Democratic Republic of Congo
Travel Guide > Africa > Democratic Republic of Congo
In this Article
- Introduction
- Brief History
- Geography
- Regions
- Cities
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting there
- Getting around
- Red Tape
- Money
- Work
- Study
- Language
- Eat
- Sleep
- Drink
- Health
- Safety
- Keep Connected
Quick Facts
[edit]
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Population
- 53,620,000
- Government
- Dictatorship
- Religions
- Christianity (Catholic, Protestant), Kimbanguism, Islam
- Languages
- Kongo, Lingala, Luba-Kasai, Congo Swahili, French
- Calling Code
- +243
- Nationality
- Congolese
- Local name
- Republique Democratique du Congo
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Introduction
Once known as Zaire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa’s third largest country. The land is home to great stretches of savannah, as well as dramatic volcanic mountain peaks in the east.
Currently, the situation is volatile, particularly for foreigners. The United States recently renewed its recommendation for travellers to stay away from the country, especially areas outside the capital of Kinshasa.
Brief History
Geography
Regions
A new constitution approved in 2005 has divided the country into 26 reasonably autonomous provinces, one of which is the capital, Kinshasa. Until these new provinces are formed in February 2009, the existing 11 provinces are:
- Kinshasa
- Province Orientale
- Kasaï Oriental
- Kasaï Occidental
- Maniema
- Katanga
- Sud-Kivu
- Nord-Kivu
- Bas-Congo
- Équateur
- Bandundu
Sights and Activities
Okapi Wildlife Reserve
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is located in the Ituri Forest in the northeast of the country near Sudan and Uganda and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is mainly a protected forest because of its special inhabitant: the Okapi. This animal is widely known because of its mix of zebra and giraffe characteristics and although it bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Unfortunately, because of the politicial and economical situation in this part of the country, the reserve sees just a few visitors and several of its staff have been gone since poachers and others entered the reserve. Apart from the Okapi, many monkey species and the forest elephant live here as well as several local tribes who actually live in peace with the natural environment.
Virunga National Park
The Virunga National Park is what Bwindi Impenetrable is to Uganda or the Volcanoes NP to Rwanda: a large protected mountainous wilderness, mainly to preserve the last several hundreds or so of the Moutain Gorilla and became a UNESCO World Heritage area in the late seventies of the twentieth century. Chimpanzees, forest elephants, giraffe and even okapi can be found here, although there numbers have diminished in recent years because of the unstable political and economical situation. Still, travellers who can't get a permit in Rwanda or Uganda to visit the mountain gorillas, might be lucky to get one here as chances are better and it is cheaper, 'only' 350 USD compared to 500 USD in the other two countries. The main access point is from Rwanda to Goma but entries from Uganda might be possible as well, just check in advance regarding the visa and safety regulations during the time you will visit.
Kahuzi-Biéga National Park
The Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is located in the east of the country near Lake Kivu and the border with Rwanda and together with the frontier are of the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, forms one of the last remaining areas to preserve the mountain gorilla. The park is not as much visited as the other mountain gorilla parks and numbers may have declined more seriously here since civil war started.
Salonga National Park
The Salonga National Park protects the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa and is located in the Congo Basin. Animals here include species like bonobos (one of four human apes) and rare special species like salonga monkeys, Tshuapa red colobus Zaire peacocks, forest elephants, and African slender-snouted crocodiles. Although you are likely to see many animals here you won't see anywhere else in Africa, the park is not visited that often and safety forms the main problem for travellers these days.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting there
Plane
N'Djili International Airport (FIH) near the capital Kinshasa is the main international airport in the country. Hewa Bora Airways is one of the largest airlines in the country, flying to and from Brussels, Douala, Johannesburg, Lagos and Lomé. Air France flies between Kinshasa and Paris. Other destinations with several airlines are Brussels, Harare, Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Casablanca and Luanda.
By Train
There are not trains that travel into the country.
By Car
By Bus
Your best options of travelling overland to the country are from neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda which have connections to Goma and Bukavu respectively.
By Boat
Boats travel across the Congo River between Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, roughly every two hours or so.
Getting around
Plane
Hewa Bora Airways flies between Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Mbuji Mayi and Wimbi Dira Airways between Gbadolite, Gemena, Goma, Isiro, Kananga, Kindu, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kalemie Mbandaka and Mbuji-Mayi. Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation has an extensive network between Basankusu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kananga, Kikwit, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lisala, Lodja, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Mayi and Tshikapa.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Red Tape
Money
Work
Study
Language
Eat
Sleep
Drink
Health
Safety
This is version 6. Last edited at 13:42 on May 9, 08 by Utrecht (+354). 14 articles link to this page.
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