The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to be a top contributor to African economic growth and stability because of its size, resources, and geo-political importance. Strategically located at the center of the African continent and sharing borders with nine countries, the DRC is the second-largest country in Africa in terms of area and the fourth-largest in terms of population. It has unparalleled natural resource wealth, including cobalt, copper, gold, tantalum, tin, diamonds, petroleum, and water. However, extensive corruption, weak institutions and human capacity, coupled with a lack of basic infrastructure, mean that the pace of development for the average citizen remains slow.