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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, 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: 0%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 78%
other: 15%
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water
pollution; deforestation; 1.2 million Rwandan refugees are
responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and
wildlife poaching in eastern Zaire
natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental
Modification
Geographic note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
People ———
Population: 46,498,539 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 11,161,347; female 11,124,583)
15-64 years: 49% (male 11,197,097; female 11,783,524)
65 years and over: 3% (male 539,775; female 692,213) (July 1996 est.)