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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Congo, Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo physical features of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Nyiragongo, Mount Congo River basin and drainage network Congo River: fishing lombi tree Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ethnic composition
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Also known as: Congo-Kinshasa, DRC, République Démocratique du Congo, République du Congo, Republic of the Congo
Written by
Dennis D. Cordell
Associate Vice Provost for General Education and Professor of History, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Adjunct Professor of Demography, University of Montreal. Coauthor of Hoe and Wage:...
Dennis D. Cordell,
Ntsomo Payanzo
Former Assistant Professor of Sociology, National University of Zaire, Lubumbashi.
Ntsomo Payanzo•All
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Last Updated: • Article History
Congolese civilians caught in a growing rebellion face a terrible choice • Jan. 29, 2025, 12:20 PM ET (AP)
Congo tries to slow the assault of Rwanda-backed rebels amid reports of dead bodies in the streets • Jan. 28, 2025, 7:51 PM ET (AP)
What is happening in eastern Congo, where rebels claim they captured a key city? • Jan. 28, 2025, 2:34 PM ET (AP)
'No safe place to go to from Goma' for millions as humanitarian crisis looms in eastern Congo city • Jan. 28, 2025, 11:37 AM ET (AP)

Holidays celebrated in Congo include Commemoration of the Martyrs of Independence, observed on January 4; Labour Day and National Liberation Day, celebrated on May 1 and May 17, respectively; Independence Day, celebrated on June 30; Parents’ Day, celebrated on August 1; Youth Day, observed on October 14; Army Day and the Anniversary of the Second Republic, observed on November 17 and November 24, respectively; and Christmas, celebrated on December 25.