DR Congo

Also try: Uganda

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Democratic Republic of the Congo
CIA World Factbook: Democratic Republic of the Congo
U.S. Department of State: Democratic Republic of the Congo
World Health Organization: Democratic Republic of the Congo
National Geographic: Congo (Dem. Rep.)
Portals to the World: Congo (Democratic Republic)
BBC Country Profile: DR Congo

DR Congo Recent News

Google News: Democratic Republic of the Congo News
Topix: Democratic Republic of the Congo News
New York Times: Congo News
Guardian Unlimited: Congo News
allAfrica.com: Congo (Dem. Rep.) News

DR Congo Vacation

The Africa Guide: Democratic Rep. Congo ( Zaire )
Lonely Planet: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wikitravel: Democratic Republic of the Congo
U.S. Department of State: Travel Warning - Democratic Republic of the Congo (January 8, 2008)
Australian Government: Travel Advice for Democratic Republic of the Congo

DR Congo Politics

Wikipedia: Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
CIA World Factbook: DR Congo Government
U.S. Department of State: DR Congo Government
Jurist Legal News & Research: Congo (Dem. Rep.) Political and Legal Profile

DR Congo Government Sites

Official Site: Government
Official Site: Parliament
Official Site: President Joseph Kabila
Wikipedia: Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | President Joseph Kabila | Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga

DR Congo International Relations

Official Site: Permanent Mission to the United Nations | Page Translated by Google
Official Site: United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Official Site: Embassy of the United States Kinshasa, Congo
CIA World Factbook: DR Congo Transnational Issues
U.S. Department of State: DR Congo Foreign Relations
Foreign Policy in Focus: War in the Congo

DR Congo Political Issues

MONUC: UN Mission in the DR Congo
U.S. Department of State: DR Congo Government and Political Conditions

Refugee Crisis

Mahalo's page on DR Congo Refugee Crisis
BBC News: DR Congo Refugees Flee to Uganda (October 22, 2007)
Refugees International: Democratic Republic of Congo
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: IDPs and Returnees Face Lack of Support (April 18, 2007)

War

International Rescue Committee: Conflict in Congo
GlobalSecurity.org: Congo War
BBC News: Thousands Dying in DR Congo War (January 6, 2006)
Conflicts in Africa: The Democratic Republic of Congo

Human Rights

Human Rights Watch: Democratic Republic of the Congo | Gold Fuels Massive Human Rights Atrocities
Amnesty International USA: Democratic Republic of Congo
U.S. Department of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

War Crimes

Herald Sun: DR Congo War Crimes Suspect Arrested (February 8, 2008)
BBC News: War Crime Charge for Congo Rebel (August 28, 2006)
Crimes of War: Can the International Community Avert Genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo? (May 23, 2003)

DR Congo Economy

Official Site: Ministry of Finance
Official Site: Banque Centrale Du Congo
CIA World Factbook: DR Congo Economy
U.S. Department of State: DR Congo Economy
World Trade Organization: Democratic Republic of the Congo and the WTO
International Monetary Fund: Democratic Republic of the Congo and the IMF
The World Bank: Democratic Republic of Congo
Wikipedia: Economy of Congo (Dem. Rep.)

DR Congo Military

Wikipedia: Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
CIA World Factbook: DR Congo Military
Human Rights Watch: DR Congo: Army Should Stop Use of Child Soldiers (April 19, 2007)
Relief Web: DR Congo: Priorities for Children Associated With Armed Forces and Groups (July 31, 2007)
UN News Centre: DR Congo: UN-Backed Campaign Urges Kivu Armed Groups to Surrender (January 4, 2008)
GlobalSecurity.org: Congo (Dem. Rep.) Civil War

DR Congo Facts and History

Wikipedia: History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
U.S. Department of State: DR Congo History
Lonely Planet: Democratic Republic of the Congo: History
History World: History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
National Geographic: Democratic Republic of the Congo
CNN.com: "Congo: History of a Troubled Land" (2001)
International Herald Tribune: "Congo's Crisis, Congo's History" (December 27, 2007)

DR Congo Maps and Geography

Wikipedia: Geography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Congo Pages: Geography
CIA World Factbook: DR Congo Geography

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

DR Congo Capital

Official Site: Ville de Kinshasa
Wikipedia: Kinshasa
Wikitravel: Kinshasa
National Geographic: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Weather Underground: Kinshasa Forecast

DR Congo Major Cities

Wikipedia: List of cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wikipedia: Lubumbashi
Wikipedia: Kolwezi
Wikipedia: Mbuji-Mayi
Wikipedia: Kisangani
Wikipedia: Kananga
Wikipedia: Likasi
Wikipedia: Banana, Democratic Republic of the Congo

DR Congo Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: DR Congo
Flickr: DR Congo Photos
TrekEarth: Congo (Dem. Rep.)
National Geographic: Democratic Republic of the Congo Photo: Congo River Rain Forest
U.S. Department of State: Photo: President Bush And Joseph Kabila, President of Democratic Republic of Congo
YouTube & Google Video: DR Congo Search
YouTube: Democratic Republic of Congo, FEWER, 2007 (Time 7:25)

DR Congo Culture

Wikipedia: Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Demographics of the Congo (Dem. Rep.)
National Geographic: DR Congo Music
Massachusetts General Hospital: Bits of Culture
Afromix.org: Congo (Dem. Rep.) Music
Congo-Pages.org: Congo (Dem. Rep.) Art

Related Searches

DR Congo Refugee Crisis | Congo Plane Crash | Africa | Uganda | Rwanda | Burundi | Zambia | Angola | Republic of the Congo | Belgium | Atlantic Ocean | Tanzania

This page was created by Lorraine and supplemented by Marc, two Part Time Guides in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and curated by Cherryl.
If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!

Guide Note: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DR Congo, is the third-largest country in Africa. The nation was a former colony of Belgium and won its independence on June 30, 1960.

Fast Facts:

Capital: Kinshasa
Government: Semi-Presidential Republic
Population: 65,751,512 (July 2007 estimate)
Currency: Franc congolais (CDF)
Official Language: French
President: Joseph Kabila
Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness set in the Congo Free State

Early History

Scientists estimate the area now known as the DR Congo has been occupied since second millennium BC. A society, known as the Upemba that later morphed into the Luba Empire, started to form in the area in the Fifth Century.

Congo Free State

The first European explorer to come to the Congo was Sir Henry Morton Stanley in the 1870s, who claimed the area for King Leopold II of Belgium. The land became the private propery of King Leopold in the 1880s, who renamed it the "Congo Free State" and proceeded to turn the area into a leading source for rubber. The local population was pressed into Leopold's service, often through the use of brutal, violent methods.

20th Century

Bowing to international pressure, Belgium shifted the Congo to its own state, under the rule of the Belgian government, in 1908, changing the name to the Belgian Congo. In 1960, the country was granted sovereignty, and in 1966, it changed its name again to the current for, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Lieutenant General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu overthrew the government in 1966 in a military coup. In 1971, he changed its name yet again, this time to Zaire. Mobutu fled the nation in 1997 and the name reverted to its pre-Zaire form.

Edit Guide Note and Fast Facts
View Note History