he Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly called the Republic of Zaire, is a country in central Africa. Its total area is 905,365 sq mi. Kinshasa is the capital and largest city.

The DRC's climate is generally hot and humid. Its vegetation is rich and diversified. Rubber trees, oil, palms, coffee, cotton, and a variety of tropical fruit trees are indigenous to the region. Teak, ebony, African cedar, mahogany, iroko, and redwood trees are also abundant. Larger animals include elephants, lions, leopards, gorillas, giraffes, and hippopotamuses. Many kinds of reptiles, tropical birds, and insects abound.

Largely rural and agricultural, the DRC's population is 47,589,551 (1997 estimate). It comprises more than 200 ethnic groups. The majority of the population is Bantu-speaking and concentrated in the eastern highlands and along the lower Congo River. About 75 percent of the people of the DRC are nominally Christians, primarily Roman Catholic. Most of the rest adhere to traditional beliefs. Although more than 200 languages are spoken, French is the official language. The four most common African languages are Swahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba, and Lingala. Congolese cultures remain largely intact among the different ethnic groups.

Despite the DRC's extensive natural resources, prolonged disruption following independence in 1960 has hampered the economy. The country remains one of the world's poorest. Some 68 percent of the working population is engaged in agriculture, much of which is subsistence farming, but only 3 percent of the land area is under cultivation. Principal food crops include fruits, grains, coffee, cotton seed and lint, and rubber. With an estimated 8 percent of the world's forests, the DRC's annual production of timber is significant. Mineral deposits constitute the principal source of wealth in the DRC. The republic is the world's largest producer of cobalt and industrial diamonds, but copper usually is the most valuable exported mineral. Congolese industry is fairly well developed and is dominated by the processing of mineral products. The unit of currency is the new zaire.

Before the government was overthrown in May 1997, the country had a highly centralized presidential executive system, with the president elected to a seven-year term.