Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaïre and also referred to as Congo-Kinshasa, DROC, DR Congo, Congo, or République démocratique du Congo (RDC), is a Central African country situated on the equator. It is the third largest country in Africa and twelfth largest in the world, with 2,345,410 sq km of land divided into 26 provinces. The country is almost landlocked, save for a narrow 37 km strip of land in the lower western region leading to the South Atlantic Ocean. Borders are shared with Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

DR Congo has a population of over 101 million people and a life expectancy of about 55-60 years. (Britannica) About 95% of the population identifies as Christian. (ARDA) Though French is the official language, over 200 languages are spoken in the country. Recognized national languages include Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba. Among Deaf communities, both Francophone African Sign Language and American Sign Language are used. (Translators without Borders) DR Congo has a vast amount of arable land and is rich in natural resources, including petroleum and natural gases, as well as large mineral deposits of diamonds, gold, coltan, uranium, platinum, tin, copper, cobalt, and palladium, among others. The Congo River, which runs across much of the country, is a major source of hydropower and the second longest river in Africa after the Nile. Despite its wealth of resources, it remains one of poorest countries in the world.

The Congo has a long history of bloodshed and foreign influence on its governments and people. As part of the Kingdom of Kongo in the early 1500s, the area was a major source of slaves for Portuguese traders. In 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium privately established the Congo Free State, violently and ruthlessly exploiting the Congolese people for resources. The area was colonized by Belgium parliament from 1908 until 1960 and renamed the Belgian Congo. Shortly after the Congo declared independence, Belgium, France, and the United States supported a coup of the new government by anti-communist Mobutu Sese Seko (né Joseph Mobutu), who would name the country Zaïre and rule as dictator while torturing and publicly executing any threats. The country has seen civil war, political instability, Rwandan refugees, and brutal exploitation for resources by both domestic and foreign powers.

Citation

Democratic Republic of the Congo | Culture, History, & People. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Religion And Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA. (2020). Association of Religious Data Archives. https://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_57_1.asp

Language data for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -. (2021, February 24). Translators without Borders. https://translatorswithoutborders.org/language-data-for-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-drc/