Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, straddles the equator in Central Africa. It is the third largest country in Africa — roughly the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi — and shares borders with nine African countries. The country's nearly 60 million people represent over 250 distinct ethnic groups. About 30 million people — or 55 percent of the population — are Catholic.
The DRC was a Belgian Colony until gaining independence in 1960. Five years later, Mobutu Sese Seko seized power, and renamed the country Zaire in 1971. Mobutu was known for his corrupt regime, and the country declined under his 30-year dictatorship. By the early 1990s, the government had ceased to provide health care, education, basic infrastructure, a stable currency or legal protection. In 1997, Laurent Kabila led a rebellion that chased Mobutu from power, and the country’s name reverted back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
