New
New
Year 8

Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

I can compare urban and rural life in the DRC.

New
New
Year 8

Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

I can compare urban and rural life in the DRC.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Life in the DRC varies greatly between rural villages and urban areas like Kinshasa.
  2. Rural life relies on subsistence farming and small-scale trade.
  3. Urban life includes a wide range of jobs, from informal market vendors to high-income professionals.
  4. High-income careers exist in areas such as banking and the oil and mining industries.

Keywords

  • Rural - something to do with the countryside

  • Urban - something to do with a city or town

  • Subsistence farming - farming that provides enough food for the farmer and their family to live on, rather than for them to sell

  • Migration - moving from one place to another with the intention of staying there for some time

  • Informal employment - jobs that are not officially recorded or regulated and do not involve the payment of taxes

Common misconception

That housing in cities is better / bigger / cheaper / more available than in rural areas.

Cities are often perceived to have better or more housing but this is not always the case. Inner city housing can be small and run down; people who move to cities may not find accomodation at all and may have to live in informal settlements.


To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

There is opportunity for further research and comparison between the earnings of people in various industries of the DRC and people in the same industries and professions in other countries. Direct comparisons like this can be useful in making situations more tangible for students to understand.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Where is the DRC located?

Northern Africa
Correct answer: Central Africa
Eastern Africa
Southern Africa

Q2.
Which of the following best describes the DRC’s population?

Small and spread out
Very small for its size
Correct answer: One of the largest in Africa
Mostly elderly people

Q3.
Match the term to its description:

Correct Answer:Colony,Country controlled by another country

Country controlled by another country

Correct Answer:Legacy,Something handed down from the past

Something handed down from the past

Correct Answer:Border,Dividing line between countries

Dividing line between countries

Q4.
What language is commonly spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Correct answer: French
Spanish
Portuguese

Q5.
What has been one lasting impact (legacy) of colonialism in the DRC?

Stable borders with no disputes
Wealth spread evenly among the people
Correct answer: Political instability and conflict over resources
Immediate independence and peace

Q6.
The DRC shares the Congo with its neighbour, the Republic of the Congo.

Correct Answer: River, river

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are primary industries?

Correct answer: agriculture
Correct answer: mining
banking
teaching
Correct answer: fishing

Q2.
Most people in rural areas of the DRC ...

have high-earning careers in the oil industry.
Correct answer: work in agriculture and rely on subsistence farming for food.
Correct answer: work in mining for natural resources.
carry out office work.

Q3.
People migrate to cities like Kinshasa because ...

Correct answer: there are opportunities for higher-paid jobs.
it is cheaper to live there than in the countryside.
Correct answer: there is better access to health care and education.
the population of the cities is growing.

Q4.
Informal employment ...

pays the most.
Correct answer: pays the least.
involves a contract and regular hours of work.
Correct answer: has no regular hours of work or guaranteed income.