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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Page history last edited by michael a. 13 years, 5 months ago

Welcome to the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

_pop._70,916,439

by Taylor T. and Michael A.

Time,date, and weather in DRC:

U.S.A. - Idaho -*-7 hours

The Many Different Names for Democratic Republic of Congo:

Conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Conventional short form: DRC

Local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo

Local short form: RDC

Former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

Abbreviation: DRC

The DRC is a very mineral rich place. But the minerals are used for the wrong reasons, and makes slaves,most who are children. And even though "Cease Fire" has been called. millions of people are still being killed. DRC has also been names the rape capital of the world. Soldiers aren't payed, people are dieing, what happened to this one peaceful and unified country?

Latitude/Longitude 4º 31' S, 15º 32' E

DRC on the Globe

Some Pictures of Dem. Republic of Congo

The Flag:

Flag description:

Sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope, red the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country. Also AIDS/HIV is a big problem. It has kill over 1.1 million since July 2010. This is really sad, and even though an effort is being made to fix it, nothing significant has happened.

Landscape:

Terrain:	In the DRC
Vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Land Area 2,267,600 sq km (875,520 sq miles)
Highest Point Mt. Stanley (5,110 m) (16,765 ft) (9,850 ft), located in the Ahaggar Mountains
Lowest Point Atlantic Ocean (0 m) (0 ft)
Land Divisions 10 provinces and one city* (ville); including Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale and Sud-Kivu.
http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/cities.htm

One of DRC's many cities(this one better then others):

Wildlife:

Currency:

Some info on the DRC:

Religions

Roman Catholic Christianity
Protestant Christianity
Indigenous Christianity
Islam
Other Christian denominations

Some types of food in Congo

Utilizes a blend of locally available grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and milk products for its cuisine. Some of the popular Congolese cuisines are :

Piri Piri, (with pepper)
Mouamba Chicken in palm oil served with cassava leaves and cabbage salad
Saka Saka( ground cassava leaves cooked with peanut paste and palm oil)
Maboke( fresh water fish which is cooked in marantacee leaves)

If you plan to go:

Climate & when to go

Apart from high-altitude areas, most of the country is hot and humid year-round, with daytime temperatures lingering around 30°C. Rainfall is scant near the coast, but increases significantly as you move inland.

The best time to go depends largely upon which area of the country you will be visiting. The dry season (and the best time to visit) in the north is from December and February while in the south it runs between April and October

Dangers & annoyances

Avoid taking photos in public, especially of the river, government buildings and the airport, which are viewed as places of national security. Taking unsanctioned photos can lead to arrest.

Do not walk around at night and think twice about walking around in the daytime unless you are sure of the route. Take the advice of the locals in matters of personal security wherever possible. If you are involved in a car accident do not hang around as mobs can gather quickly. Always carry a copy of your passport.

Malaria remains rife throughout DRC. Check with your GP before leaving home and take all the necessary precautions

While you're there

Women travellers

Exercise extreme caution if you are a female traveller. Do not drive alone after dark; instead drive in a convoy, if you can. Be very wary of the armed forces: rape has been used extensively as a weapon of war.

Country's that border DRC:

Congolese children shelter under an umbrella at the Kibati refugee camp just outside the town of Goma, Congo

Thousands of people have fled to the regional capital, Goma, which is defended by UN peacekeepers.

But some people have been returning to their homes in rebel-held, despite the dangers, saying there is not enough food or shelter for them in Goma.

FDLR rebels have been at the heart of years of unrest in the region. The group has better communication equipment and so receive constant updates on the situation. Child soldiers are visible in both groups.

Michael's Mask:

michael a's mask

Mask Artist Statement

By Michael A.

The Democratic of Congo is a very unique place. It has its hard times and its good times. This is my artist statement for my mask I made in literacy. The background of my mask is blue and the feathers are red to represent the colors of the flag. The flag stands for peace and unity. The red ribbon on the nose stands for HIV/AIDS. It's on the nose and the center because no one sees it as a big problem but it is. The mouth has a french flag because the main language is French and the main currency is also French. The big cross stands for the many religions that are in the country. The stick figures on the forehead also represent unity. The river and land next to them shows a struggle against the people and the government for water and land. The coffee bean is for exports and it's close to the flag because the exports give them money. The green beard sows the unique land. It's on the chin because no one really thinks of the chin.

The Not so Unified and Peaceful Country

_{A "I am" Poem about DRC}

By Michael A.

I am a country at war for land and water with its people

That used to be peaceful and unified

I feel Broken in two

I wonder why did this happen?

I understand that we can’t be perfect

I want this endless struggle to end

I am a country at war for land and water with its people

I touch the sick and dieing

I hear the cry of the hungry and dieing

I smell the exotic foods, food that is needed by many

I worry that this endless struggle will never end

I cry out to those who need help but can’t get it

I am a country at war for land and water with its people

I say that we will get trough this someday

I dream of a unified and peaceful country, where everyone helps each other out in hard times

I try to recover from struggles of the past

I hope that children won’t be used as soldiers

I am the Democratic Republic of Congo

Recent News:

Democratic republic of Congo / Authorities again urged to free detained journalist Tumba Lumembu

"When the rebels saw me trying to escape they shot me "

Haguma [not his real name], 18 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7724088.stm)

U.N. releases 'heartbreaking' human rights report on Congo

History:

ewly Independent Congo Plunges into Civil War

Power-Hungry Mobutu Gains Control, Wreaks Havoc

Laurent Kabila Topples Mobutu

Son of Assassinated Leader Kabila Oversees End of Congo's Civil War

Political Progress Is Made Whilte Death Toll Mounts

Issues:

(All info is in the Transitional Issues tab at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 132,295 (Angola); 37,313 (Rwanda); 17,777 (Burundi); 13,904 (Uganda); 6,181 (Sudan); 5,243 (Republic of Congo)

IDPs: 1.4 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2007)

heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledged in 2004 to abate tribal, rebel, and militia fighting in the region, including northeast Congo, where the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), organized in 1999, maintains over 16,500 uniformed peacekeepers; members of Uganda's Lords Resistance Army forces continue to seek refuge in Congo's Garamba National Park as peace talks with the Uganda government evolve; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area; Uganda and DROC dispute Rukwanzi island in Lake Albert and other areas on the Semliki River with hydrocarbon potential; boundary commission continues discussions over Congolese-administered triangle of land on the right bank of the Lunkinda river claimed by Zambia near the DROC village of Pweto

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; much of this trafficking occurs within the country's unstable eastern provinces and is perpetrated by armed groups outside government control

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007; while some significant initial advances were noted, the government's capacity to apprehend, convict, or imprison traffickers remained weak; the government lacks sufficient financial, technical, and human resources to effectively address not only trafficking crimes, but also to provide basic levels of security in some parts of the country

Illicit drugs:
one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center (2008)

Videos:

Note:Please give these videos a couple of seconds to load! If it does not please contact me or leave a comment! Thanks! -Michael A.

Michael A.'s Dem. Republic of Congo Search Story:

The Democratic Republic of Congo sits atop one of the world's most vast deposits of diamonds and gold; yet it is also home to the world's most deadly war. In Rape of a Nation, photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale explores the connection. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/rape-of-a-nation

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

(animoto video by Michael A.)