Congo’s 10 Fascinating Facts

Ten Fascinating Facts about the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Originally known as Zaire, the country is located in Central Africa, with Kinshasa serving as its capital and largest city. It is one of the best places in Africa to go on safari and offers a wealth of interesting things to see.

These ten fascinating facts about Congo are listed below.

1. The wildlife in Congo is amazing.

There are 1,500 animal species that are indigenous to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and among them are the incredibly uncommon Okapi. Okapis are found in the isolated Ituri Forest in the country’s northeast.

The Okapis, sometimes known as forest giraffes, are 5 feet 5 inches tall at the shoulder and have a build more akin to a deer with stripes resembling zebras’. The Okapi wildlife reserve was created in 1992 to preserve the surviving population of this endangered species. It also serves as a home to the Mbuti pygmies, who are among the last people on the continent to live in the forests.

The Okapi Conservation Project is in charge of overseeing the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, which spans around 13,726.25 square kilometers and is located on the Epulu River. The reserve also includes tourism amenities. In addition to the 5,000 okapis, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is home to 2,000 elephants, 4,000 elephants, and other species. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Congo participated in the Second World War.

The Shinkolobwe mine in Katanga Province provided the uranium needed for the Manhattan Project, a top-secret project that resulted in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. This is one way in which the Congo indirectly contributed significantly to the war effort.

After it was shut down in 1939, the Shinkolobwe Mine was reopened by the US military. Col. Ken Nichols, an army engineer, arranged for the purchase of over 4,000 tons of uranium ore from the mine, transferring 25% of it to a warehouse on Staten Island for use in the project. Approximately 30,000 tons were sold to the Americans before the war ended.

Even though Shinkolobwe Mine has been declared closed since 2004, individual miners continue to attempt entry in order to conduct their own extractions. Nevertheless, Kinshasa is still home to Africa’s first nuclear reactor.

3. The Congo’s Constitution

The second-biggest French-speaking city in the world is Kinshasa.
The capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Kinshasa, originally known as Leopoldville. It is the largest francophone metropolis globally and the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, behind Paris.

The population of Kinshasa city is estimated to be around 10 million, and it has increased significantly over the past 15 years due to the number of people escaping violence in other parts of the Congo, despite the lack of precise numbers.

Kinshasa was able to host the largest gathering of heads of state from French-speaking countries in the world, the Summit of La Francophonoe, in October 2012, thanks to its French language credentials. The baguettes and croissants in Kinshasa City rival those made on the old continent.

4. Congo’s largest export is music.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is recognized as a hub for music in Africa, home to some of the biggest names in the continent’s music history. These performers are comparable to major international acts like Grammy Award-winning Justin Bieber and have the ability to pack arenas. Among these big stars are Werrason, Papa Wemba, and Koffi Olamide.

The Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo are the names of the music genres that originated there. Specific dances go along with these musical styles; the Rumba Congolaise is credited to Antoine Wendo Kolosoy, popularly known as Papa Wendo. While working on the boats that travel the Congo River, he started a seven-decade career as a singer. Some of his songs include Marie-Louise. Millions of musicians throughout the continent have been impacted and inspired by his tunes, which have also delighted millions of listeners worldwide.

The newer musicians of this new era have shifted to the louder, more popular ndombolo, which is more suggestive, dynamic, and provocative.

A well-dressed subset of society known as Sapeurs, who must always wear the finest European-cut suits, matching Italian leather shoes, and sunglasses, even at night, were also inspired by Congolese singers.

5. The hotels in the Congo are respectable, expanding, and costly.

Ten years ago, Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, had just two hotels that met international standards: the Grand Hotel, once held by the Congolese government, and Memling, owned by the SN Brussels Airline Group. The top echelons of the Angolan, Namibian, and Zimbabwean military that had been dispatched to support Laurent Kabila’s government resided at the Grand Hotel after Mobutu was overthrown in 1997 and during the war that ensued between 1998 and 2002.

Antelopes would frequently run through the hotel corridors back then. Today, the Grand Hotel is undergoing a much-needed facelift, and the majority of its guests are typically business travelers.

Due to the influx of foreign business travelers, Kinshasa City and Congo have roughly six respectable hotels that range in price from basic to opulent.

6. Congo has the potential to be a tourist haven.

Given that it is home to multiple primate species, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and eastern lowland gorillas, Congo is a prospective tourism destination for primate safaris. Regrettably, rather than its tourism potential, the eastern section of the Congo is better renowned for its warlords, rebel groups, and mining disputes.

Congo was well-known for being a fantastic travel destination before the unrest there started. The Virunga Mountains encircle the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu, Goma and Bukavu, respectively, which are located on the banks of Lake Kivu. There are two national parks close by: the Kahuzi-Biga National Park west of Bukavu and the Virunga National Park to the north. The region surrounding Goma has a striking resemblance to the alpine lakes of Europe. The Virunga National Park, which is home to the 5,000-meter-high Rwenzori Mountains and lowland plains, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the greatest populations of eastern lowland gorillas may be found in Kahuzi-Biega, home to the park’s most active volcanoes, Nyamulagira and Nyirangongo.

7. The Congolese Jungle was frequently visited by the Concorde.

One of the strangest towns in the world, Gbadolite, is in Congo, and it boasts an airport designed specifically to handle the Concorde. This jet, now retired, made numerous trips to the town.

The 1960s airport was built near the birthplace of Mobutu, the then-president of the Congo, with a layout closely inspired by a tiny French village. The street signs even bore resemblance to those found in Paris, Marseille, a hamlet close to the border with Belgium. Two locations dominated this strange metropolis; the first was a massive complex of Chinese pagodas.

In order for this sleek supersonic jet, called the Concorde, to land at the faux French town he had fashioned out of a forest near the banks of the Oubangui River, dictator Mobutu Sese Seko built one of the longest airstrips in Africa in the middle of nowhere.

Because he was always worried about security, dictator Mobutu had the largest bunker in Africa constructed at the time in case of a nuclear strike. A 12-kilometer tunnel that led to the Oubangui River served as a means of escape into the Central African Republic, which is adjacent.

The entire Gbadolite town has been robbed multiple times since Mobutu fled oncoming rebel forces in 1997, and not much of it remains at this time. Additionally, the jungle is swiftly regaining its lost territory.

8. People in Congo consume mayo with everything.

The overwhelmingly strong desire for massive globs of mayonnaise on everything that may be eaten, including salads, meat, fish, fried plantains, manioc, and peas, is a holdover from the Belgian Colonial era in the Congo.

The majority of Congolese people choose to combine their mayonnaise with a strong indigenous chilli sauce, called Piri Piri, or pepper pepper in Swahili. Combining pepper and mayonnaise creates a flavorful and mildly spicy blend that enhances the flavor of the mayonnaise.

9. The Congo has experienced multiple Ebola epidemics

The most famous of which was in 1955 in Kikwit, where it claimed over 200 lives. Despite this, the most recent outbreaks have been swiftly contained and are still uncommon.

Since the Embola virus is extremely deadly and spreads from animals to people through the consumption of infected meat, many films, including Outbreak and Congo, perpetuated the myth that contracting the disease in the Congo is as simple as catching a cold in New York.

Despite its dangers, bush meat is nevertheless a staple meal for many Congolese living outside of cities. There are still public health initiatives in the Congo to inform the populace about the risks of eating bush meat in connection with Ebola.

10. The two nearest capitals in the world are Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

The two capital cities of the world closest to each other are Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. The Congo River, which is the second-largest river in the world by volume and stretches to a width of five kilometers, divides the two towns.

Although there have been discussions about constructing a bridge to connect the two cities, the only way to get to these places is via boat. Those traveling over the river have the option of taking a speedboat, which offers a more upscale and peaceful crossing experience, or one of the big, overcrowded ferries. These boats carry a variety of cargo, including furniture, cars, grain, and dried fish.

Individuals with impairments are heavily involved in the product trade and are allowed to cross the river at no cost.

Despite speaking the same language and living only a few kilometers apart, the citizens of the two capital cities—Kinshasa and Brazzaville—often act as though they are from other planets. Over a million residents of the peaceful city of Brazzaville see their boisterous, party-loving neighbors in Kinshasa with caution.