Name Democratic Republic of the Congo
Type Country
Usage English
Other Forms FormsCongo-Kinshasa, Zaire, DR Congo, DRC, DROC, the Congo
Edit Status Status
Meaning & History
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa. It was formerly called Zaire (1971–1997). It is, by area, the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, the second-largest in all of Africa (after Algeria), and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of over 101 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world, as well as the fourth-most-populous in Africa, and the 15th-most-populous country in the world. Since 2015, the Eastern DR Congo has been the scene of an ongoing military conflict in Kivu. It's capital is Kinshasa.