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Introduction to the Democratic Republic of Congo
created on:
2001-07-28
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly called Zaire, is the third largest country on the African continent. It is located in South Central Africa and bounded by Angola to the southwest, Zambia to the southeast, the Republic of Congo and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda to the east, the Central African Republic to the north and northwest and Sudan to the northeast.
The country is divided into four physical regions. The coastline which is also bordered by a tiny plain. The low lying central area which is a plateau that slopes to the west. Mountain terraces and dense grasslands which surround the central plateau to the west, south, southeast and northwest and high mountains that enclose the country to the north. The country is dominated by the Congo River which flows into the Atlantic Ocean and nearly drains the entire country. The river itself is about 4 400 kilometers long and at the basin you can find the planet's largest rain forest.
The DRC is crossed by the Equator and the seasons are reversed in the north and south. The central area has an equatorial climate while the coastal area is tropical.
The country is still the ancestral homeland for over 200 ethnic groups. Over 99% of the population are Black Africans and the four principal tribes are the Mongo, Kongo, Luba and Mangbetu-Azande.
Before traveling to this country, make sure you get the latest information about security. This is because many regions are highly insecure at the moment, especially in the north and east.
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