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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Physical features of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mount Nyiragongo Congo River basin and drainage network Congo River: fishing Lombi tree Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ethnic composition
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Democratic Republic of the Congo summary
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Also known as: Congo-Kinshasa, DRC, République Démocratique du Congo, République du Congo, Republic of the Congo
Written by
Bernd Michael Wiese
Lecturer in Geography, University of Cologne. Author of Zaire and others.
Bernd Michael Wiese,
René Lemarchand
Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Florida, Gainesville. Author of Rwanda and Burundi and others.
René Lemarchand•All
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Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Hundreds of Rwandans who fled to Congo after the 1994 genocide return in UN repatriation • May 17, 2025, 8:50 PM ET (AP)
Rwanda's army and its rebel group ally have killed dozens and abducted thousands, Congo says • May 15, 2025, 7:32 AM ET (AP)
No verdict, mistrial declared, in trial of Michigan police officer who killed Congolese immigrant • May 8, 2025, 3:37 PM ET (AP)
The US says Congo and Rwanda submit a draft peace proposal • May 5, 2025, 4:04 PM ET (AP)
What to know about the trial of an ex-Michigan officer charged in the killing of a Black motorist • Apr. 28, 2025, 12:06 PM ET (AP)

Holidays celebrated in Congo include Commemoration of the Martyrs of Independence, observed on January 4; Labor 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.