2023/10/24 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: République démocratique du Congo, abbreviated as RDC) is a country located in central Africa, referred to as Democratic Congo (DR Congo), Congo (Kinshasa) (Congo-Kinshasa). The country's land area is approximately 2.345 million square kilometers, making it the second largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and the 11th largest country in the world. [8] The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous French-speaking country in the world, the 16th most populous country in the world, and the fourth most populous country in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

The predecessor of the Democratic Congo was the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It became an independent country on June 30, 1960. Since the country was named "Republic of the Congo" when it was founded, the neighboring French Congo, which had become independent earlier, also used "Republic of the Congo" as its country name. The international community included the name of the capital after the names of the two countries to distinguish them. Since its capital is the city of Rebourg, it is also known as The Republic of the Congo (Rebourg City), referred to as Rebourg City Congo. On August 1, 1964, the name of the country was changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1966, its capital, Reba City, was renamed Kinshasa, and the country's abbreviation was changed to Congo (DRC). On October 27, 1971, then-President Mobutu changed the name of the country to Zaïre (French: Zaïre) in order to decolonize. On May 17, 1997, the Allied Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo led by Laurent Kabila The capture of Kinshasa overthrew the Mobutu regime and restored the country's name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to this day.

The Second Congo War that began in 1998 left the country devastated. Because this war involved 9 African countries and about 20 armed forces, it was also called "Africa's World War." Despite the signing of a peace agreement in 2003, fighting continues in the east of the country. Rates of rape and other sexual violence in eastern Congo are thought to be among the highest in the world. The war has killed 5.4 million people since 1998, the vast majority from malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition.