Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Motto: "Justice – Paix – Travail" (French)
"Justice – Peace – Work" |
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Location of Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark green)
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Capital and largest city |
Kinshasa 4°19′S 15°19′E / 4.317°S 15.317°E |
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Official languages | French | ||||
Recognised national languages | |||||
Ethnic groups | See Ethnic groups section below | ||||
Demonym | Congolese | ||||
Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic | ||||
Joseph Kabila | |||||
Samy Badibanga | |||||
Legislature | Parliament | ||||
Senate | |||||
National Assembly | |||||
Independence | |||||
• from Belgium
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30 June 1960 | ||||
Area | |||||
• Total
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2,345,409 km2 (905,567 sq mi) (11th) | ||||
• Water (%)
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4.3 | ||||
Population | |||||
• 2015 estimate
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81,680,000 (16th) | ||||
• Density
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34.83/km2 (90.2/sq mi) | ||||
GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate | ||||
• Total
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$66.014 billion | ||||
• Per capita
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$784 | ||||
GDP (nominal) | 2016 estimate | ||||
• Total
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$39.820 billion | ||||
• Per capita
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$473 | ||||
Gini (2006) | 44.4 medium |
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HDI (2015) |
0.435 low · 176th |
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Currency | Congolese franc (CDF) | ||||
Time zone | WAT and CAT (UTC+1 to +2) | ||||
Drives on the | right | ||||
Calling code | +243 | ||||
ISO 3166 code | CD | ||||
Internet TLD | .cd |
Coordinates: 2°52′48″S 23°39′22″E / 2.88°S 23.656°E
Repubilika ya Kôngo ya Dimokalasi (Kongo)
Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki (Lingala)
Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo (Swahili)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (/ˈkɒŋɡoʊ/; French pronunciation: [kɔ̃ɡo]; French: République démocratique du Congo), also known as DR Congo, DRC, DROC, East Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo is a country located in Central Africa. From 1971 to 1997 it was named, and is sometimes still called, Zaire, and from 1908 to 1960 it was called the Belgian Congo. The DRC borders the Central African Republic, and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. It is the second-largest country in Africa by area and eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 80 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth most-populated nation in Africa and the eighteenth most populated country in the world.