Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the

Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharg ...

in central Africa: *

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to as "Congo-Kinshasa" *

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

, the smaller country to the northwest, capital Brazzaville, sometimes referred to as "Congo-Brazzaville" Congo or Kongo may also refer to:

Places

Africa

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

, or the Congo, the sedimentary basin of the Congo River * Congo Canyon, a submarine canyon *

Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( kg, Kongo dya Ntotila or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' pt, Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the ...

(1390–1914) * Kingdom of Kakongo (15th century–1885) *

Congo Free State ''(Work and Progress) , national_anthem = Vers l'avenir , capital = Vivi Boma , currency = Congo Free State franc , religion = Catholicism (''de facto'') , leader1 = Leop ...

(1885–1908) *

Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo) was a sovereign state in Central Africa, created with the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960. From 1960 to 1966, the country was also known as Congo-Léopoldville (after its cap ...

or Congo-Léopoldville (1960–1971) * People's Republic of the Congo (1969–1992) * Kongo, Ghana, town in Ghana *

Kongo, Liberia Kongo is a small town in western Liberia on the border with Sierra Leone. It serves an iron ore mine, with a narrow gauge railway, which are currently out of use. There are similar iron ore deposits across the Mana River (West Africa) which fo ...

, small town in Liberia

Former colonies

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

French Congo The French Congo (french: Congo français) or Middle Congo (french: Moyen-Congo) was a French colony which at one time comprised the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo and parts of Gabon, and the Central African Republic. In 1910 ...

* Portuguese Congo

United States

* Congo, Alabama *

Congo, Missouri Congo is an extinct town in southwestern Shannon County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. Congo and the Congo School were located approximately three miles southwest of Montier and US Route 60. Spring Creek flows past the location to the southwest. ...

* Congo, Pennsylvania * Congo, West Virginia

Elsewhere

Congo, New South Wales Congo is a village in Eurobodalla Shire on the South Coast of New South Wales. Congo is located 315 km south of Sydney, and 10 km south of Moruya. The population of Congo and the surrounding area was 245 at the . Congo Creek flows to ...

, Australia *

Congo, Paraíba Congo, Paraíba is a municipality in the state of Paraíba in the Northeast Region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Paraíba This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Paraíba (PB), located in the Northeast Region of ...

, Brazil *

Congo River (disambiguation) The Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the wo ...

, a list of rivers with the name *

Congo Town Congo Town is a small village located in South Andros district, part of Andros Island in the Bahamas. It is served by the South Andros Airport. In 2010, the population was 90.Congo Volcano The Congo Volcano, in Spanish the and also known as Congo Mountain, , is an inactive volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central range near the Poás Volcano and within the Poás Volcano National Park. It is often confused with Pl ...

or Congo Mountain, in Costa Rica

Languages and ethnic groups

Niger–Congo languages Niger–Congo is a hypothetical language family spoken over the majority of sub-Saharan Africa. It unites the Mande languages, the Atlantic-Congo languages (which share a characteristic noun class system), and possibly several smaller groups of ...

Kongo languages The Kongo languages are a clade of Bantu languages, coded Zone H.10 in Guthrie's classification, that are spoken by the Bakongo: : Beembe (Pangwa, Doondo, Kamba, Hangala), Ndingi, Kunyi, Mboka, Kongo, Western Kongo, Laari (Laadi), Vili, Y ...

***

Kongo language Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from th ...

, a Bantu language *

Kongo people The Kongo people ( kg, Bisi Kongo, , singular: ; also , singular: ) are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others. They have liv ...

, a Bantu ethnic group

Arts and entertainment

Music

The Congos The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica) and Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), later becoming a trio w ...

, a reggae vocal group from Jamaica ** ''Congo'' (album), 1979 * "Congo" (song), by Genesis, 1997 * Kongos (band), a South African American band

Other uses in arts, entertainment, and media

* ''Congo'' (novel), a 1980 novel by Michael Crichton ** ''Congo'' (film), a 1995 film based on the novel * Congo (chess variant), using a 7×7 gameboard * ''Congo'' (pinball), a 1995 pinball machine * ''Congo'' (TV series), a 2001 nature documentary * '' Congo – A Political Tragedy'', a 2018 documentary film * '' Congo: The Epic History of a People'', a 2010 book by David van Reybrouck * ''Kongo'' (1932 film), an American film

People

Edwin Congo Edwin Arturo Congo Murillo (born 7 October 1976) is a Colombian retired professional footballer who played as a forward. Basing his game in physical display, he played most of his professional career in Spain, appearing for a host of clubs in ...

(born 1976), Colombian footballer * Louis Congo (fl. 1725), emancipated slave appointed public executioner of French Louisiana * Richard Congo (born 1961), American basketball player *

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is a French heavyweight Mixed Martial artist and former Kickboxer who fights in Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the ...

(born 1975), French mixed martial arts fighter and kickboxer *

John Kongos John Theodore Kongos (born 6 August 1945) is a South African-born singer and songwriter of Greek ancestry, best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single "He's Gonna Step on You Again", on which Happy Mondays based their hit " Step On". His other big ...

(born 1945), South African singer and songwriter * Kongo Kong, wrestling ring name of Steven Wilson (born 1979)

Other uses

* Congo (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee who learned how to draw and paint * Congo (loa), a voodoo spirit * Congo Airways, the flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Congo Airlines, a former airline * , a Royal Navy ship * Conference of NGOs (CoNGO), a membership association of non-governmental organizations *

Kongo University Kongo University (french: l’Université Kongo) is a university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its name is abbreviated to UK, after its French name. The main offices of the university are located in Mbanza-Ngungu. UK currently oper ...

, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo