Project Congo
Background
Since its independence from Belgium in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the Congo) formerly known as Zaire, has been a hotbed of violence and conflict. Straddling the equator, the central African country has a tropical and humid climate. The Congo is surrounded by the countries of Angola, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
The Congo’s population, which is 56 million, comprises more than 200 ethnic groups. An estimated 65 percent of the population can read and write in French, the official language. The proportion of people who have entered primary school has decreased steadily since the wars began in 1993.


