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Country profile
The DRC at a glance
The second-largest country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo lies at the heart of the continent and covers most of the Congo River basin. A land of contrasts, it combines urban modernity, living traditions and unspoiled nature.
2,345,410 km²
Area
2nd in Africa
11th largest country in the world
14,166 km
Navigable waterways
5,109 m
Ruwenzori summit
History
From great kingdoms to the Republic
Ten stages to understand today’s Congo.
20,000 years ago – 14th century
The first civilisations
Some 20,000 years ago, the Ishango bone already bears witness to mathematical thinking. The Bantu peoples develop agriculture and iron working, alongside the indigenous peoples of the forest. The river and its tributaries become major trade routes between forests and savannahs. From the 8th to the 14th century, the Upemba civilisation (Katanga) masters copper and has its own currency. The tombs of Sanga reveal organised societies, with their chiefs and craftsmen.
14th – 19th century
The kingdoms
Late 14th century: foundation of the Kingdom of Kongo, with its own currency and a diplomacy reaching as far as Rome. The Luba (16th century), Lunda and Kuba (17th century) and Kazembe (18th century) kingdoms flourish. Everywhere, sovereign states develop their institutions, trade and arts. In the 19th century, Msiri makes Bunkeya, in Katanga, a major trading crossroads between the two oceans.
1885 – 1958
Resisting, creating, asserting
Under the rule of Leopold II and then of Belgium, the Congolese never stop resisting, from the Batetela soldiers in 1895 to the Pende in 1931. In 1921, Simon Kimbangu founds in Nkamba a spiritual movement that becomes a symbol of Congolese self-affirmation. In 1948, Wendo Kolosoy launches modern Congolese rumba, destined to conquer the whole of Africa. In 1956, ABAKO demands immediate independence, and in 1958 Patrice Emery Lumumba founds the Mouvement national congolais (Congolese National Movement).
January 1959 – May 1960
The road to independence
On 4 January 1959, the martyrs of Léopoldville change the course of history. Across the country, political parties multiply and mobilise the population. In 1960, at the Round Table, the Congolese common front imposes the date of independence. Grand Kallé composes “Indépendance Cha Cha” there, soon sung throughout Africa. In May 1960, the Congolese elect their representatives in the first national elections.
30 June 1960
Independence
After four years of nationalist ferment, the Congo gained independence on 30 June 1960. Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the first President of the Republic and Patrice Emery Lumumba the first Prime Minister.
1965 – 1997
The Second Republic
From 1965 to 1997, the country was led by Mobutu Sese Seko. In 1971, the Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire. From 1990, the country gradually opened up to multiparty politics.
1997 – 2001
The AFDL takes power
On 17 May 1997, Laurent-Désiré Kabila took power and renamed Zaire the “Democratic Republic of the Congo”, the name the country bears today. The Luluabourg Constitution of 1 August 1964 was the first constitutional text to officially use the name “Democratic Republic of the Congo”, in its Article 1. Constitutional Decree-Law No. 003 of 27 May 1997 is the fundamental text that organised and ran the country from 1997 to 2001.
2001 – 2005
The accession to power of President Joseph Kabila Kabange and the opening of a political transition
Following the assassination of President Laurent-Désiré Kabila on 16 January 2001, President Joseph Kabila Kabange came to power. This period marked the beginning of a political transition. The Inter-Congolese Dialogue led to the adoption of a transitional Constitution on 4 April 2003. On 18 December 2005, a referendum adopted the new Constitution, with a turnout of 84.31%.
2006
The Third Republic
The Constitution of the Third Republic was promulgated on 18 February 2006. The first presidential and legislative elections by universal suffrage were held the same year.
2019
A peaceful transfer of power
Following the elections of 30 December 2018, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo was elected 5th President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was the first peaceful transfer of power in the country’s history.
Geography
An exceptional territory
River, equatorial forest, volcanoes and great lakes: a continent-sized country with highly contrasting landscapes.
4,700 km
The Congo River
Rising in Katanga under the name Lualaba, at an altitude of 1,435 m, it is the second-longest river in Africa after the Nile, and the second in the world by discharge (50,000 m³/s) after the Amazon. With its tributaries, it forms a true highway of 14,166 km of navigable waterways before flowing into the Atlantic through a wide estuary.
39 km
A maritime frontage
The country is semi-landlocked. Its opening onto the Atlantic, in the west, extends along a 39 km strip of land between the Cabinda enclave and Angola.
9
Neighbouring countries
Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola.
Three main zones
The central basin, which covers a third of the territory, alternates equatorial forests and swampland. The plateaus bordering it are covered in savannah. In the east, mountain ranges rise in North Kivu and South Kivu.
Mountains and volcanoes
The Ruwenzori peaks at 5,109 m (Margherita Peak). The Katanga high plateau exceeds 1,200 m. In North Kivu, Nyiragongo is a constantly active volcano.
Two climates
Equatorial, hot and humid all year round, in the centre. Tropical, with a dry season and a rainy season, north and south of the equator.
The great lakes
Mai-Ndombe and Ntumba in the west. Edward, Albert, Kivu, Tanganyika and Mweru in the east.
Immense biodiversity
The largest tropical rainforest in the world after the Amazon, but also savannahs, wooded savannahs, dense forests and mountain forests, depending on the plateaus, massifs and altitude.
Cities
Dynamic metropolises
A cosmopolitan capital, economic hubs and river cities: a rapidly urbanising country.
CAPITAL
Kinshasa
Political and cultural capital, nerve centre of national life. It is considered the largest French-speaking city in the world.
ECONOMY
Lubumbashi
The country’s second-largest city, notable for its economic role and regional influence.
LAKE KIVU
Goma
On the shores of Lake Kivu, it is known for its hospitality and its proximity to the natural riches of the East.
RIVER
Kisangani
A strategic city on the Congo River, it remains a historic and commercial crossroads.
Culture
Rumba, flavours and traditions
Music, cuisine, arts and ceremonies: the country’s cultural wealth is part of everyday life.
UNESCO
Rumba
Inscribed on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, Congolese rumba carries the country’s musical creativity around the world.
Gastronomy
Fufu, made from cassava or maize, is the essential accompaniment. Pondu, prepared with cassava leaves, symbolises the country’s cuisine. Liboke, fish or meat cooked in banana leaves, reflects ancestral know-how. Mangoes, papayas and pineapples round out a healthy and varied diet.
Places and creations
The National Museum of Kinshasa preserves and showcases evidence of Congolese history and traditions. In Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, contemporary art spaces illustrate the vitality of creative life.
Living traditions
Traditional villages, craftsmanship in sculpture, weaving and goldsmithing, community ceremonies, ritual dances and songs: a heritage handed down from generation to generation.
Settling in the DRC
Visiting or settling: visas
Entry into and settlement in the DRC fall under the Directorate General of Migration (DGM), the only body authorised to issue settlement visas. This summary is indicative: confirm the conditions with the Consulate General before taking any steps.
TRAVEL
Travel visa
Issued by the DRC’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad. It requires a valid passport, sufficient means of subsistence and sponsorship by an individual or legal entity lawfully established in the DRC. Valid for 6 months at most, it does not allow paid work.
ARRIVAL
Visa volant and airport or port visa
The “visa volant” is intended for travellers coming from a country with no DRC diplomatic or consular representation, and for guests of the Government. The airport or port visa, issued at the point of entry, is valid for 7 days.
SETTLEMENT
Settlement visas
To reside and carry out an activity: ordinary (3 years), work (1 to 2 years), specific work (1 year maximum), study, marriage, special (5 to 10 years, for promoters of companies approved under the investment code) and permanent (indefinite duration, after 15 years of lawful residence).
EXEMPTIONS
Cases of exemption
Exempt from passport and visa requirements are foreigners under 15 whose identity appears on the passport of the person accompanying them, and crew members on stopover holding a valid licence. Travellers in air or sea transit who do not leave the airport or port area are exempt from a transit visa.
General conditions for settlement visas
- Be lawfully resident in the DRC and have stayed there for at least six months
- Valid passport (at least six months)
- Duly completed form and registration sheet
- Four recent, identical passport photos
- International vaccination card
- Certificate of good conduct and certificate of residence, less than 3 months old
- Original and copy of the consular or registration certificate
- Sufficient means of subsistence
Investing
Potential to seize
Mineral resources, energy, agriculture, youth: the DRC plays a growing role in the global economy.
70%+
Cobalt
More than 70% of the world’s cobalt production, a metal essential for batteries and renewable energy.
Copper
Strategic minerals
A major copper producer, with global demand expected to grow strongly with the energy transition.
100M+
Inhabitants
A young and fast-growing population: an expanding market and workforce.
1st
French-speaking city
Kinshasa is considered the largest French-speaking city in the world.
A project in the DRC? Let’s talk.
The Consulate General supports entrepreneurs and investors: information on opportunities, guidance through administrative, tax and legal procedures, visa facilitation, and conferences and forums on the DRC.
Useful links
Official websites
The official platforms for your procedures, projects and travel.
Biometric passport
Online pre-registration, available 24/7.
Tax identification number
NIF application on the DGI’s e-NIF platform, required before the passport.
Investing in the DRC
Official investment platform.
Tourism in the DRC
Official portal to plan a trip.