Democratic Republic of Congo - Repubblica Democratica del Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo

Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	Kinshasa
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Currency	Congolese Franc (CDF)
Surface	2,344,858 km²
Inhabitants	71.712.867 (2011 estimate)
Tongue	French
Religion	Catholicism (95.8%), Islam (1.5%) and the rest atheists or minor religions (2010)
Electricity	220V / 50Hz (European socket)
Prefix	243
TLD	.CD
Time zone	UTC 1

	ATTENTION: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most underdeveloped African countries and not it is classifiable as a tourist destination therefore trips to the country are discouraged. Health infrastructure is also lacking by African standards. (November 2012)

Democratic Republic of Congo is a state ofCentral Africa bordering to the north with the Central African Republic, to the north-east with the Southern Sudan, to the east with theUganda, the Rwanda, the Burundi and the Tanzania, to the south with the Zambia and theAngola, to the west with the Atlantic Ocean and the Republic of the Congo.

To know

Geographical notes

The north of the country is one of the largest areas of equatorial forest in the world, the eastern area runs along the great East African rift, an area of mountains, hills, great lakes but also volcanoes. The south and the central area, an area of wooded savannah, forms a plateau rich in minerals. In the extreme west, about forty kilometers north of the mouth of the Congo River, the coast extends over the Atlantic Ocean.

When to go

When choosing when to visit the country, it should be borne in mind that except for the highlands area, the country's climate is hot-humid, with average temperatures of around 27 ° C in the central depression and extreme peaks in February, the hottest month in absolute; above 1,500 m the average drops to 19 ° C. Rainfall is abundant, between April and November, north of the equator and, between October and May, in the south.

Background

The area that today bears the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been populated for about 10,000 years. Between the seventh and eighth centuries Bantu tribes from the present day settled there Nigeria.

The first contacts with the Europeans took place in the 15th century with the Portuguese. The region was assigned to the king of Belgium in 1885 but in 1908, having no way of exercising practical possession of the territory, he included the Congo among the Belgian colonies. From 1908, to June 30, 1960 (independence day), this ancient colony was baptized the Belgian Congo, as well as "Congo-Léopoldville" until 1966, when the capital was renamed to Kinshasa. From 1971 to 1997 it was officially known as Zaire.

Spoken languages

In addition to French, the official language and used as a lingua franca of communication between the different ethnic groups of the country, over 200 distinct languages coexist in the country, but only four have the status of national languages since the days of the Free State: Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Territories and tourist destinations

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is divided into 25 provinces plus the city / province of Kinshasa. The provinces are divided into districts, in turn made up of territories.

Democratic Republic of the Western Congo - Includes the capital Kinshasa the only national port. Mainly composed of tropical forests and pasture land.

Katanga province - Mainly made up of fertile plateaus used for agriculture and livestock.

Kasai - Major diamond mines and not much else.

Kivu - He understands Bukavu, Goma, Kahuzi-Biega National Park,Virunga National Park. This region is influenced by the Burundi, Rwanda is Uganda and is known for its volcanoes, mountain gorillas, and sadly for its conflicts.

Congo River Basin - He understands Garamba National Park, Maiko National Park, Okapi Nature Reserve, Salonga National Park. After the Amazon it is the largest jungle in the world.

Kinshasa

Urban centers

Kinshasa - The capital.
Basankusu - Center of about 25,000 inhabitants, Basankusu is a river port located at the point where the Lulonga River receives the waters of the Lopori and Maringa tributaries. It forms the basis for excursions to the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba forest with a varied fauna including specimens of bonobos and other primates.
Bukavu - Capital of the South Kivu province.
Goma - Capital of the North Kivu province.
Kananga - Capital of the province of Lulua. Important trading and diamond mining center.
Kisangani - Capital of the province of Tshopo.
Lubumbashi - The second largest city in the country and the capital of the south eastern province of Haut-Katanga.
Matadi - Capital of the province of Lower Congo.
Mbandaka - Capital of the province of the Equator.

Epulu River

Other destinations

Many of the national parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are heritage ofUNESCO:

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport, visa and yellow fever vaccination. The visa is obtained at the embassy of the DRC in Rome, also bring 4 passport photos and the return ticket, it costs 88 euros for a single entry and for a month, then the cost goes up for multiple entries and more time. Production time 3 days.

L'Italian embassy is located in Kinshasa.

How to get around

By plane

Flying is the only safe way to travel within the country, but the planes are old and poorly maintained.

By car

The roads are in poor condition and can only be traveled with off-road vehicles. Driving at night is not recommended.

On the train

The railway lines are operational, although their use is not recommended. It is possible to travel from Kinshasa to Matadi. There are also lines that connect Lumbumbashi to Ilebus.

What see

Gbadolite- in the extreme north of the country, on the border with Central African Republic, in this remote village stands the former African Versailles, or the palace of Mobutu the great Leopard. Abandoned by the dictator in 1997, it was immediately and repeatedly looted so the buildings, the marbles, the capitals, the swimming pools remain in complete decay, where the forest is slowly recovering what was taken from it. Here where the "concorde" that brought the dictator a Paris, is now a ghostly and dilapidated place that still preserves the madness of those tragic years for the whole country in Kitsch.

Bukavu- A city in the far east of the country immersed in the forest that has a peninsula surrounded by Lake Kivu, an almost unique city in Africa thanks to the fact that it is in full contact with the lake.

The mountain Nyiragongo- A volcano on the border with Rwanda, in addition to being one of the most active volcanoes in the world with over 50 eruptions in the last 150 years, it is also considered one of the most dangerous both for its intrinsic characteristics and for its proximity to the city of Goma, its peculiarity consists in the lava lake which is located inside the crater.

What to do

This section is still empty. Help us to write it!

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Congolese franc (CDF) Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD

At the table

The country's traditional food culture is closely linked to the forest environment. The most typical dishes of Congolese cuisine are vegetable and meat stews, accompanied by a side dish based on a puree made with a variety of flours. Cassava (cassava flour) or cornmeal (called fufu or ugali) puree is rolled into meatballs and dipped in the stew sauce; the plane tree puree is rolled up and roasted; and finally, the use of sweet potato puree is frequent, which in some regions is prepared by mixing it with roasted peanuts. As an alternative to puree, the side dish can consist of rice, often mixed with beans.

The vegetables that accompany this side dish can be cassava leaves, "tshitekutaku" (a plant similar to spinach) and in some cases okra. In some ethnic cuisines, for example that of the Luba, the use of mushrooms is also common. The consumption of meat is quite rare, due to the high price; mainly goat is eaten.

The Mwambe is the national pact, and is a typical chicken recipe cooked in a peanut sauce.

Fish-based dishes are quite common, especially in the varieties that are fished in the waterways and lakes of the Congo River basin. The fish is cooked, boiled or fried in a variety of ways, and also salted or smoked to preserve it over time. In the markets, peppery and cooked fish rolls wrapped in banana leaves are commonly found.

The sauces used as a condiment are usually based on tomato, onion, or local aromatic herbs. Vegetable oils, salt, chilli and green pepper are also commonly used.

The cassava is also obtained Kwanga a type of fermented bread, which is also produced industrially. In traditional Congolese cuisine there are also dishes based on edible insects, such as grasshoppers or certain types of caterpillars.

Tourist infrastructure

This section is still empty. Help us to write it!

Events and parties

National holidays

Date		Festivity	Note
1	January	New Year	International holiday
4	January	Martyrs day	Colonial Repression Memorial in Kinshasa (1959)
1	May	Workers Day	International holiday
17	May	Liberation Day	Memorial of the rise to power of Kabila against Mobutu thanks to the alliance of the democratic forces for the liberation of the Congo (AFDL) (1997)
30	June	Independence Day	Independence from Belgium (1960)
1	August	Parents' day	International holiday
25	December	Christmas	Christian holiday that marks the birth of Christ

Safety

Before embarking on the journey consult:

Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information).

We strongly advise against going to the Kivu and in the Eastern Province. In the main cities (Kinshasa, Lubumbashi) there is the phenomenon of the "Shegué", street children aged 10 to 16 who act in gangs in the richest neighborhoods asking for money with particular insistence or with real robberies.

Health situation

The country's hinterland (including cities) and Kinshasa, especially the suburbs, are at risk of malaria and other equatorial diseases during the rainy season. 4% of the population has AIDS. Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory if you come from a country where yellow fever is at risk of transmission.