The Democratic Republic of the Congo Portal
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: République Démocratique du Congo), also referred to as DRC, RDC, DR Congo or formerly as Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo-Léopoldville, Congo-Kinshasa, and formerly Zaire (or Zaïre in French), is a state in Central Africa and the second largest country on the continent. It borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, and the Republic of the Congo on the west. The country enjoys access to the sea through a narrow forty kilometre stretch, following the Congo river into the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Congo" (meaning "hunter") is coined after the Kongo ethnic group, living in the lower Congo river area. As many as 250 ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. Although 700 local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala. Selected articleThe Bonobo (/bəˈnoʊboʊ/ or /ˈbɒnɵboʊ/), Pan paniscus, previously called the Pygmy Chimpanzee and less often, the Dwarf or Gracile Chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the Common Chimpanzee. Although the name "chimpanzee" is sometimes used to refer to both species together, it is usually understood as referring to the Common Chimpanzee, while Pan paniscus is usually referred to as the Bonobo. The Bonobo is endangered and is found in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Along with the Common Chimpanzee, the Bonobo is the closest extant relative to humans. Since the two species are not proficient swimmers, it is possible that the formation of the Congo River 1.5–2 million years ago led to the speciation of the Bonobo. They live south of the river, and thereby were separated from the ancestors of the Common Chimpanzee, which live north of the river. German anatomist Ernst Schwarz is credited with having discovered the Bonobo in 1928, based on his analysis of a skull in the Tervuren museum in Belgium that previously had been thought to have belonged to a juvenile chimpanzee. (Read more...) Selected picture
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Lomana Trésor LuaLua (/ləˈmɑːnə ˈtreɪzɔr luːɑːluːˈɑː/; born 28 December 1980) is a footballer who plays for Greek side Olympiakos and the DR Congo national football team. LuaLua was born in Kinshasa but moved to the United Kingdom at a young age. After impressing in a college football match, he signed for Colchester United. There he scored a total of 21 goals in 68 appearances which prompted Newcastle United to sign him. However, the competition for places meant he was less of a regular in the first team and after four seasons and 88 appearances there he transferred to Portsmouth, the club that had previously loaned him for three months while at Newcastle. He remained there for three seasons but his spell was marred by disciplinary problems and malaria. After this, he moved to Greek club Olympiakos and spent a season there, helping them to win their fourth straight Super League Greece title, before joining Al-Arabi in 2008. LuaLua received his first cap in 2002, and has since represented his national team in the 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. Selected quoteSâlóngo, alingá mosálá (There is work, let's do it.)
CategoriesSubcategories of Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cities - Companies - Conservation areas - Geography - History - Communications - Culture - Military - Politics - Provinces - Transportation - Universities and colleges - Kongo WikiProjectsTopics in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRelated portals
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