Democratic Republic of the Congo explained to kids

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in central Africa. It is bordered by the countries of Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the East African nation of Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The capital city of the DRC is Kinshasa. The official languages of the DRC are French and Lingala. The DRC is the second largest country in Africa by area, and it is also home to the world's second largest rainforest, after Brazil. The DRC is rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, cobalt, copper, and oil. Unfortunately, the DRC is also plagued by poverty, disease, and conflict. The DRC was formerly known as Zaire. The country was renamed in 1997 by then-President Laurent-Désiré Kabila. The DRC has a long history of conflict, dating back to the time when European colonists carved out the Congo Free State, a private colony owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. In 1908, the Congo Free State was annexed by Belgium and became a Belgian colony. The Belgian Congo was one of the largest and most brutal colonial empires in Africa. In 1960, the Congo gained independence from Belgium. The country was renamed the Republic of the Congo. However, the new country was unstable, and in 1965, a military coup ushered in a period of dictatorship. In 1997, a rebellion led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila overthrew the dictatorship and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, the DRC has continued to be plagued by conflict. The DRC is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, and the Francophonie.