Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Geography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

 
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, is the second largest country in Africa and the eleventh largest in the world with a land area of 905,328 square miles. It is the second most populated country in Africa with 67 million residents as of 2013.The country is located in central sub- Saharan Africa. Kinshasa is the capital city and largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is located Latitude: 4°19′39″ S and Longitude: 15°18′48″ E. Kinshasa is the third largest city in Africa and is a major modern city located on the southern banks of the Congo River. Home to the second largest rainforest in the world the  Democratic Republic of the Congo receives nearly 100in of annual rainfall in some places. It also has the highest frequency of thunderstorms in the world. It is tropical climate hot and humid most of the year.

   The country is home to three active volcanoes which border along the Great Rift Valley. Nyiragongo which erupted in 2002 and poses a major threat to nearly a quarter million people in the city of Goma. The volcano has fast- moving lava flows that can travel around 62 mi/ hr. The second, Nyamuragira, erupted in 2010 and is Africa's most active volcano. The third is Visoke which has not erupted since 1957.

 Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo is rich in mineral and agriculture production Years of civil war and disease have hinder growth and prosperity.Nearly 5 million people died since 1998 from the civil wars. The majority of those deaths were from diseases like malaria, an pneumonia brought on by displacement from warzones.  Despite peace agreements militias still terrorize small villages, where they rape, murder, and rob the residents.

 The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a complex and complicated country. With the vast mineral riches and agricultural production it should be a wealthy country free of high poverty, disease outbreaks, and civil wars. Yet, due to corruption among the government, and poor infrastructure the country has found itself unable to make use of the great geographical resources at hand.
 
 

 

References

 

  1. Central Intelligence Agency (2014)"Democratic Republic of the Congo". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency.

  2. Maps of World (2015)"Major Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo". Map of World Current, Credible, Consistent. Retrieved May 16th 2015

  3. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (2011). Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Department of State

2 comments:

  1. James, very interesting first entry on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC). It is a shame that the majority of the unspoiled beauty of that nation has been traumatized and disrespected by decades of war and ethnic tensions. I would love to take a trip to the DROC principally to see the gorillas in their natural habitat. Some of my family have made the trip and were amazed as the beauty and hospitality of the Congolese people. Having seen the Kenyan side of the Great Rift Valley, I was still unaware that there were so many volcanoes in the DROC. Interesting tidbit to take away this week!

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