Which Congo is which?

With political regime and name changes in the last few decades there can be confusion over the name "Congo". How can you tell which country is which?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (commonly known as the DRC) and the Republic of Congo were once known as the Belgian Congo. Since their independence from Belgium in 1960, they have been seperate entities. According to the CIA's World Fact Book, the DRC was called Zaire until a rebellion in 1997 which resulted in a regime change.

While many governments refer to the DRC by its full name, they often refer to the Republic of Congo simply as the Congo. Many popular news sources refer to either nation simply as the Congo for brevity in headlines. This naming convention can cause confusion when conducting research or looking for travel advice.

When in doubt, look for the capital city. For instance, the Canadian Government distinguishes between the two by the capital city: Congo (Brazzaville) for the Republic of Congo, and Congo (Kinshasa) for the DRC. Popular news sources usually provide a city name.