanga (Lubumbashi), Maniema (Kindu), North Kivu (Goma) and South Kivu (Bukavu). Further, the territory of the regions was subdivided into 24 districts and 134 rural districts or territories. At the grassroots level, power was exercised by chiefs and elders who were appointed by the government based on their traditional status in the local community.

In 1992, the Assembly for Political and Constitutional Reforms, known as the Supreme National Conference, approved a course towards federalization of the state system.

Major political organizations.

In 1967-1990, the ruling and the only legal political organization was the Popular Movement of the Revolution (PDR) party headed by President Mobutu. Trade unions, women's and youth organizations were built on a national basis and worked within the framework of the NDR. With the introduction of a multi-party system in 1990, the monopoly of the Mobutu party in the political life of the country was put an end to, which was the culmination of a decade-long opposition struggle for multi-party democracy. The opposition declared itself in 1980, and in 1982 created the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (SDSP) party. Since 1990, hundreds of political parties have emerged and public organizations, which have become integral part democratic movement.

During the transitional period of 1990-1997, almost all political organizations in the country were divided into two main camps. The former supported President Mobutu and advocated maintaining the status quo. He was represented by the Conclave Political Forces, named after the assembly that pro-presidential forces held in March 1993 to rebuff democratic elements. Supporters of the second camp united around an organization called the Holy Alliance of the Radical Opposition and its allies, which advocated for fundamental changes and declared commitment to the decisions of the National Conference. In May 1997, President Kabila banned the activities of these political groups and all parties in general. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo, a coalition of four opposition groups created in October 1996 to fight the Mobutu regime, became the country's only legal political organization.

Judicial and legal system.

Justice in the DRC is administered under both common law, "written law" and customary law. The state judicial system, where the rules of common law are applied, is built on the same principles as the Belgian one. At the grassroots level, mainly in rural areas, there are courts of chiefs, which are guided by customary law. Their jurisdiction is limited to the resolution of disputes of a local nature.

Foreign policy.

The DRC is a member of the UN, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the African Development Bank, the Southern African Development Community and other international organizations, and maintains diplomatic relations with most countries of the world.

Military establishment.

Since Mobutu seized power in a military coup in 1965, the mainstay of his regime has been the Congolese military. According to leaked funds in 1993 mass media statistics, approx. 90% of the officers were countrymen of the president, natives of the Equatoria region, about half of the generals belonged to the same small ethnic group as Mobutu - ngbandi. The president's compatriots dominated the elite military units, which accounted for about a quarter of the size of the armed forces - the 15,000-strong presidential guard, service military intelligence, security agencies, immigration, paramilitary police forces. On the whole, the 60,000 men and women who served in regular gendarmerie units, ground forces, airborne and mechanized units, in small and poorly equipped aviation, as well as in parts of the coast guard, were poorly trained, lived in poor conditions and received meager salaries. The army existed due to extortion and banditry, soldiers often terrorized and robbed civilians. As a result of mass robberies and atrocities committed by military personnel in Kinshasa and other cities in 1991 and 1993, many modern shopping centers were destroyed. All this contributed to the disintegration of the national armed forces as a fighting force and an instrument for maintaining law and order. The Congolese army failed to resist the armed rebels who overthrew Mobutu and brought the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo to power.

The Alliance did not have its own army, except for 4-5 thousand Congolese who served in the auxiliary units of the Angolan army, who returned to their homeland to help Kabila, and thousands of teenagers (kadogo), whom Kabila put under arms during the seven-month march from Goma to Kinshasa. It was the units of the Angolan national army and the Congolese who served in them that won three decisive battles: they defeated Serb and Croatian mercenaries at Kisangani, defeated the presidential guard at Lubumbashi and the detachments of the Angolan rebel Jonas Savimbi at Kenga. Under the command of Rwandan officers, other military operations were carried out: the destruction of Hutu refugee camps, which were used by Hutu extremists to continue the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, and the capture of the main cities and administrative centers of the Congo. Until July 1998, the post of chief of staff of the Congolese armed forces was held by Rwandan citizen James Kabaret.

By the end of 1998, the DRC was left without a national army. The so-called official army, the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) was somehow formed from the remnants of the Mobuto army, soldiers of the auxiliary units of the Angolan army, known as the Katangese gendarmes or "tigers", as well as kadogo. Not surprisingly, this fragmented, ill-trained and undisciplined army was unable to resist the army of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, formed from defectors from the FAC, including members of the former Mobuto army, and Congolese Tutsis who received military training in Uganda and Rwanda. In addition to the two armies mentioned, several other police units were operating in the northeastern regions of the country.

ECONOMY

The DRC, whose subsoil is rich in minerals, has the most powerful economic potential among the countries of Tropical Africa. The country has significant energy resources - hydropower, oil and natural gas, which began to be developed only in recent years. The DRC ranks first in the world in the production of industrial diamonds and cobalt and is one of the world's leading copper producers. The DRC's economy is diversified, although exports are dominated by mining products. Agriculture still provides the livelihood for the vast majority of the population, but the role of industry is steadily increasing. The main industrial centers are the Kinshasa-Matadi corridor, the Katanga copper mining area, and East Kasai, a diamond mining center. During the colonial period, Belgian-owned companies monopolized the mining industry, as well as the most important branches of agricultural and industrial production. The authorities of the independent Congo restricted the activities of foreign corporations. In 1974 the government expropriated small and medium-sized foreign enterprises and plantations.

The collapse of the authorities and internal strife that followed the declaration of independence seriously undermined the economy. In a hurry, the most qualified civil servants, managers and technical specialists (mainly Belgians) left the country. The costs of fighting the separatists, the inability to collect taxes in many parts of the country, and the secession of Katanga brought the central government to the brink of bankruptcy. The volume of production in most sectors of the economy dropped sharply. Since 1966, the process of improving the economy began. The army was able to restore order in most of the rural areas. In 1967 the government carried out a series of economic reforms that promoted the development of trade and investment. In addition to the introduction of a new and more stable currency, the zaire, the country's authorities loosened control over import operations and lifted the restrictions imposed back in 1960 on the export of profits by foreign companies abroad.

In the mid-1970s, the country again entered a period of economic crisis, which continued into the 1990s. Since export earnings only partly covered the significant costs of imports, the government made large foreign loans. The growth of export earnings was constrained by low world prices for the main export products - copper, cobalt, coffee and diamonds. required financial help foreign banks and international organizations to service external debt. By 1997, it amounted to 13.8 billion dollars. Since agricultural production did not meet the needs of the population, the government was forced to spend foreign exchange reserves on food imports. The economic difficulties were exacerbated by the deplorable state of infrastructure, especially vehicles. Annual budgets were reduced to a significant deficit, which, coupled with other economic problems, gave rise to a high level of inflation.

The protracted political crisis of the 1990s - the aborted transition to democracy and the wars of 1996 and 1998 - led to a further deterioration of the economic situation, the collapse of the mining industry, trade, banking and services.

Gross domestic product.

In 1991, the GDP of the Congo was estimated at 133 trillion. Zaire, which was approximately equal to 8.5 billion dollars, or 233 dollars per capita. The share of agricultural production focused on the domestic market amounted to approximately 30% of GDP, industry - 30%. The rest of the GDP was produced in trade and services. In 1995, GDP was estimated at $16.5 billion, or approx. $400 per capita. The structure of GDP was as follows: agriculture - 59%, industry - 15%, services - 26%.

Agriculture.

Cultivated land is approx. 3%, meadows and pastures - 6% of the country's area. In agriculture, two types of agricultural production coexist. Small peasant farms employing approx. 60% of the economically active population produce products for their own needs and for sale in the domestic market. Until now, such farms use the traditional system of shifting farming. Chemical fertilizers and modern technology are almost never used. The main food crops are cassava, bananas, corn, rice, legumes, sweet potatoes and peanuts. Farmers grow cotton, coffee and sugar cane for sale, and surplus food crops are sold in local markets.

The production of export agricultural products is concentrated mainly in plantations. Large companies specialize in the production of oil palm products, rubber, coffee and cocoa. Most palm oil and nuts are produced on plantations located in the Congo Basin in the southwest of the country. Arabica coffee is grown on highland plantations in the east, Robusta coffee is grown in the Congo basin. The plantations produce most of the tea, rubber, sugarcane and cocoa.

Due to the tsetse fly, a carrier of sleeping sickness in humans and nagant disease in domestic animals, the livestock area is limited. Grow large cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry.

Forestry and fisheries.

About 75% of the territory of the Congo is covered with forests. Valuable wood (teak and ebony) is exported, the rest is used as fastening material in mines and as fuel. Fish is an important source of protein in the diet of the population.

Mining industry and metallurgy.

Mining in Katanga was carried out as early as the 10th century. Europeans began to develop the bowels of the Congo in the first decade of the 20th century. By the end of the colonial period, European companies controlled almost the entire mining industry. The most powerful of them was the Belgian Societe Generale, which, through its subsidiary Union Minier du Haut Katanga (UMOK), owned on a concession basis an area of ​​33.7 thousand sq. km, where the richest mineral deposits were concentrated On December 31, 1966, the government nationalized the property of UMOC. To control the mining, smelting and sale of copper and other minerals, the state mining corporation JEKAMIN was created. The contradictions that arose in Societe Generale were resolved in early 1967, when the government transferred part of the copper mining to running its subsidiary.

After independence, the Congo's economy became increasingly dependent on the mining industry. Copper is the main source of export earnings, followed by cobalt, diamonds, cassiterite (tin ore) and zinc. Copper production, which is the basis of the country's economy, is carried out in the Katanga region. Lead, coal, manganese, zinc and cobalt are also mined there. The DRC is the largest supplier of cobalt to the world market. In the area, which occupies the territory from the northern border of Katanga to the northern part of the Kivu, deposits of gold, tungsten and tantalum are being developed. Kasai ranks first in the world in the production of industrial diamonds, gem diamonds are also mined there. A large-scale illegal mining of diamonds has been established, which are smuggled out of the country abroad. Gold is mined in the northwest of the country. In 1975, the development of oil fields on the coastal shelf began.

Large mining and processing and metallurgical complexes have been created in the areas of mining. The largest centers of metallurgy are Likasi and Kolwezi in Katanga. copper ore converted into a concentrate from which copper is smelted. Most of the zinc ore is processed into sheet zinc, and part of the cassiterite is smelted into tin ingots.

The political crisis of the 1990s adversely affected the development of the mining and metallurgical industries. Annual copper production fell by 90%, and much of the gold and diamonds were mined by artisanal miners who preferred to work on the black market.

Manufacturing industry.

Although the first manufacturing enterprises were established in the Congo during the First World War, its development was artificially restrained until the outbreak of the Second World War. The shortage of consumer goods during the war period stimulated the growth of local light industry, which continued after independence. However, since the mid-1970s, the output of many types of manufacturing products has been declining or not increasing annually. Moreover, in the early 1980s production capacity many enterprises operated by only 30%. This situation has developed due to restrictions on foreign exchange transactions, which prevented the purchase of imported spare parts for worn-out equipment, insufficient supplies of industrial raw materials and the reluctance of investors to load industrial enterprises at full capacity amid an uncertain economic situation.

After a wave of looting by military personnel that swept the country in 1991 and 1993, there was a further drop in production, the state of the manufacturing industry worsened after each political crisis. During the period of independence, the output of consumer goods, in particular clothing and food products, grew at the highest rates, which was explained by the growing needs of the ever-increasing urban population and the lack of similar imported products. Enterprises for the production of consumer goods are concentrated mainly in the Kinshasa region, the main industrial center of the country. Mining, chemical and metallurgical enterprises are concentrated in the mining regions of Katanga. Palm oil presses and small food processing plants are found throughout the country.

Transport and energy.

The main obstacle to the development of mining and other industries is the underdevelopment of the transport system and the lack of energy capacity. The basis of the transport network of the DRC is the routes for the export of export products along rivers and railways. The length of almost all auto- and railways is small; they generally link waterways to export production areas. In the early 1990s, most of the roads were in need of repair. Traffic jams are a common occurrence along the river. Congo between Kinshasa and the seaport of Matadi. Since this section of the river is not navigable because of the rapids, significant efforts and resources are required to transship cargo from barges to railway cars. The railway connects Katanga with the foreign seaports of Lobito and Benguela (Angola), Beira (Mozambique), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town (South Africa). In 1990, the length of the operating railways was approx. 5.1 thousand km. Due to the poor condition of the railroad tracks, accidents became more frequent in the 1990s.

The length of the waterways is approx. 14.5 thousand km, roads (mainly unpaved) - approx. 145 thousand km. Domestic air transportation plays an important role. International airports are located in the cities of Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kisangani. The DRC has a powerful hydropower potential, estimated at 1 billion kWh. However, in 1990 only 4.9 million kWh of electricity was produced.

International trade.

The DRC is an exporter of mining and agricultural products. The main export item is copper, the sale of which brought the country in 1990 almost half of its export earnings. Cobalt, diamonds, zinc and cassiterite occupy an important place in the list of export commodities. As a rule, the share of minerals in exports is approx. 80%. Other exports are coffee, oil palm products, rubber and timber. Machines, vehicles, foodstuffs, products of the textile and chemical industries, metal and metal products are imported.

The value of exports usually far exceeds the value of imports. In 1990, for example, exports generated $2.14 billion and imports cost $1.54 billion. balance of payments deficit. Belgium remains the main foreign trade partner, accounting for over a third of exports. Other major foreign trade partners are the USA, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Finance and banking.

For the purpose of issuing local currency, regulating cash flows and implementing credit policy, the Central Bank was established in 1964. In the 1960s, the franc was repeatedly devalued, and in 1967 a new monetary unit, the zaire, was introduced into circulation. In 1992 the country's financial system collapsed, and in 1998 the zaire was replaced by the new Congolese franc.

The state budget.

In the period 1960-1990, the state budget was reduced to a deficit. Since 1967, the budget deficit has assumed alarming proportions. Typically, annual deficits were covered by loans from the Central Bank, which was one of the factors of strong inflation. The main source of government revenue was taxes on foreign trade transactions, as well as export duties on mining products, import duties, taxes on personal income and corporate income.

Under President Mobutu and Prime Minister Leon Kengo Wa Dondo (1982-1986, 1988-1990 and 1994-1997), the practice of concealing the true position of public finances has developed when real costs significantly differed from the declared indicators. Thus, the published data on some items of the expenditure side of the 1989 budget looked as follows: public debt service - approx. 29%, education - 7%, national defense - 8% and expenses for the maintenance of the president and his staff - 15%. In fact, almost half of the expenditure part of the budget was spent on the needs of the president. Most of the development programs were financed by foreign loans and subsidies. In 1989 the development budget was approx. 10% of all government spending. After the cessation of foreign economic aid in 1990, this item of expenditure disappeared from the state budget.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

General characteristics.

The peoples of 250 language groups live in the country. For many centuries, the peoples of the north of the Congo savannah zone maintained ties with the population of the state formations of the interior regions of West Africa and the Nile region. The kingdom of Kongo, located in the west, was still in the late 15th - early 16th centuries. established relations with Portugal and the Vatican. Throughout the 19th century relations between the peoples of the eastern part of the country and the population of the coast of East Africa developed, and shortly before the arrival of Europeans in the Maniema region, west of Lake. Tanganyika began to emerge Arab-Swahili trading state formations. In the 19th century the peoples of the southern regions were under military pressure from the South African Ngoni people.

social structure.

Although migration processes between the city and the countryside continue, social structure rural society differs significantly from urban. During the colonial period, the Congolese middle class consisted almost entirely of whites. There were few opportunities for Africans to receive higher or secondary specialized education, so most of the leadership positions in the state apparatus and companies were occupied by Europeans. After independence, Africans assumed the highest administrative positions, and companies that continued to be under foreign control for some time were ordered to recruit Africans for their management. Since 1960, an African middle class began to form in the Congo. There are quite a lot of African entrepreneurs in the country, but the process of formation of the African bourgeoisie is proceeding at a slower pace.

A significant number of hired workers formed in the mining industry, plantations, transport and light industry enterprises. After independence, the country had large group underemployed or fully unemployed people, consisting mainly of young people. They live by odd jobs, street vendors or thanks to the help of relatives with permanent jobs. The vast majority of Congolese farmers own small plots where they grow food crops, as well as cash crops, if they can be sold at a profit.

In some areas, located mainly in the eastern part of the country, the influence of traditional social structures remains.

Religion and religious institutions.

During the colonial period, Christian missionaries carried out active work among the local population; by 1960 their number in the Congo had reached 10,000. The Catholic missions, which were led by the Belgians, enjoyed special patronage from the colonial administration. Churches and missions became educational centers for Africans, where they began to be promoted to leadership positions long before such a practice took root in administrative bodies and foreign companies. Through the religious and educational activities of the missions, the vast majority of the Congolese were converted to Christianity.

An important role was played by the third largest Christian community, the independent African church, whose head Simon Kimbangu became in 1921. In his teaching, S. Kimbangu combined the ideas of Protestantism and African traditional beliefs. The Belgian authorities felt that Kimbang's sermons about the chosenness of Africans by God posed a threat to European dominance in the Congo. S. Kimbangu, like many of his followers, was placed in prison, where he died after 30 years in prison. Nevertheless, there were more and more supporters of Kimbangism, and in 1959 Kimbangism was recognized as the official religion. In 1969, The Church of Jesus Christ on Earth, founded by Simon Kimbangu, became a member of the World Council of Churches, headquartered in Geneva.

The fourth and smallest Christian community in the Congo are adherents of the Orthodox Church, constituting less than 1% of Congolese Christians. Although the Orthodox faith was brought to the Congo by Greek traders, whose churches remained exclusively Greek even after independence, a significant number of Congolese converted to Orthodoxy, resulting in the emergence of another influential religious community in the country.

One of the fastest growing religious communities Muslims in the Congo. From the places of its traditional influence in the east and northeast of the country, Islam is spreading throughout its territory. Islam entered the Congo in the middle of the 19th century. with Arab-Swahili slave and ivory traders from Zanzibar and the coast of East Africa. Muslim Congolese are easily identified by the white long robes common among the Islamized population of the coast of East Africa.

Organizations and social movements.

After World War II, various African organizations sprang up in Congolese cities; college alumni associations, intellectual leisure clubs, ethnic associations and labor unions.

Until 1967, the trade union movement was split into three large organizations, which was the result of conflicts between the Catholic and socialist trade unions in Belgium, as well as the personal ambitions of trade union leaders. In 1967, under the one-party regime, all trade unions were united into one. Independent trade unions revived after the abolition of the one-party system in 1990.

The most stubborn resistance to establishing control of the ruling party over their organization came from students. After a series of serious conflicts with the regime, the student movement was incorporated into the youth organization of the ruling party. After 1990 students, like others social groups received the right to participate in any lawful social and political activity.

Education.

The first schools appeared in the Congo at the end of the 19th century. After completing the primary school course, Africans had the opportunity to continue their education only in Catholic seminaries.

After the war, the colonial administration began to assist Christian missions in expanding the school system. In 1948, government subsidies were first given to Protestant missions. The focus was on increasing the number primary schools. After 1960 this problem was at the center of attention of all governments. In the early 1970s, spending on education exceeded 25% of the state budget. The economic crisis of the 1980s and 1990s had a detrimental effect on the entire education system. In order to survive in the face of a shortage of funds to pay teachers, purchase everything necessary for the educational process and repair school buildings, educators are forced to turn to the parents of students for help. High school diplomas are issued to graduates on behalf of the government after passing state exams. Students in remote areas lacking teachers and teaching aids are poorly prepared to take these exams. Due to the hardships of rural life, teachers with university degrees prefer to work in urban schools.

In 1954 the Belgians created a Catholic university in Leopoldville (modern Kinshasa), and in 1955 a state university in Elisabethville (modern Lubumbashi). After 1960, a number of new higher educational institutions appeared in the Congo. Thus, in 1963, a Protestant university was opened in Stanleyville (modern Kisangani), and the doors of medical, agricultural, technical, trade, and other universities were opened in various cities of the country. In 1971, all three universities were merged into one - National University Zaire, but in 1981 each of them was returned the status of an independent educational institution.

STORY

Before the establishment of colonial rule, a number of state entities existed in the south, west and east of the modern DRC, some of them were quite large in territory and population. With the exception of the northern and northeastern outskirts, the entire population of the country spoke Bantu languages. The kingdoms of the Congo, Cuba, Luba and Lund left the greatest mark on history.

In 1484, when Portuguese navigators reached the mouth of the Congo River, the first contacts were established between Europeans and the local population. Because of the rapids, the Portuguese were unable to climb more than 160 km up the river. Europe really learned about the Congo thanks to the geographical research of Henry Stanley and other European travelers of the late 19th century. G. Stanley's attempt to interest the British authorities in the results of his discoveries ended in failure, and then he turned to the King of Belgium, Leopold II, in whom he found an interested ally. The Belgian monarch played a subtle diplomatic game and managed to get the participants of the Berlin Conference of European Powers of 1885 to agree to the transfer to his personal possession of the "Independent State of the Congo", the territory of which was 80 times the territory of Belgium. The reign of Leopold II was marked by cruelty towards the local population, and on the wave of mass protests, the first human rights movement appeared - the organization "For Reforms in the Congo". In 1908, the Belgian king signed a decree on the transformation of the "Independent State of the Congo" into a colony of Belgium, called the Belgian Congo.

For the next 40 years, the Congo was ruled by a kind of triumvirate of the colonial administration, the Catholic Church, and mining and agricultural companies. Until the mid-1950s, Belgium managed to isolate the Congo from the rest of Africa, but starting from the second half of the 1950s, the Congolese began to receive more and more information about the liberation movements in neighboring countries. Despite the persecution of the colonial authorities, political parties and organizations began to be created one after another in the Congo. The Belgians allowed the creation of elected municipal councils in several cities, but political parties were allowed only after riots in January 1959 in Leopoldville (modern Kinshasa).

The January events undermined the confidence in the Belgians, and the colonial administration began to surrender one position after another. However, the concessions turned out to be belated, and it was possible to establish relations with the Congolese political organizations only after the promise of official Brussels to grant the Congo full independence on June 30, 1960.

The most influential party was the National Movement of the Congo (MNC), which was created in October 1958 by young educated Congolese representing various ethnic groups and regions. Led by Patrice Lumumba, the NDK aspired to become a nationwide organization. Although the people of the Eastern Province and the areas where the Kongo language was spoken were the most supportive of the NDC, before independence it managed to extend its influence to a number of other areas. Lumumba's dynamic and radical party especially impressed the Congolese youth. In 1959, the party was weakened when some of the most educated party leaders left it, in particular Cyril Adula and Joseph Ileo, the future prime ministers of the country. Another consequence of the split was the creation by Albert Kalonji, leader of the Kasai, a rival party of the same name, the National Movement of the Congo - Kalonji (MNK - K). Unlike the National Movement of the Congo - Lumumba (MNC - L), which enjoyed the support of different ethnic groups, the MNC - K relied on the Baluba living in the province of Kasai.

Another political organization enjoyed national support, the National Progress Party (PNP), a coalition of conservative politicians and leaders, which was created with the support of the Belgians. This party was characterized by moderation and pro-Belgian sentiment, its leader was Paul Beaulia. The witty Congolese deciphered the French abbreviation of the name of the party (PNP) as follows: "parti des négres payés", i.e. "Party of Bribed Negroes".

Other influential political parties were spokesmen for local or ethnic interests. The Union of the Bakongo People (ABAKO) was established in 1950 as a cultural and educational organization for the Bakongo. In 1956–1959 it transformed into a political party led by Joseph Kasavubu. With solid support in the province of Bas-Congo and Leopoldville, ABAKO carried out political work mainly among the Bakongo and repeatedly advocated the creation of an independent state of the Bakongo people within the borders of the medieval public education Congo. Nevertheless, the leaders of the party agreed to enter into the first government of the independent Republic of the Congo. The Party of African Solidarity (APS), created in 1958, united in its ranks the various ethnic groups of the population of the Kwilu and Kwango districts of Leopoldville province and carried on active work among the workers of Leopoldville who came from these districts. PAS leaders Antoine Gizenga and Cleofas Kamitatu managed to create a party that was distinguished by radicalism and good organization. In order to defend the interests of Katanga, with the support of European settlers, the Confederation of Associations of Katanga (CONAKAT) was created in 1958. Initially, this party united in its ranks representatives of all the main ethnic groups of Katanga, but in November 1959 the balubs of the northern regions left it, who then formed their own political organization on an ethnic basis - the Katanga Balub Association (BALUBAKAT). CONAKAT was not a mass party, its supporters were united by the common interests of the African elite of Katanga and the Europeans living there. CONAKAT was led by Moise Tshombe and Godefroy Munongo.

In the parliamentary elections held in May 1960, Lumumba's party won 33 out of 137 seats in the House of Representatives, and its allies won 8 more seats. The NDK-L faction included representatives of five provinces of the country. The PPP was represented in Parliament by 14 deputies from three provinces. 13 seats were won by PAS candidates and 12 by ABACO, all in Leopoldville constituencies. NDK-K received 8 deputy mandates from Kasai province. Candidates CONAKAT and BALUBAKAT each won 8 seats from the province of Katanga. The rest of the seats in the House of Representatives were divided by small parties and independent candidates.

In a situation where none of the parties or coalitions secured a majority, the only logical step was to form a government headed by representatives of the NDK-L and its allies. A coalition government was formed, P. Lumumba became prime minister. The provisional constitution, largely based on the Belgian constitution, provided for the division of executive power between the president and the prime minister, with the former given mostly ceremonial functions. The president and prime minister were elected by parliament. In accordance with the compromise reached, the post of head of state was taken by the leader of the ABAKO party, J.Kasavubu. In each of the six provinces, elected legislatures elected provincial presidents and members of provincial governments. The latter, in most cases, like the central government, were very fragile coalitions.

Just five days after independence, the country plunged into chaos when Congolese soldiers stationed in the province of Bas-Congo mutinied against Belgian officers. The unrest spread to other provinces, and in the current situation, most of the Belgian officials left the country. July 10, 1960 Belgium sent its troops into the Congo. The next day, Moise Tshombe, with the support of white settlers, declared the province of Katanga an independent state. A month later, Albert Kalonji proclaimed the independence of the South Kasai Mining State.

Faced with the threat of disintegration of the country, J.Kasavubu and P.Lumumba accused Belgium of aggression against an independent state and appealed to the UN Security Council for help. The UN responded to this request by sending peacekeeping forces under its own flag to the Congo, consisting mainly of military contingents of African and Asian countries. Their task was to restore order and create conditions for the withdrawal of Belgian troops.

At the first stage, the UN operation was successful, but then disagreements arose between the government of the Congo and UN officials about the nature of the measures against Katanga, where the separatist movement was intensifying with the direct support of Belgium. The Congolese side insisted on the forceful suppression of separatism, and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld argued that the UN had no right to resort to military force. Realizing that the problem of Katanga must be solved at any cost, Patrice Lumumba asked the USSR for military assistance. The West used this circumstance to accuse Lumumba of pro-communist sympathies, which led to a drop in his prestige both inside and outside the country.

On September 5, 1960, acting with the support of Western countries, President J. Kasavubu removed P. Lumumba from power and appointed a new prime minister, who did not receive the support of the majority of parliamentarians. This further exacerbated the situation, and a week later, the chief of staff of the Congolese army, Colonel Joseph Mobutu, announced that he would “neutralize” all politicians and take power into his own hands. When there were signs that the Mobutu regime had strengthened its positions, P. Lumumba's supporters decided to move from Leopoldville to the administrative center of the Eastern Province of Stanleyville (modern Kisangani) and form another central government there. When P. Lumumba himself secretly left Leopoldville in November 1960 and headed for Stanleyville, he was tracked down and captured by Mobutu's soldiers.

By the beginning of 1961 there were four governments in the Congo: two national governments fighting each other, one in Stanleyville led by Mobutu, the second in Kisangani led by Gizenga, Lumumba's deputy prime minister, and two separatist governments, one led by Tshombe in Katanga, the second - from Kalonji in South Kasai. The situation in the Congo caused concern among the Western powers and the UN. Both in the Congo itself and outside it, the opinion was being strengthened that Lumumba was the only Congolese politician who was able to preserve the country's territorial integrity. The possibility of Lumumba's return to power frightened Washington and its Western allies, so the CIA continued to support the government in Leopoldville. By order of Mobutu, the arrested Lumumba was handed over to the ruler of Katanga Tshombe, who on January 17, 1961 ordered the elimination of the former leader of the country. In February 1961, the UN Security Council adopted a tough resolution that demanded the restoration of the power of the central government and the democratic regime in the Congo, as well as the termination foreign aid Katanga.

With the support of the UN and the Western powers, a compromise was reached in August 1961, according to which the authorities in Leopoldville and Stanleyville were to form one government headed by Prime Minister Cyril Adula. The leaders of Katanga resolutely refused to participate in its creation. In September and December 1961, armed clashes took place between UN forces and the Katangese army. Long negotiations between S. Adula and M. Tshombe did not bring results, and only military operation UN forces against the army of Tshombe in January 1963 put an end to the plans for the secession of Katanga.

Meanwhile, the government coalition, created from representatives of Leopoldville and Stanleyville, broke up, A. Gizenga was arrested. These events sparked massive protests. In order to preserve his regime, unpopular inside the country, but enjoying support from outside, Prime Minister S. Adula was forced to resort to harsh measures, including the dissolution of parliament. On August 3, 1963, Lumumba's supporters formed the National Liberation Council (NLC) in Leopoldville, which, for security reasons, soon moved to Brazzaville, the capital of the neighboring Republic of the Congo. In mid-1963, partisan detachments began to form in the province of Kwilu under the leadership of Lumumba's comrade-in-arms Pierre Mulele. In January 1964 they carried out armed attacks on government offices, buildings of Christian missions and companies. In April 1964 armed operations began near the eastern border. The rebel People's Liberation Army (NAO), operating in the northeast, defeated government troops in July-August and established complete control over the area. On September 5, 1964, a month after the capture of Stanleyville by the NAO, Christophe Gbenie announced the establishment of a revolutionary government there.

The humiliating defeats of the Congolese army from poorly armed partisan detachments predetermined the fate of the government of S. Adula. In July 1964 a new government was formed, headed by Moiz Tshombe. To strengthen the Congolese army, he called on several hundred white mercenaries and received military assistance from Belgium and the United States. In August, when trying to capture the city of Bukavu, the partisans suffered their first serious defeat. By the beginning of September, columns of the Congolese army led by mercenaries began to push the rebels.

On November 24, 1964, Belgian troops were dropped from US Air Force planes on Stanleyville. His task was to free the hostages from the United States and Belgium and support a detachment of government troops under the command of mercenaries who were supposed to free the city from the rebels. More than a thousand Congolese civilians and many hostages died during the operation. Over the next few weeks, partisan detachments in the east of the country were defeated. Separate groups of partisans continued to resist for many months, and in some areas for several more years.

The wave of indignation that swept the world in connection with the Belgian-American armed action in the Stanleyville area led to an increase in military assistance to the partisans. Throughout 1965 China carried out significant arms deliveries through Tanzania. Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara for several months was engaged in combat training for the army of Laurent-Desire Kabila in a mountainous area near Lake. Tanganyika. But help came too late and could no longer influence the outcome of the confrontation between the government in Leopoldville and Lumumba's supporters.

When the victory over the rebels was no longer in doubt, Tshombe created a nationwide political bloc, the Congolese National Agreement (CNC), and held parliamentary elections in May 1965. Despite the difficult situation, the parliamentary elections were well organized, and almost no one challenged their results. Two hostile blocs formed in the new parliament. The result of a sharp struggle between President J. Kasavubu and Prime Minister M. Tshombe was the decision of Kasavubu to appoint Evariste Kimba to the post of Prime Minister. Twice Kimba's candidacy was put forward for approval by the deputies of parliament, and both times he did not gain the required number of votes.

General Mobutu, commander-in-chief of the Congolese army, took advantage of this situation and seized power in the country on November 24, 1965. Mobutu abolished the parliamentary republic and transformed the Congo into a unitary state. Most Congolese supported these reforms. In 1967 a new constitution was adopted, according to which presidential rule was established in the country. In 1974, the text of the constitution was amended, and in 1978 it was replaced by a new constitution that provided for a significant expansion of presidential powers. Created in 1967, the ruling political party, the People's Revolutionary Movement (PDR), was declared the "supreme institution" of the country, which turned the Congo into a typical African state with a one-party system and an authoritarian regime.

In the early years of Mobutu's rule, his regime enjoyed some support from a population that was weary of the chaos of the early 1960s. The President banned political parties, restored the authority of the central government throughout the country, and reorganized the system of government. Maintaining close relations with Western countries, the government of Mobutu began in 1967 to implement a program for the Africanization of the economy and nationalized the giant Union Minier du Haut Katanga (UMOK) company. In the 1970 elections, the NDR, which had no rivals, won all the seats in parliament, and Mobutu was elected President on a non-alternative basis.In 1971, the Africanization campaign was extended to the sphere of culture.The country was renamed the Republic of Zaire (one of the local names of the Congo River, N "Zadi, was distorted in the 15th century by the Portuguese). As part of the same campaign, Christian personal names were replaced with African ones (in particular, Joseph Desire Mobutu became Mobutu Sese Seko), and an official ideological doctrine was adopted, which received the name "genuine Zairian nationalism."

Throughout the 1970s, Mobutu, while maintaining a generally pro-Western course, began to strengthen relations with China, which provided Zaire with economic and military assistance. During the civil war that unfolded after gaining independence in Angola, Zaire, together with the United States and South Africa, provided assistance to the FNLA and UNITA, who fought against the (MPLA), which enjoyed the support of the USSR. Civil War in Angola turned out for Zaire by closing the railway connection with the port city of Benguela, through which copper was exported from Katanga. In March 1977 and May 1978, exiled Katangese and other oppositionists invaded Katanga from Angola to overthrow Mobutu. Having received significant assistance from a number of Western powers, primarily from France, government troops with difficulty defeated Mobutu's opponents.

DR Congo at the end of the 20th century

The process of weakening the Mobutu regime began in the late 1970s. Its harbinger was the economic crisis of 1975, and then a series of humiliating defeats by the government army at the initial stage of hostilities in Katanga in 1977 and 1978. Attempts by the international community, primarily the United States, to convince the Mobutu government of the need to democratize the political system and stabilize the economy ended in failure. This could be partly explained by ill-conceived recommendations, partly by the reluctance of Mobutu and his corruption-ridden entourage to make any reforms.

Faced with the consequences of the "privatization" of the state by the president and his inner circle, the healthy forces of Congolese society have formed a new democratic movement aimed at restoring the rule of law and state institutions to the country. The main goal of the democratic movement created in 1980 was to eliminate the root causes of the economic crisis and social degradation, to solve the moral problem known as le mal zaïrois (French for "Zairian disease"). In 1990, the democratic forces managed to achieve the abolition of the one-party system. At the head of the democratic movement was a group of 13 MPs who demanded political reforms aimed at establishing a multi-party democracy. In 1982, this group created the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP) opposition party in an open challenge to the one-party state system. The first major action of the SDSP, led by Etienne Tshisekedi, was a demonstration on January 17, 1989 in Kinshasa, timed to coincide with the anniversary of Lumumba's assassination.

The democratic forces also achieved the convening of the Supreme National Conference. Held in Kinshasa between August 7 and December 6, 1992, the historic meeting of 2,842 delegates representing all sectors of Congolese society was a landmark event in the history of independent Congo. This forum adopted a clear legal and organizational scheme for a two-year transition to democracy, which included the introduction of a parliamentary form of government, the creation of a transitional legislature, a presidency with predominantly representative functions, and a prime minister who is the head of a transitional government of national unity. The main tasks of the government were to achieve economic recovery and support specialized institutions created for the successful implementation of the tasks of the transition period. The main such institution was the independent electoral commission, which was supposed to prepare, hold general elections and control the course of their conduct within two years.

By decision of the conference, the president was deprived of almost all powers of authority, but was left for a transitional period as a nominal head of state. 71% of the conference delegates who took part in the free elections approved the candidacy of Etienne Tshisekedi for the post of prime minister. However, in early 1993, in an effort to split the ranks of the opposition and maintain absolute power, Mobutu and his clique launched a fierce struggle against democratic forces, adopting the methods of state terrorism, ethnic cleansing and economic sabotage. In a situation where the armed forces prevented E. Tshisekedi and his ministers from leading the country, the absence of an active government and the collapse of the entire system of state administration led to a complete collapse of the economy and destabilization of the domestic political situation, which vividly resembled the chaos that swept the Congo in the early 1960s.

The failure of the non-violent transition to democracy coincided with the rampant genocide in Rwanda. Many Hutus convicted of crimes have taken refuge in the Congo - in the regions of North and South Kivu. Two years later, the Tutsi-led Rwandan government decided to destroy the Hutu bases in the Congo, which led to a seven-month war that ended in May 1997 with the overthrow of the Mobutu regime and the coming to power of the Kabila government. The country received official name Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1998, relations deteriorated between Kabila and his former allies Rwanda and Uganda. As important as the external causes of the 1996 and 1998 wars and their international consequences, for the Congolese, their most serious outcome is that the attempt to transition to democracy ended in failure, and the country is still in the deepest political and economic crisis.

Story Zaire in new and latest time. M., 1982
Republic of Zaire. Directory. M., 1984