congo

In Focus : The Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction and Geography

It is divided by the Equator , the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC , formerly called Zaire . It is the third largest country on the African continent and up to present , the country is still the ancestral homeland for over 200 ethnic groups , with majority descending from individual kingdoms established long before the Europeans arrived in the late 1800s . The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country situated in Central Africa . It was formerly named as Middle Congo , a French Equatorial Africa . Middle

Congo gained its independence from their French colonizers in 1960 . The newly established nation was given the name Congo (Brazzaville . The name Congo ' was given in to differentiate it from its larger neighbor the former Belgian Congo (Pagan , 2002

Heale (1999 ) reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo has a land area of 344 ,900 sq km /905 ,366 sq mi . Kinshasa is the capital city of Democratic Republic of Congo . Lubumbashi , Kananga , Mbuji-Mayi Kisangani , Kolwezi , Likasi , Boma are the major cities comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo .The other provinces found in the country are as follows Bandundu , Bas-Congo , Equateur , Kasai-Occidental Kasai-Oriental , Katanga , Maniema , Nord-Kivu , Orientale and Sud-Kivu Matadi , Kalemie are the two major ports of the country . The Ubangi is a tributary of the Congo , as are the Sangha and the other large rivers of the north . The Ubangi and the Congo rivers form most of the b between the Congo and Zaire . Heale (1999 ) stated that the Democratic Republic of Congo is bounded by Cameroon and Central African Republic in the north Zaire in the east Zaire and Angola in the south Atlantic Ocean in the west , and Gabon completes its northwest boundary . The highest point of the country is Mt . Stanley having an elevation point of 5 ,110 m or 16 ,765 ft the lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean . Savannah and park forests vegetation predominate the north and south of part of the country . All major rivers are tributaries of the Zaire these include the Lomani , the Aruwimi or Ituri , the Itimburi , the Mongala , the Ugangi , the Uyly , the Kasaim the Sankuru , the Lulua , the Kwango and the Kwilu . The largest lakes include Tanganyika , Albert , Edward , Kivu Mweru , Leopols II and Tumba

The Democratic Republic of Congo is dominated by the Congo River Tropical rainforests are vastly distributed throughout the country making it the second-largest existing in the world . Savannahs and mountains are found in the eastern and western part of the country . The country are surrounded by its major rivers namely Ubangi (Cubangui ) and the Congo (called the Zaire in the country of that name . The famous lakes are Tanganyika , Albert , Edward , Ruwenzori Range . Due to its geographic location , equatorial sunsets may be observed all over the country . It has a tropical climate marked by high temperatures and humidity . Rainstorms and precipitations are seldom in a year . It was in 1997 that the country was officially named Democratic Republic of the...