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history facts
Facts and stats
The history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is characterised by exploitation, turbulence and most recently a conflict that has been fuelled by the plunder of natural resources. To see a more detailed time line of the history of the DR Congo please click here. Country Profile
  • The DRC encompasses 2 344 858 sq km making it the 12th largest country in the world.1
  • The current government is led by President Joseph Kabila who has been President since 2001.
  • The population of the DRC stands at over 68 million.
  • The average life expectancy is 47.6 years old.2
  • For every 1000 children born in the DRC, 199 will not live beyond their fifth birthday.3
  • According to estimates 1 in 24 women of child bearing are likely to die of maternal-related deaths.4
  • Around 59% of the population live on less than $1.25 a day.5
  • Nearly half of all Congolese children (3million) are out of school and 1 in 3 have never entered a classroom.6
  • According to the Congolese government, only 5% of all foreign assistance was invested in education in 2007 and 2008.7
  • 80% of the worlds Coltan reserves are in the DRC, required for the production of mobile phones and laptops.
The Conflict In Numbers
  • Some 5.4 MILLION people have died since 1998 as a result of the conflict either directly or indirectly though preventable diseases such as malaria, and malnutrition.8
  • Despite the official end to the war, up to 45 000 people continue to die every month.9
  • As of April 2010 at least 1.8 MILLION people were displaced, 1.4 million of which were were in North and South Kivu.10
  • In a recent survey 80% of women surveyed claimed their village had been attacked and 75% believed that their village would be.11
  • In 2009 over 9000 cases of sexual violence were reported in North and South Kivu with the actual figure likely to be much higher.12
  • A recent survey in 2009 found 89% of survivors of sexual and gender based violence reported their attackers to be 'men in uniform'.13
  • In a recent survey, 60% of participants reported fair or poor emotional health.14
  • 3 people are currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes.15
References
  1. CIA world fact sheet. The DRC. source
  2. United Nations Development Development Programme. 2009. Human Development Report 2009. p. 173. source
  3. UNICEF, 2010. Levels & Trends in Child Mortality: Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. source
  4. WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2008. 2010. source
  5. United Nations Development Development Programme. 2009. Human Development Report 2009. p. 178. source
  6. IRC. Figures taken from a national survey by the Congolese ministry of planning and reconstruction (Enqute nationale sur la situation des enfants et des femmes: MICS2/2001, Ministre du plan et de la reconstruction). source
  7. IRC. Figures taken from Ministry of Planning, Overview of Foreign Aid, March 2009. source
  8. International Rescue Committee. 2007. Mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo: An ongoing crisis. p. ii. source
  9. IRC. Mortality fact sheet. source
  10. Human Rights Watch. 2010. Always on the Run: The Vicious Cycle of Displacement in Eastern Congo. p.5. source
  11. Women For Women International. 2010. Stronger Women Stronger Nations: 2010 DRC Report. p. 10. source
  12. UN News Centre. 2010. In wake of mass rapes in DR Congo, UN official calls for end to impunity. source
  13. Merlin 2010.
  14. Women For Women International. 2010. Stronger Women Stronger Nations: 2010 DRC Report. p. 20. source
  15. ICC. source