icking in persons:

current situation: Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source and
destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the
purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; much of this
trafficking occurs within the country's unstable eastern provinces
and is perpetrated by armed groups outside government control
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Democratic Republic of the Congo is
on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007; while
some significant initial advances were noted, the government's
capacity to apprehend, convict, or imprison traffickers remained
weak; the government lacks sufficient financial, technical, and
human resources to effectively address not only trafficking crimes,
but also to provide basic levels of security in some parts of the
country (2008)

Illicit drugs:

one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for
domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate
supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money
laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the
country's utility as a money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Congo, Republic of the

Introduction
Congo, Republic of the

Background:

Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo
became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of
experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil
war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO,
and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest.
Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March
2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a
humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's
largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will
need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the
long term.

Geography
Congo, Republic of the

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola
and Gabon

Geographic coordinates:

1 00 S, 15 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km
water: 500 sq km

Area - comparati