Zaire: Country in Africa now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire (French: République du Zaïre) was the name of a country that is now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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It used this name from 27 November 1971 to 17 May 1997. The name "Zaire" comes from a Portuguese corruption of the Kongo word nzare, meaning "river".
Republic of Zairea République du Zaïre Repubuliki ya Zaïre Jamhuri ya Zaïre | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–1997 | |||||||||
.svg) Coat of arms | |||||||||
| Motto: Paix – Justice – Travail "Peace – Justice – Work" | |||||||||
| Anthem: La Zaïroise "The Song of Zaire" | |||||||||
.svg) | |||||||||
| Capital | Kinshasa | ||||||||
| Common languages | French Lingala · Kongo Swahili · Tshiluba | ||||||||
| Religion | Christianity, Baluba religion, Bantu religion | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Zairian | ||||||||
| Government | Mobutist one-party republicc under a de facto military dictatorshipd | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1971–1997 | Mobutu Sese Seko | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
• Coup d'état | 25 November 1965 | ||||||||
• Country renamed | 27 October 1971 | ||||||||
• Mobutu overthrown | 16 May 1997 | ||||||||
• Death of Mobutu | 7 September 1997 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| 1996 | 2,345,410 km2 (905,570 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1996 | 46498539 | ||||||||
| Currency | Zaïre | ||||||||
| Time zone | CET / EET | ||||||||
| Calling code | 243 | ||||||||
| Internet TLD | .zr | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of |  DR Congo | ||||||||
a. Renamed from "Democratic Republic of the Congo" (République démocratique du Congo) on 27 October 1971. b. Changed from "Léopoldville" in 1966. c. Zaire became a de jure one-party state on December 23, 1970, but had been a de facto one-party state since May 20, 1967, the date on which the MPR (Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution) was established. Zaire formally adopted a multiparty system on April 24, 1990, when Mobutu delivered a speech proclaiming the end of the one-party system. The country adopted multipartyism de jure with the passage of Law No. 90-002 of July 5, 1990, which amended its constitution accordingly. d. 1990–1997. | |||||||||
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References
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