Economic Development (OCR GCSE Geography)

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

• DRC is a low-income developing country
• The capital of the DRC is Kinshasa
• Borders 9 countries
• Located in Central Africa on the equator

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• Although not landlocked the DRC's coastline is small 
• The DRC has the characteristics of a LIDC

 DRC Fact File 

Population	95.89 million (2021)
Population growth rate	3.2%
Birth rate	42 per 1000
Death rate	8 per 1000
Infant mortality rate	62 per 1000
Life expectancy	59
Literacy rate	80%
GNI/capita	$590
Economic growth rate	6.8%
Human Development Index (HDI)	0.48
Urban population	47%
Main exports	Copper; cobalt; oil; timber; cocoa; zinc
Main imports	Machinery; food; vehicles; plastics

• In terms of natural resources, the DRC is one of the richest countries in the world 
• Yet over 60 million people are estimated to live on less than US$2 a day
• In 2009 the Congolese government gained US$155 million in revenue, but the IMF estimated their exports were worth US$4.2 billion

Before independence

• The area that is now the DRC suffered significant enslavement of the population between 1500-1850
  • It is estimated that in this region 15,000 people every year were enslaved in the region and sent to the plantations in Brazil and the Caribbean
• Belgian colonisation of the region began in 1885 with the establishment of the Congo Free State
• The region became fully under the control of Belgium in 1908 

After independence

• The DRC achieved independence in June 1960
• Unrest and conflict followed over the next 50 years

Influences on DRC's development

Political

• There have been many incidences of civil and political unrest including the Congo crisis, the First Congo War and the Second Congo War
• Between 1965 and 1997 the President of DRC was Mobutu Sese Seko 
  • He allowed armed forces to loot the resources of the country 
  • He also took bribes from large foreign companies, allowing them access to take natural resources
• In 2018 the first undisputed election occurred

Social

• In the eastern DRC there have been approximately 6 million deaths since 1996 due to conflicts 
• Population growth has led to food shortages 

Physical

• The narrow coastline restricts trade
• Low-lying areas are covered with rainforest, which restricts the development of agriculture and transportation 
• A large country - goods have to be transported over thousands of kilometres
• Long dry season makes crop growth difficult
• Frequent flooding during the wet season, leads to the destruction of crops

Economic

• Many natural resources, such as copper, zinc and oil
• Agriculture accounts for:
  • Over 42% of the Gross Domestic Product
  • The employment of 62% of men and 84% of women

The Rostow model of development

• The Rostow model of development shows the stages which a country will pass through as it develops
• It is a straight-line graph and was based on the typical development of ACs
• The model describes how a country’s economy changes from relying most on primary industry (e.g. agriculture), through secondary industry (e.g. manufacturing goods) to tertiary and quaternary industry (e.g. services and research)
• Stage 1 (the traditional society) is the lowest level of development and stage 5 (high mass consumption) is the highest level

Rostow's model of development

The DRC and Rostow's model of development

• Despite the DRC's large primary industry, the country has improved its education and healthcare through investments from TNCs
• As a result, DRC is at stage 2
• Many of the factors outlined above have hindered its movement into stage 3

Millennium Development Goals 

• The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight targets which the UN member states committed to achieving by 2015
• Signed in September 2000, 198 countries committed to the goals
• Progress towards the goals has varied widely between countries

The Millennium Development Goals

DRC and the Millennium Development Goals

• The progress of the DRC towards the MDGs has been mixed
• None of the MDG have been met 
• The DRC ranks 176th of 187 in the UN Development Index

Progress of DRC Towards the Millennium Development Goals 

Goal	Progress
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger	Poverty has decreased slightly from 71% to 63% Malnutrition increased from 51% to 66%
Achieve universal primary education	On target - 90% of children start primary school  Only 72% of children finish primary school (over 80% boys, 65% of girls)
Promote gender equality and empower women	More girls are finishing school but the number of boys finishing school has also increased Fewer women than men are in paid work. Women earn less for the same job
Combat HIV/Aids, Malaria, and other diseases	Some improvement 73% of children are now vaccinated against measles There remain 45% of children not protected by malaria nets There has been a decrease in people infected with HIV from 5% to 1%
Ensure environmental sustainability	Deforestation has increased There has only been a slight increase in protected areas of 2%, Over 33 million people still have no access to clean water Only 29% of people have improved sanitation
Develop a global partnership for development	China has invested $6 billion to improve infrastructure