Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Facts & Stats
Images
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
For Students
Democratic Republic of the Congo summary
Quizzes
Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
The Country Quiz
7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz
Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.
Which Country Is Larger? Quiz
Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)
Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Olduvai Gorge or Olduwai Gorge, Tanzania, Africa (eastern Serengeti Plain) Where fossil remains of more than 60 hominins provides the most continuous known record of human evolution. Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey made discoveries here. Archaeology
7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa
This is a July 3, 1960 file photo of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Republic of Congo.
How did Patrice Lumumba die?
Namib desert, Namibia.
8 Amazing Physical Features of Africa
Discover
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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,
René Lemarchand
Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Florida, Gainesville. Author of Rwanda and Burundi and others.
René Lemarchand•All
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

UN authorizes first mpox vaccine for children in an attempt to control Congo outbreak • Nov. 20, 2024, 9:32 AM ET (AP)
The mausoleum holding Congo independence hero Lumumba's gold-capped tooth is vandalized • Nov. 20, 2024, 1:08 AM ET (AP)
US health officials report 1st case of new form of mpox in a traveler • Nov. 16, 2024, 3:04 PM ET (AP)
WHO says mpox cases in Congo's epicenter where the new variant was detected may be 'plateauing' • Nov. 11, 2024, 12:11 PM ET (AP)
UK identifies 4 cases of new mpox variant, the first cluster outside Africa • Nov. 6, 2024, 2:11 PM 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.