Although the D. R. Congo has great natural wealth and mineral resources, it is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world according to the Human Development Index. One of the main reasons for this is more than three decades of mismanagement and corruption under the regime of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. After his death in 1997, there were severe armed conflicts, some of which continue to the present day. On the map, the conflict is expressed by a patchwork of areas controlled either by the state or by rebel groups, and United Nations mission bases in the main towns. Millions of people are still fleeing violence and hardship. Rich mineral resources have become a decisive factor in the civil war, including especially raw materials important for the global electronics industry such as gold, tantalum (extracted from coltan ore), tin, and tungsten. Raw materials now also play a role as a source of money for warlords, with revenues flowing mainly into the purchase of weapons.

The map shows the mining regions in the east of the country. Only a few well-developed transport routes connect them with the provincial capitals Kisangani, Kindu, Bukavu, and Goma as well as the neighbouring states Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Nevertheless, mining is carried out at many locations, although not in well-equipped large-scale mines. Small-scale mining is one of the most important economic sectors in the DR Congo, especially in the east of the country. According to estimates, around 500,000 people make a living from activities in this unregulated, informal sector. In many mines, mining is usually done with the simplest equipment in pits at or near the surface. Serious, even fatal, accidents occur relatively frequently in unsecured mines, dangerous tunnels and at primitive processing facilities. The living conditions of many miners, who live in improvised settlements around larger mining areas, are mostly unacceptable.

Not only corrupt officials and security forces enrich themselves from their often modest mining results, but above all rebel groups. Corruption is the order of the day. Militias repeatedly plunder the resource-rich north-eastern Kivu province, threatening and terrorising mine workers and the population. In some cases, miners are robbed or forced to pay compulsory dues, in others the mines are captured by rebel groups. The civilian population is brutally expelled, and in some cases men, women and children are used as slaves for forced labour. In this respect, the map shows a snapshot of a region where the balance of power can change rapidly.

As the map also shows, in addition to mining, eastern Congo is still characterised today by extensive, contiguous areas of tropical rainforest, large areas of which have been placed under protection in national parks. The unique natural landscape (forests, large lakes) and the habitats of rare animals (gorillas) offer great potential for nature tourism, which, however, cannot be used due to the location in a civil war region.

The lake is supplied with water by the Kagera Nile in the west. In the north, the Victoria Nile forms the outflow of the lake. Thus, the lake is also the source of the White Nile, the main river of the Nile. The capital of Uganda, Kampala, with its export airport, is also located near the outflow. The Owen Falls Dam, built in the 1950s, is also located there. On the shores of Lake Victoria there are still isolated natural savanna areas. However, most of the shore is cultivated by humans. Coffee, tea, tobacco, fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and other agricultural products are grown there for export.

Around 30 million people live on Lake Victoria. This corresponds to about one third of the population of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and more and more people are attracted to Lake Victoria because of its attractive economic opportunities. Tourists who use the lake for kayaking, for example, are also attracted.

Besides agriculture, fishing plays an important role. Numerous small fishing ports around the lake testify to the importance of the fishing industry for the region. The fish are processed in factories, which are also located on the lakeshore and most of which are found in Uganda and Kenya. Around 550 different species of fish, from tilapia to sardines, are native to Lake Victoria. However, the cichlid is now only found sporadically, as the Nile perch or Victoria perch, which was introduced to the lake in the 1960s, has brought the cichlid to the brink of extinction to a large extent. The fishing factories mainly process the Nile perch for international export. A species of water lily from South America (hyacinth) has also been multiplying rapidly since the 1980s and covers large parts of the Ugandan coast. It reduces the water quality and robs the other creatures of the lake of oxygen. In addition, fish hide along the overgrown shores. Thus, more and more fishermen are losing their livelihoods.

The water quality of Lake Victoria is in a worrying state. Urban and industrial wastewater is increasingly polluting the lake, with waste from the fishing industry also playing a part. Added to this is pollution from toxic residues from Tanzanian gold mines. The water level continues to rise, especially due to the influence of hyacinths and heavy rains, which also destroy surrounding villages.