Right in the middle of Africa, Congo, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa, after Algeria.
Official name: Democratic Republic of the Congo (also known as “the DRC”)
Population: A bustling nation of 102.3 million!
Currency: The Congolese franc (CDF).
Independence date: On June 30, 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared independence from Belgium.
Official language: Think it’s Flemish, Dutch or German, one of Belgium’s languages? Nope, it’s French! See why below. Indigenous languages include Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, and Tshiluba.
About Congo’s flag: A sky blue field, with a bold yellow-bordered diagonal stripe from the lower hoist-side corner to the upper fly-side corner. The colours tell a tale — blue for peace, yellow for prosperity, and the diagonal stripe for the country’s determined journey toward a brighter future.
The capital of the DRC is Kinshasa, named after a village that once stood nearby the city. Its old name was Leopoldville.
The meaning of Congo: “Congo” is derived from the Bakongo ethnic group, who have lived in the region for centuries.
Fun fact: French is one of the official languages of Belgium. The Belgians introduced the language into Congo as it was considered the language of power and bureaucracy.