known as Congo (Kinshasa) formerly (1971–97) Republic of Zaire (1960–71) Congo (1908–60) Belgian Congo (1885–1908) Congo Free State
Country, central Africa.
Area: 905,356 sq mi (2,344,872 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 46,674,000. Capital: Kinshasa . Bantu speakers, including the Mongo, Kongo , and Luba , form a majority of the country's population; among non-Bantu speakers are Sudanese groups of the north. Languages: French, English (official). Religion: Christianity. Currency: Congolese franc. The country, with the third largest land area in Africa, occupies the heart of the Congo River basin, from which high plateaus rise in every direction. At its narrow strip of Atlantic coast the Congo River empties into the sea. The country straddles the Equator; its climate is humid and tropical. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its economy is based on mining and agriculture. Export crops include coffee, palm products, tea, cocoa, and cotton; mining produces copper, cobalt, and industrial diamonds. The country is ruled by a military regime; the head of state is the president, whose office was taken by the regime's leader in the late 1990s. Prior to European colonization, several kingdoms had emerged in the region, including the 16th-century Luba kingdom and the Kuba federation, which reached its peak in the 18th century. European development began late in the 19th century when King Leopold II of Belgium financed Mobutu Sese Seko to power in 1965. He changed the country's name to Zaire in 1971. Mismanagement, corruption, and increasing violence devastated the infrastructure and economy. Mobutu was deposed in 1997 by {{link=Kabila, Laurent D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9">Laurent Kabila , who restored the country's name to Congo. Instability in neighbouring countries, an influx of Hutu refugees from Rwanda, and a desire for Congo's mineral wealth led to military involvement by various African countries. Unrest continued into the beginning of the 21st century.