ZAIRE                                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 2,345,410 km2; land area: 2,267,600 km2                             
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of US                 
                                                                                
Land boundaries: 10,271 km total; Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km,              
Central African Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan         
628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km                                          
                                                                                
Coastline: 37 km                                                                
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no              
longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of        
the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along       
the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands          
has been made)                                                                  
                                                                                
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler              
and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands;        
north of Equator--wet season April to October, dry season December to           
February; south of Equator--wet season November to March, dry season            
April to October                                                                
                                                                                
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in                
east                                                                            
                                                                                
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, crude oil, industrial               
and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium,       
radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential                           
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and                    
pastures 4%; forest and woodland 78%; other 15%; includes irrigated             
NEGL%                                                                           
                                                                                
Environment: dense tropical rainforest in central river basin and               
eastern highlands; periodic droughts in south                                   
                                                                                
Note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land is only outlet               
to South Atlantic Ocean                                                         
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 37,832,407 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)                     
                                                                                
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Zairian(s); adjective--Zairian                               
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are              
Bantu; four largest tribes--Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the             
Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population                   
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%,                  
Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%                   
                                                                                
Language: French (official), Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo,               
Tshiluba                                                                        
                                                                                
Literacy: 72% (male 84%, female 61%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1990 est.)                                                      
                                                                                
Labor force: 15,000,000; agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services                
12%; wage earners 13% (1981); population of working age 51% (1985)              
                                                                                
Organized labor: National Union of Zairian Workers (UNTZA) was                  
the only officially recognized trade union until April 1990; other unions       
are now in process of seeking official recognition                              
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Republic of Zaire                                               
                                                                                
Type: republic with a strong presidential system                                
                                                                                
Capital: Kinshasa                                                               
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions,                                  
singular--region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire,                     
Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*,              
Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu                                             
                                                                                
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium; formerly Belgian Congo,               
then Congo/Leopoldville, then Congo/Kinshasa)                                   
                                                                                
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15                     
February 1978; amended 1990; new constitution to be promulgated in              
1991                                                                            
                                                                                
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law;                 
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction                                    
                                                                                
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic),                  
24 November (1965)                                                              
                                                                                
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Executive Council                  
(cabinet)                                                                       
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Conseil                     
Legislatif)                                                                     
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)                                   
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa              
Za Banga (since 24 November 1965);                                              
                                                                                
Head of Government--Prime Minister Bernadin MUNGUL DIAKA                        
(since 23 October 1991)                                                         
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January                   
1991--Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include           
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI              
wa Mulumba;                                                                     
Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC),                                       
Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI);                       
and Congolese National Movement-Lumumba (MNC-L)                                 
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18                                    
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
President--last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held before                       
December 1991);                                                                 
results--President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition;                     
                                                                                
Legislative Council--last held 6 September 1987                                 
(next to be held in 1991, probably on a multiparty basis);                      
results--MPR was the only party;                                                
seats--(210 total) MPR 210; note--MPR still holds majority of seats             
but some deputies have joined other parties                                     
                                                                                
Communists: no Communist party                                                  
                                                                                
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, CIPEC, ECA,                 
FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,        
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,       
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO                             
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador TATANENE Manata;                          
Chancery at 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009;                  
telephone (202) 234-7690 or 7691;                                               
                                                                                
US--Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 310 Avenue des                      
Aviateurs, Kinshasa (mailing address is APO New York 09662); telephone          
 243  (12) 21532; there is a US Consulate General in Lubumbashi                 
                                                                                
Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black              
arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away       
from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia            
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: In 1990, in spite of large mineral resources and one                  
of the most developed and diversified economies in Sub-Saharan Africa,          
Zaire had a GDP per capita of only about $200, one of the lowest on the         
continent. The country's chronic economic problems worsened in 1990,            
with copper production down 20% to a 20-year low, inflation near                
250% compared with 100% in 1987-89, and IMF and most World Bank support         
suspended until the institution of agreed-on changes. Agriculture, a key        
sector of the economy, employs 75% of the population but generates              
under 25% of GDP. The main potential for economic development has been          
the extractive industries. Mining and mineral processing account for            
about one-third of GDP and two-thirds of total export earnings.                 
Zaire is the world's largest producer of diamonds.                              
                                                                                
GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate - 2% (1990                 
est.)                                                                           
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 242% (1990)                                   
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: NA%                                                          
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $685 million; expenditures $1.1 billion, does                  
not include capital expenditures mostly financed by donors (1990)               
                                                                                
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--copper 37%, coffee 24%, diamonds 12%, cobalt, crude                
oil;                                                                            
partners--US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa              
                                                                                
Imports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other                       
machinery, transport equipment, fuels;                                          
                                                                                
partners--South Africa, US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, Japan, UK              
                                                                                
External debt: $7.9 billion (December 1990 est.)                                
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate - 3.1%; accounts for 30%                     
of GDP (1988)                                                                   
                                                                                
Electricity: 2,575,000 kW capacity; 5,550 million kWh produced,                 
150 kWh per capita (1990)                                                       
                                                                                
Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products                       
(including textiles, footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and             
beverages, cement, diamonds                                                     
                                                                                
Agriculture: cash crops--coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food                
crops--cassava, bananas, root crops, corn                                       
                                                                                
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic                
consumption                                                                     
                                                                                
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1                   
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments          
(1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million;             
Communist countries (1970-89), $263 million                                     
                                                                                
Currency: zaire (plural--zaire); 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta                       
                                                                                
Exchange rates: zaire (Z) per US$1--2,113.55 (January 1991),                    
718.58 (1990), 381.445 (1989), 187.070 (1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625           
(1986), 49.873 (1985)                                                           
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Railroads: 5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067-meter gauge (851 km                   
electrified); 125 km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km 0.615-meter gauge;               
1,025 km 0.600-meter gauge                                                      
                                                                                
Highways: 146,500 km total; 2,550 km bituminous, 46,450 km gravel               
and improved earth; remainder unimproved earth                                  
                                                                                
Inland waterways: 15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries,               
and unconnected lakes                                                           
                                                                                
Pipelines: refined products 390 km                                              
                                                                                
Ports: Matadi, Boma, Banana                                                     
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,802                    
GRT/60,496 DWT; includes 1 passenger cargo, 3 cargo                             
                                                                                
Civil air: 38 major transport aircraft                                          
Airports: 308 total, 255 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways;             
1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;                      
71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                   
                                                                                
Telecommunications: barely adequate wire and radio relay service;               
31,200 telephones; stations--10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth                
stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic                                
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie,             
paramilitary Civil Guard                                                        
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 8,240,412; 4,192,991 fit for                
military service                                                                
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)                           
                                                                                
