Zaïre

Zaïre, formerly the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, officially Zaïre since 1971, nation in west-central Africa. With an area of 905,446 sq mi (2,345,095 sq km), Zaïre is bordered by Angola on the southwest; the Congo Republic on the west; the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east; and Zambia on the southeast.

Land and climate

Central Zaïre, which straddles the equator, is a large, low plateau covered by rain forest. There is a higher, drier plateau in the southeast. In the east, on the border with Uganda, are the mountains of the Ruwenzori Range and lakes Albert, Edward, and Tanganyika. The Congo (Zaïre) River, one of the largest in Africa, flows west to the Atlantic, where the country narrows to a 25-mi (40-km) wide coastline. Zaïre has a hot, rainy climate.

People

The population is divided among many groups, among which the Kongo are the most numerous. Other important peoples include the Mongo, Luba, and Zande. There are Nilotic-speaking peoples living primarily in the north, and Pygmies live in the east. About 200 languages are spoken, most of them in the Bantu family of languages. French is the official language, but Lingola and Swahili are common. Most of the people are Christians, but sizable minorities adhere to traditional African religions. The capital of the country is Kinshasa.

Economy

The mainstay of Zaïre's economy is mining. The country has 65% of the world's reserves of cobalt and copper, the principal exports. Zaire is also a leading diamond producer. Zaïre has a diversified industrial sector including food processing, chemicals, cement, and textiles. Its farms produce cash crops of coffee, rubber, palm oil, cocoa, and tea.

History

First Pygmies and later Bantus were the original black African inhabitants of the region. The first Europeans in the area were Portuguese following in the wake of Diogo Cão, who came in 1482. In 1885 King Leopold II of Belgium took control of an area he called the Congo Free State; in 1908 it became the Belgian Congo and was a rich and profitable colony. The Belgian Congo became independent in 1960 and, as the Republic of the Congo, had Joseph Kasavubu as president and Patrice Lumumba as premier. The fledgling state was unable to maintain either stability or unity, and shortly after independence Moïse Tshombe urged the secession of the mineral-rich province of Katanga (now Shaba). Before Katanga rejoined the nation in 1963, the UN and Belgium sent troops and both the United States and the USSR had taken sides in the conflict. In 1965, following continuing unrest, Maj. Gen. Joseph Mobotu, later Mobuto Sese Seko, took control and has been president since 1970. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaïre in 1971 and adopted its current constitution in 1978. Although Zaïre is rich in mineral resources, mismanagment and decreases in world-market prices have led to severe economic problems. Political liberalization in the 1990s did not solve the problems. In 1997 Mobutu was ousted by Désiré Kabila, who in turn had to deal with rebellious Tutsi soldiers in 1998. After Kabila became the new president, the country's name was changed into Democratic Republic of Congo.