Democratic Republic of the Congo
République démocratique du Congo (French)
Repubilika ya Kôngo ya Dimokalasi (Kongo) Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki (Lingala) Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo (Swahili) Ditunga dia Kongu wa Mungalaata (Luba-Katanga) |
|
---|---|
Motto: "Justice – Paix – Travail" (French)
"Justice – Peace – Work" |
|
Location of Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark green)
|
|
Capital and largest city |
Kinshasa 4°19′S 15°19′E / 4.317°S 15.317°E |
Official languages | French |
Recognised national languages | |
Ethnic groups | See Ethnic groups section below |
Demonym | Congolese, Zairian |
Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
Joseph Kabila | |
Bruno Tshibala | |
Legislature | Parliament |
Senate | |
National Assembly | |
Formation | |
17 November 1879 | |
1 July 1885 | |
15 November 1908 | |
• Independence from Belgium
|
30 June 1960 |
• Renamed to Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
1 August 1964 |
29 October 1971 | |
17 May 1997 | |
18 February 2006 | |
Area | |
• Total
|
2,345,409 km2 (905,567 sq mi) (11th) |
• Water (%)
|
4.3 |
Population | |
• 2017 estimate
|
82,243,000 (16th) |
• Density
|
34.83/km2 (90.2/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total
|
$68.331 billion |
• Per capita
|
$788 |
GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total
|
$41.098 billion |
• Per capita
|
$474 |
Gini (2006) | 44.4 medium |
HDI (2015) |
0.435 low · 176th |
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
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (/ˈkɒŋɡoʊ/; French pronunciation: [kɔ̃ɡo]; French: République démocratique du Congo), also known as DR Congo, DRC, DROC, Congo-Kinshasa or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. 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.