Democratic Republic Of Congo Essays Example

The Democratic Republic of Congo was a Belgium colony from 1908 to1960 (Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, n.d). The country has fought several wars. The first Congo war was between 1996 and 1997 fighting an invasion from Zaire and Rwanda. The second Congo war occurred in 1998-2003. The current president of DRC is Joseph Kabila who has been the president since January, 2001. The president is elected through a general election with the candidate with majority vote winning. The GDP of Congo is projected to be 32.64 in the first quarter of 2015 and 33.84 by 2020. The country has been unstable and with huge deposits of minerals making it a focus in African politics and economic reviews.
The country has changed its flags over time. The country was renamed Zaire between 1963, July 1st, and 1971, Nov. 21st. The flag had one star and central line from left lower corner to the upper right corner. The flags have changed many times. The current flag is sky blue with a yellow star in the upper-left canton demarcated by a red stripe with a thin yellow margin. Blue represents hope and peace; red represents blood of the martyrs of the country, while yellow represents wealth and country’s prosperity. The star signifies unity and the bright future of the people of DRC.
Congo has special diplomatic relationships with South Africa. SA has been influential in arbitrations and restoration of peace in DRC. It has trained more than seven hundred DRC diplomat to make them ready to serve the country in various foreign missions (South African Embassy Kinshasa DRC, n.d). SA also trades with DRC. Congo has large mineral deposits, but it social-political uncertainties have barred the country from flourishing. It is struggling with unemployment and significantly low economic growth.
The economies of Canada, USA, and South Africa are by too high than that of DRC. The Growth rate is higher in the three countries than in DRC. The political stability is better in the three countries as opposed to DRC.

References

Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (n.d). retrieved on January 27, 2015 from http://www.content.eisa.org.za/old-page/drc-belgian-colonialism-1908-1960
South African Embassy Kinshasa DRC (n.d). Retrieved on January 27, 2015 from http://www.dfa.gov.za/kinshasa/bilateral.html