Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second-largest country in Africa, located in central Africa. Its capital is the city of Kinshasa, located on the Congo River. Kinshasa is the largest city in central Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo is often referred to as Congo Kinshasa to distinguish it from the Republic of the Congo, or Congo Brazzaville. The DRC gained independence from Belgium in 1960, and from 1971 to 1997, the country was officially known as the Republic of Zaire, a name meaning “great river.” Following the overthrow of General Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997, the name returned to Congo. Congo is bordered by the Central African Republic and south Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania to the ...