Climate: Tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator—wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator—wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)

Terrain: Vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Environment Issues: Poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation (forests endangered by fires set to clear the land for agricultural purposes; forests also used as a source of fuel); soil erosion; mining (diamonds, gold, coltan—a mineral used in creating capacitors for electronic devices) causing environmental damage

Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Government Type: Semi-presidential Republic