Democratic Republic of the Congo
Africa's largest country
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in central Africa, the largest in sub-Saharan Africa by area.
Formerly the Belgian Congo and later Zaire under dictator Mobutu, it is often called the DRC or Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from neighboring Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).
The country is rich in minerals but has been plagued by conflict and instability since independence in 1960.
Large apes of high-altitude African forests
- okapiShort-necked giraffe relative
- forest elephantsWooded-habitat African pachyderms
- bonobosEndangered African great apes
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
biodiversity · endangered species · bushmeat · poaching · conservation · endemic species
Damaged by military conflict
- militiasCivilian defense forces
- child soldiersUnderage combatants in war
- displacementRemoval from usual location
- refugeesPeople seeking safety elsewhere
humanitarian crisis · peacekeepers · ethnic violence · instability · resource wars · civil war · insurgency · reconciliation
Element twenty-seven
- coltanColumbite-tantalite mixture
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
- goldElement seventy-nine
tin · tantalum · cassiterite · uranium · conflict minerals · lithium · resource curse · extraction
DRC's capital city
- Congo RiverMajor Central African waterway
- Central AfricaMiddle of the continent
- landlockedHaving no sea access
- equatorialOf Earth's central line
Bantu language of East Africa
- FrenchOf or from Paris's nation
- KongoBantu language family member
- rumbaAfro-Cuban partner dance
- oral literatureUnwritten narrative traditions
mountain gorillas
Large apes of high-altitude African forests
- okapiShort-necked giraffe relative
- forest elephantsWooded-habitat African pachyderms
- bonobosEndangered African great apes
rainforest · biodiversity · endangered species · bushmeat · poaching · conservation · endemic species
war-torn
Damaged by military conflict
- militiasCivilian defense forces
- child soldiersUnderage combatants in war
- displacementRemoval from usual location
refugees · humanitarian crisis · peacekeepers · ethnic violence · instability · resource wars · civil war · insurgency · reconciliation · ceasefire
cobalt
Element twenty-seven
- coltanColumbite-tantalite mixture
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
gold · tin · tantalum · cassiterite · uranium · conflict minerals · lithium · resource curse · extraction · smuggling
Kinshasa
DRC's capital city
- Congo RiverMajor Central African waterway
- Central AfricaMiddle of the continent
- landlockedHaving no sea access
Swahili
Bantu language of East Africa
oral literature · drumming · ethnic diversity · colonial legacy
- Diverse NationsIndia, Indonesia, Russia, Nigeria, South Africa
- Central AfricaCongo, Belgian Congo, rainforest, tropical rainforest, Chad
Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo-Brazzaville
Central African republic, western side
Democratic Republic of the CongoSwitzerland
Alpine republic, perpetually neutral
Norway · Botswana · Singapore · Luxembourg · Qatar
democratic, republic, democracy, democrat, democracies, democratically, democratize, democratization, republics