Famous landmarks in the Congo - Kinshasa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, is a huge country in Central Africa, the second-largest on the continent. It has only a tiny strip of Atlantic coast, but the mighty Congo River flows through it. Its capital is Kinshasa, and about 109 million people live in the country. The DRC is known for its vast rainforest, rare animals found nowhere else, active volcanoes, rich minerals and lively music.

On My Earth Toy you can see Mount Nyiragongo with its glowing lava lake, Limete Tower in Kinshasa and the Palais du Peuple, the parliament building. The DRC's animals on the globe include the grey parrot, bonobo, okapi and giant pangolin.

Geography and nature

The Congo Basin rainforest, the second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth, covers much of the north and centre. The Congo River is the deepest river in the world and carries more water than any river except the Amazon. In the east lie the Albertine Rift mountains and lakes, where Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest national park, protects mountain gorillas. The okapi and the bonobo live only in the DRC.

People, languages and culture

The DRC has more than 200 ethnic groups. French is the official language, and Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo and Tshiluba are national languages. Most people are Christian. Kinshasa is one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world. Congolese rumba, with its sweet guitars, spread across Africa and is listed by UNESCO as cultural heritage. Fufu, a dough made from cassava, is eaten with sauces and stews.

History in a nutshell

Powerful states such as the Kingdom of Kongo and the Kuba and Luba kingdoms once ruled parts of the region. From 1885 to 1908 it was the personal property of King Leopold II of Belgium, a time of terrible cruelty, and then became the Belgian Congo. It gained independence on 30 June 1960. From 1971 to 1997 it was called Zaire. Since the 1990s the east of the country has suffered long conflicts.