Congo Democratic Republic 20000 Congolese francs banknote 2006
Central Bank of the Congo - Banque Centrale du Congo
Obverse: Two giraffes and carved head "Bashilele". Holographic patch BCC - Monogram of the Central Bank of Congo at right. Democratic Republic of the Congo map outline as a See-through Registration Device at left. Signature of Jean-Claude Masangu Mulongo (as Le Gouverneur).
Reverse: Palm trees and two Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum).
Watermark: Leopard head and electrotype 20000.
Windowed security thread with demetalized RD CONGO.
Main colour: Yellow.
Material: Cotton.
Dimensions: 157 x 72 mm.
Congo Democratic Republic Banknotes and Paper Money
1997-2013 Issue
5000 Congolese francs 10000 Congolese francs 20000 Congolese francs
Lele people
The Lele, also known as Bashilele or Usilele, are a subgroup of the Kuba people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They traditionally live in the Kasai River region, but since the 1950s many have migrated to Kinshasa. There are currently about 30,000 Lele, of which 26,000 speak the Lele language.
Grey crowned crane
The grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in Uganda and Kenya and as far south as South Africa. This animal does not migrate due to the perfect climate it inhabits. There are two subspecies. The East African Balearica regulorum gibbericeps (crested crane) occurs in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda, of which it is the national bird represented in its national flag, and Kenya to eastern South Africa. It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch than the smaller nominate species, Balearica regulorum regulorum (South African crowned crane), which breeds from Angola south to South Africa. This species and the closely related black-crowned crane are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. This habit, amongst other things, is a reason why the relatively small Balearica cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae.