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| Capital | Kinshasa |
| Government | Dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative government |
| Currency | Congolese franc (CDF) |
| Area | total: 2,345,410 km2 water: 77,810 km2 land: 2,267,600 km2 |
| Population | 62,660,551 (July 2006 est.) |
| Language | French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba |
| Religion | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% |
| Electricity | 220V/50Hz (European plug) |
| Calling Code | +243 |
| Internet TLD | .cd |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 - UTC+2 |
 WARNING: Parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are not safe for independent travel or sightseeing. Those visiting for business, research, or international aid purposes should consult with their organization and seek expert guidance before planning a trip. Kinshasa has a high crime rate similar to Lagos or Abidjan. In the northeastern part of the country, there is the LRA near the border with the CAR/Sudan/Uganda and an ongoing conflict and refugee crisis in N/S Kivu (although Goma & Virunga NP are safe to visit) which make those regions not safe for travel. If you must go to those regions, see War zone safety. |
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République Démocratique du Congo) (Abbreviated:DROC) is a country in Central Africa. It straddles the Equator and is surrounded by Angola to the southwest, (Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province lies to the west and north of a very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean), Republic of the Congo to the northwest, Central African Republic to the north, South Sudan to the northeast, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania in the east from north to south, and Zambia to the southeast.
The country has formerly been known as Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo or Zaire. The country is also known as Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from its northern neighbor, the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).