Area: total: 2,345,410 sq km
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber
Population: 66,514,506
Ethnic groups: over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo [all Bantu], and the Mangbetu-Azande [Hamitic] make up about 45% of the population
Languages: French [official], Lingala [a lingua franca trade language], Kingwana [a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili], Kikongo, Tshiluba
Capital: name: Kinshasa
geographic coordinates: 4 19 S, 15 18 E
time difference: UTC+1 [six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time]
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55%
industry: 11%
services: 34% [2000 est.]
Labor force: 15 million [2006 est.]
Budget: revenues: $700 million
expenditures: $2 billion [2006 est.]
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava [tapioca], palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits wood products
Industries: mining [diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan zinc], mineral processing, consumer products [including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages], cement, commercial ship repair
Exports: $1.587 billion f.o.b. [2006]
Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt
Exports - partners: Belgium 29.3%, China 21%, Brazil 12.3%, Chile 7.8%, Finland 7.2%, US 4.9% [2006]
Imports: $2.263 billion f.o.b. [2006]
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners: South Africa 17.7%, Belgium 10.9%, France 8.5%, Zimbabwe 8.1%, Zambia 6.9%, Kenya 6.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.4% [2006]
Currency (code): Congolese franc [CDF]
Airports: 237 [2007]
Railways: total: 5,138 km
Ports and terminals: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka