The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), sometimes called Congo-Kinshasa after its capital - as opposed to its north-western neighbour Congo-Brazzaville - is the largest French-speaking country in terms of surface area and the most populous before France. Its capital, with its undersized infrastructure, is home to 10 million people.
> The Democratic Republic of Congo in figures :
The DRC is an LDC, the 8th poorest country in the world. It has not achieved any of the Millennium Development Goals.
Sixty percent covered by forests, the DRC has a gigantic hydroelectric potential (100,000 MW) - i.e. a third of the continent's potential - totally under-exploited.
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The DRC is considered a real "geological scandal" because of its rich subsoil, which is full of mineral resources (copper, the leading producer in Africa; cobalt, the leading producer in the world; coltan, gold and diamonds).
Its economy exemplifies the phenomenon of the 'resource curse' : that of low economic development and persistent poverty despite the exploitation of its natural wealth.
The hyper-dependence on raw materials, which account for 90% of exports, and the insufficient diversification of the Congolese economy make it very vulnerable to price fluctuations.
> But this country cannot be summed up in these data alone. The following articles will enable you to appreciate all that makes it original and rich, whether it be geological, biological or cultural.
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