Democratic Republic of Congo
Conventional Short Form: D R C, D R Congo, Congo DemocraticFormer names: ( 1971 - 1997: Zaire ), (1960 - 1971: Congo), ( 1971 - 1997: Zaire ), ( 1908 - 1960: Belgian Congo ), ( 1885 - 1908: Congo Free State )
Background Introduction
The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in central Africa and positioned at the centre point of the world. Bordered by the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one-quarter the size of the United States and almost the size of western Europe.
The D R Congo features a variety of lakes, rivers, mountain ranges and national parks. The most widely-known of this natural wonders is the Congo River which is a 2,733 mile river and lies mostly within the country and flows all the way to the Atlantic ocean. The entire length of Lake Tanganyika lies along the eastern border with Tanzania and Burundi.
Formerly the Belgian Congo, this territory was inhabited originally by ancient Pygmies, who were pushed into the forests by Bantu groups. The Welsh born American correspondent Henry M. Stanley navigated the Congo River in 1877 and opened the interior to exploration. Commissioned by King Leopold II of Belgium, Stanley made treaties with native chiefs that enabled the king to obtain personal title to the territory at the Berlin Conference of 1885. Full independence was achieved in 1960.
Kinshasa is the capital and the largest city.
Population: 62,700,000.