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What did you do for Veterans’ Day?

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ChelseaMary

Hannah

Amanda

Narrative Time!

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2014 G8 Summit

February 4-5, 2014Sochi, Russia

(University of Florida)

Today’s Discussion

Addressing the Issue…

Details…

2nd Largest in Africa & 11th Largest worldwide 71 Million People (19th Most Populous) Tremendous civil unrest – First Congo War,

Second Congo War, Kivu Conflict Direct & Indirect Impacts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo

Details…

Patriarchal – Impact of War on Women French is Official Language Tremendous Diversity – Positives & Negatives Literacy Rate - 67.2% (80.9% male and 54.1%

female) 65% of children 10-14 are in schools Transportation is mainly through the

water ways

Geographical Details…

Location: Central Africa. Bordering nations--Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

Area: 2.345 sq. km. (905,063 sq. mi.; about the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi)

Cities: Capital--Kinshasa (pop. approx. 9 million). Regional capitals--Bandundu, Bukavu, Goma, Kananga, Kindu, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Matadi, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Mayi

Terrain: Varies from tropical rainforests to mountainous terraces, plateaus, savannas, dense grasslands, and mountains

Climate: Equatorial; ranges from tropical rainforest in the Congo River basin, hot and humid in much of the north and west, cooler and drier in the south central area and the east

Details about People…

Nationality: Congolese Population (2011 est.): 71,712,867 Annual population growth rate (2008 est.): 3.24% Ethnic groups: Approximately 250 African ethnic groups; the Luba,

Kongo, and Anamongo are some of the larger groups Religions: Christian 70% (Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%);

Kimbanguist 10%; other sects and traditional beliefs 10%; Muslim 10%

Languages: French, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba Education: Literacy (2008 est.)--French or local language: 55%

(women), 76% (men). Enrollment (2010 est.)--primary 91%, secondary 36.5%, higher education 4.6%

Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--92/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (2008 est.)--51.3 years

Details about Government…

Republic; highly centralized with executive power vested in the president.

Independence: June 30, 1960 (from Belgium). Branches: Executive--President (head of state) nominates the

Prime Minister (head of government), who, together with his/her cabinet, is approved by parliament. Legislative--Bicameral parliament consisting of a directly elected National Assembly and an indirectly elected Senate. Judicial---Supreme Court of Justice consisting of 26 justices. The nine-member Constitutional Court charged with resolving electoral and constitutional questions has yet to be appointed; the Supreme Court of Justice fulfills this role in the interim.

Administrative subdivisions: The 2006 constitution mandates the reapportionment of the D.R.C.’s current 11 provinces (including the capital city, Kinshasa) into 26 provinces, but implementation of this change has been delayed.

Political parties: 104 parties were elected to the National Assembly in 2011.

Suffrage: 18 years of age and universal.

Details about Economy…

GDP (2010): $15.3 billion. Annual GDP growth rate (2011): 6.9%. Per capita GDP (2011): $210. Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold, tantalum,

other minerals; petroleum; wood; hydroelectric potential. Agriculture: Cash crops--coffee, rubber, palm oil, cotton,

cocoa, sugar, tea. Food crops--manioc, corn, legumes, plantains, peanuts. Land use--Agriculture 3%; pasture 7%; forest/woodland 77%; other 13%.

Industry: Types--processed and unprocessed minerals; consumer products, including textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes, metal products; processed foods and beverages, cement, timber.

Currency: Congolese franc (FC). The U.S. dollar is also used as legal tender.

Details about Resources…

Resources Congo River – 2nd largest flow & 2nd largest watershed of any river in

the world (could provide hydro-electric power to the entire continent, according to a U.N. report on the country's strategic significance and its potential role as an economic power in central Africa)

45 km stretch of land bordering the Atlantic Rift Valley Mineral Wealth - Cobalt, copper, cadmium, industrial and

gem-quality diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, and coal

70% of the world’s Coltan & 30% of the world’s diamond reserves (Coltan is a major source of tantalum, which is used in the fabrication of electronic components in computers and mobile phones)

Trade: Exports (2010 goods)--$8.5 billion. Products--diamonds, gold, cobalt, copper, coffee, petroleum, wood. Main partners--EU, Japan, South Africa, U.S., China. Imports (2010 goods)--$8.0 billion. Products--consumer goods (food, textiles), capital equipment, refined petroleum products. Partners--EU, China, South Africa, U.S.Official debt (2010 est.): $3.9 billion.

Questions to Address

Within the context of Food Security consider the following… There is a lot to do, but what do we need

to focus on first? Why? What are the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, & Threats associated with addressing this issue?

What should we do from your nation’s perspective?

11.20 will be Feb. 4-5, 2014 & UF will be Sochi, Russia

Logistics

G8 Summit Praxis Scheduling Leadership

Philosophies Go Gators!