Democratic Republic of the Congo Republique Democratique du Congo
Formerly known as Zaire and once a Belgian colony, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a central African nation northeast of Angola. Slightly less than a quarter of the size of the United States, the Congo is governed from the autonomous capital city of Kinshasa. The country is divided into 10 provinces: Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu.
Before the seizure of power by President Mobuto Sese Seko in 1965, the presidency was a popularly elected office. Laurent-Désiré Kabila took over as president upon Mobuto's overthrow on May 17, 1997. Kabila's son Joseph took charge ten days after his father's assassination on January 16, 2001. Joseph Kabila stepped down in 2018 and remains "Senator for Life."
The DRC took a major step forward through peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 30, 2018. Félix Tshisekedi won as President and was officially sworn in on January 24, 2019.
The DRC is now considered a unitary semi-presidential republic with a bicameral parliament. The president serves a 5-year term and constitutionally limited to two terms.
