constituteproject.org
• National motto
PDF generated: 18 Apr 2016, 15:22
Its motto is "Justice-Paix-Travail" [Justice-Peace-Work]
Its coat of arms consists of the head of a leopard framed on the left and, to the right
by, an ivory tusk and by a spear, all of which rest on a pier.
• National anthem
The national anthem is "Debout Congolais!" [Arise Congolese!]
Its currency is "le Franc congolais" [the Congolese Franc]
• Official or national languages
Its official language is French.
• Official or national languages
The national languages are Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba. The State assures
their promotion without discrimination.
• Protection of language use
The other languages of the country are made part of the Congolese cultural
patrimony of which the State assures the protection.
Article 2
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is composed of the City of Kinshasa and of 25
Provinces endowed with juridical personality.
These Provinces are: Bas-Uele, Equateur, Haut-Lomami, Haut-Katanga, Haut-Uele,
Ituri, Kasai, Kasai Oriental, Kongo central, Kwango, Kwilu, Lomami, Lualaba, Kisai
Central, Mai-Ndombe, Maniema, Mongala, Nord-Kivu, Nord-Ubangi, Sankuru, Sud
Kivu, Sud Ubangi, Tanganyika, Tshopo, Tshuapa.
• National capital
Kinshasa is the capital of the country and the seat of the national institutions. It has
the status of a Province. The capital may only be transferred to another place in the
country by way of referendum.
The division of competences between the State and the Provinces is effected
conforming to the provisions of Title III of this Constitution.
The boundaries of the Provinces and those of City of Kinshasa are established by an
organic law.
• Subsidiary unit government
Article 3
The Provinces and the decentralized territorial entities of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo are endowed with juridical personality and are administered by the
local organs.
These decentralized territorial entities are the city, the commune, the sector and the
chefferie [head man's district]
They enjoy free administration autonomy of management of their economic, human,
financial and technical resources.
The composition, the organization [and] the functioning of these decentralized
territorial entities as well as their relations with the State and the Provinces are
established by an organic law.
Article 4
New Provinces and territorial entities may be created by division or by
reorganization under the conditions specified by the Constitution and by the law.
Congo (Democratic Republic of the) 2005 (rev. 2011)
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