Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo or Congo is a large country in central Africa.

The Congo river runs through much of the country, and it is the site of significant undisturbed rainforest and wildlife.

Formerly a Belgian colony, Congo is the setting of Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad.

Following independence in 1960 there were a number of civil wars. Some of them were started by secessionist movements. Congo is rich in natural resources and there were disputes over mining rights.

Congo has large reserves of cobalt and lithium, important minerals for electric battery production.

Hundreds of indigenous languages are spoken in Congo. French is the lingua franca. Dutch and English are also spoken to a lesser extent.