Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The DRC is located in west-central Africa and is the third largest country in Africa, occupying approximately 2.3 million square kilometers.
The capital of the country is Kinshasa, which is located in the west of the country, on the Congo River. The total population is approximately 65 million. The official language is French, although Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo and Tshiluba are also spoken.
The political situation in the DRC has improved significantly in recent years, and in 2006 the country recently held its first free elections in more than 40 years. Joseph Kabila was declared the winner of the Presidential election on November 15, 2006.
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Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo
The economy of the DRC has historically been dominated by its resource sector. The copper belt region of the country, in the southern Province of Katanga, is renowned as one of the richest mineral regions of the world.
Adverse political events led to a significant reduction in national output, however, diamonds, copper and cobalt remain the principal foreign exchange earning exports for the country.
The economic conditions of the DRC are improving as a result of recent political stability in the country. Leading this economic growth is the mining sector, especially in Katanga Province, where Tiger has its operations.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are actively engaged in the DRC and are assisting in the development of coherent legislative and economic reforms. As part of this effort, in July 2002, the government introduced a new mining code, which has significantly improved the investment climate for the mining industry and is encouraging renewed international investment.
In 2007 China agreed to invest more than US$5 billion in mining and infrastructure, predominately in rail, roads and other hard infrastructure.