@Zaire, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zaire
conventional short form:
Zaire
local long form:
Republique du Zaire
local short form:
Zaire
former:
Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa
Digraph:
CG
Type:
republic with a strong presidential system
Capital:
Kinshasa
Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - 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)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution:
24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended
April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994
Legal system:
based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24
November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled
by High Council, the opposition-controlled transition legislature);
results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition
head of government:
Prime Minister Etienne TSHISEKEDI (since NA 1993); note - de facto
executive authority is exercised by President MOBUTU
cabinet:
National Executive Council; appointed by the president on
recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
parliament:
a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the
Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between
presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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), Joseph ILEO; Union of Federalists and
Independent Republicans (UFERI), NGUZ a Karl-I-Bond; Unified Lumumbast
Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery:
1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 234-7690 or 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES
embassy:
310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address:
Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828
telephone:
[243] (12) 21532, 21628
FAX:
[243] (12) 21232 or 21534/5, ext. 2308
consulate(s) general:
Lubumbashi (closed and evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor
security situation)
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
@Zaire, Economy
Overview:
Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate. While meaningful
economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, the
largest government deficit ever, and plunging mineral production have
made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions
are conducted in hard currency as indigenous banknotes have lost
almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the
largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through
subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able
to meet its financial obligations to the International Momentary Fund
or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although
short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political
stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively
exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-6% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
35%-40% per month (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil
partners:
US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport
equipment, fuels
partners:
South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt:
$9.2 billion (May 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
2,580,000 kW
production:
6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
160 kWh (1991)
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:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.9
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist
countries (1970-89), $263 million
note:
except for humanitarian aid to private organizations, no US assistance
was given to Zaire in 1992
Currency:
1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates:
zaire (Z) per US$1 - 7,915,000 (September 1993), 1,990,000 (1992),
15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Zaire, 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; limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
total:
146,500 km
paved:
2,800 km
unpaved:
gravel, improved earth 46,200 km; unimproved earth 97,500 km
Inland waterways:
15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481
DWT
Airports:
total:
278
usable:
233
with permanent-surface runways:
25
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
72
Telecommunications:
barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast stations - 10
AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
14 domestic
@Zaire, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Civil Guard,
Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 9,178,659; fit for military service 4,674,819
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)
@Zambia, Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, between Zaire and Zimbabwe
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
752,610 sq km
land area:
740,720 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km,
Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement;
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
Climate:
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
47%
forest and woodland:
27%
other:
19%
Irrigated land:
320 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations;
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Note:
landlocked