BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Situated in the heart of African where lies a subcontinent, a country of great geological variety and natural beauty rich in mineral resources: Democratic Republic of Congo, our home has a surface area of 2,345,000 km2 and is the largest country on the continent after Algeria (2,376,00 km2.

The country surrounds the great Congo river whose mass of water irrigates a huge valley basin far beyond the borders of Congo. The boundless forest, the heat, oppressive sun, the grandiose storms, will impress you like a newly heard secret.

The love of life and the hospitality of the inhabitants will delight the patient and inquisitive traveler. Listen to Congo’s old traditional stories retold by an African. Rediscover man’s roots and origins for yourself. Be prepared for something new and unique every step of the way. As with all populations of mixed ethnic backgrounds, the people are creative and resourceful, yet many tend to avoid difficult decisions. For a visitor this may be hard to understand; whaterver your feelings, whether negative or positive, there is no room for indifference towards the country and its people.
The DRC is the second largest country on the African continent, a land of contrasts, uniqueness and of natural wonders.

LANGUAGES

French is the official language in Congo. Four main languages are spoken and there are about 250 dialects.
Lingala is spoken mainly in Kinshasa, Equateur, Haut – Congo. Lingala is also the military language.
Kiswahili is spoken in the Eastern part of the country from Shaba to Kivu. Kiswahili is also one of the main languages in Eastern Africa.
Kikongo: spoken in Bas-Congo and Bandundu
Tshiluba: spoken in both Kasai occidental and oriental.

POPULATION STRUCTURE

The people of DRC are born cheerful, happy in joy of life and the country is a country of contrasts, not just of landscape and climate, but culture.
The population of DRC is 60 million. The majority of inhabitants live in Kinshasa region, following Kinshasa comes Shaba, Haut – Congo, Bandundu, Equateur, Kasai Oriental, Kasai Occidental, Kivu and finally Bas-Congo.

The Bantus, members of one of the largest tribes in Black Africa, make up almost half of the entire population in Congo. They live dispersed in an area approximately two thirds of the country: from the North, to the border with the Central African Republic, to the South-East in Shaba.

The Sudanese, immigrants from the North who came between the 14th and 16th Century, have settled mainly on the Northern border between the rivers Ubangi and Uele.

The Pygmies are Congo’s oldest inhabitants. The word sterms from the Greek pygmaios and means as big as a fist. The dwarf – size tribe (average size ca. 1.40 m or 4feets. 6 inc). They are exceptional hunters who are especially skilled in using poisonous arrows. Hunting is the main responsibility of the men, whilst the women collect fruit, leaves, snails, etc. for food and build huts out of twigs and foliage. The Pygmies are monogamous and live in non-hierarchial family communities. Due to the clearing of the forest for timber, the pigmies living space has been dramastically reduced. There are several Pygmy villages to be seen around Mont Hoyo.