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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)
Principal rivers and lakes of the Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: République démocratique du Congo), commonly referred to as DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa or the DRC, is a country in central Africa. It was known as Zaïre from 1971 to 1997. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 71 million,[1] the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the nineteenth most populous nation in the world, the fourth most populous nation in Africa, as well as the most populous Francophone (French-speaking) country.
The Second Congo War, beginning in 1998, devastated the country. It involved nine African nations and some twenty armed groups.[7] Despite the signing of peace accords in 2003, fighting continues in the east of the country. There, the prevalence of rape and other sexual violence is described as the worst in the world.[8] The war is the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, killing 5.4 million people since 1998.[9][10] The vast majority died from conditions of malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition.[11]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly, in chronological order, the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo-Léopoldville, Congo-Kinshasa, and Zaire (Zaïre in French).[1] Though it is in the Central African United Nations subregion, the nation is also economically and regionally affiliated with Southern Africa as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo is Kinshasa.
World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo include Virunga National Park (1979), Garamba National Park (1980),Kahuzi-Biega National Park (1980), Salonga National Park (1984) and Okapi Wildlife Reserve (1996).