What country was originally the Belgian Congo?
From 1885-1908, the territory was under the personal control of King Leopold II of Belgium and was known as the Congo Free State. It became a colony of Belgium in 1908 and was then known as the Belgian Congo until 1960, when it gained independence and took the name Republic of the Congo. In 1964 it became the Democratic Republic of the Congo (to differentiate it from its neighbour to the north which had gained independence and adopted the name “Republic of the Congo”). In 1971, Mobutu renamed the country “Republic of Zaire”. Following his overthrow in 1997, the country again became Democratic Republic of the Congo.
