CongoKinshasa

CongoKinshasa refers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country in Central Africa. The term Congo-Kinshasa is used to distinguish it from its neighbor, the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). Its capital and largest city is Kinshasa, located on the Congo River opposite Brazzaville. The DRC covers about 2.34 million square kilometers, making it one of the continent’s largest states. It is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Angola, and has a short Atlantic coastline along the Congo River estuary.

The country is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and a population estimated around 120 million. Official language is French; widely spoken linguae franchae include Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo and Tshiluba. Christianity is the predominant religion, with communities practicing indigenous beliefs as well. The DRC contains vast natural resources and large tracts of rainforest in the Congo Basin, contributing to a substantial mineral sector, including cobalt and copper, diamonds and gold, and significant hydropower potential.

Historically, the area was a Belgian colony known as the Belgian Congo and gained independence on June 30, 1960. It experienced political instability, including the Congo Crisis and Mobutu Sese Seko’s long rule (the country was known as Zaire from 1971 to 1997). In 1997 the state took its current name, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and operates as a semi-presidential republic with a multiparty system and 26 provinces. Since the late 1990s, eastern regions have faced conflict involving various armed groups, humanitarian challenges, and international peacekeeping efforts. As of the mid-2020s, Félix Tshisekedi serves as president.