The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo or less often Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 124 million people, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the fourth-most populous country in Africa and the most populous Francophone country in the world. French is the official and most widely spoken language, though there are over 200 indigenous languages, of which Lingala is the most widely spoken. The capital, largest city, and economic center is Kinshasa. The DRC is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, the Cabinda exclave of Angola, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west; the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania to the east; and Zambia and Angola to the south. Centered on the Congo Basin, most of the country's terrain is covered by dense rainforests and is crossed by many rivers, while the east and southeast are mountainous.
12 things not to miss.
- the Nyiragongo lava lakeHike to the Nyiragongo lava lake
- Boyoma (Stanley) FallsStand at Boyoma (Stanley) Falls
- Virunga National Park
- Congo Basin
- Lake TanganyikaKing of Africa’s Rift Valley lakes and one of Earth’s biggest freshwater bodies, Tanganyika supports dizzying biodiversity and traditional fisheries.
- Garamba National ParkCongo-Kinshasa’s greatest savanna park, Garamba is famed for elephants and northern white rhinos, though poachings been rampant.
- Okapi Wildlife ReserveThis UNESCO World Heritage Site protects a portion of the Ituri Rainforest, roamed by the Mbuti people and the okapi, a gorgeous giraffe relative.
- Mangroves National ParkWorlds away from the more famous parks of the interior, this coastal sanctuary showcases mangrove swamps and manatees.
- Lake AlbertThis northernmost of the Rift Valley Lakes, split with Uganda, has its own serene beauty.
- Musee National de KinshasaThough much of its holdings are in storage, the National Museum does exhibit a beautiful collection of masks, statues, and other artwork.
- Le Marche des ValeursKinshasa’s immense arts-and-crafts market is colorful, packed-to-the-gills, and intense: Be ready to haggle.
- Lola ya BonoboSituated on Kinshasa’s outskirts, this sanctuary looks after orphaned bonobos, brainy (and critically threatened) great apes restricted to the DRC’s Congo Basin rainforests.
