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COUNTRIES

Democratic Republic of the Congo: map, flag, capital and key facts

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in Africa, with about 112.8 million people (2025) and an area of 2,344,860 square kilometres. Its capital is Kinshasa, and it shares land borders with 8 countries.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
The Democratic Republic of the Congo in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about the Democratic Republic of the Congo

CapitalKinshasa
ContinentAfrica
Population112,832,473 2025, World Bank. 15th of 195.
Area2,344,860 km² (905,355 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 11th largest of 195.
Population density48 people per km²
Land neighbours8: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia
Official nameCongo (Democratic Republic)
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates4.33° S, 15.31° E Kinshasa, Natural Earth.

Land neighbours

The Democratic Republic of the Congo borders 8 countries on land. Each links to its own page.

AngolaLuandaBurundiGitegaCentral African RepublicBanguiRepublic of the CongoBrazzavilleRwandaKigaliSouth SudanJubaUgandaKampalaZambiaLusaka

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 18, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 18

The Congo River drains a basin the size of Western Europe

The Congo is the world's deepest river and the second-largest by discharge. Its basin covers 3.7 million square kilometers of rainforest, the world's second-largest tropical forest after the Amazon. That forest is a massive carbon sink, and the river itself could generate enough hydroelectric power to supply most of Africa, though almost none of that potential has been tapped.

More on carbon sink

The Congo Basin rainforest absorbs roughly 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 annually. Its preservation is critical to global climate targets, yet deforestation pressures are increasing.

17 more lenses on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the app

  • STORY The Congo's suffering is inseparable from its colonial extraction
  • NOW The minerals in every phone come from here
  • NOW Every ceasefire is signed over the same minerals
  • THREAD What happens in Congo shapes half the continent
  • THREAD The great-power scramble for Congolese minerals is accelerating
  • PLACE The heart of a continent
  • STORY Zaire, and a famous free kick
  • NOW Fifty-two years and the longest road back
  • THREAD A squad raised in Europe
  • PLACE Riches beneath the rainforest
  • STORY The rumba and the Leopards
  • NOW A hundred million people, one shared team
  • THREAD Two Congos, one river
  • PLACE The lake that stores gas beneath a volcano
  • STORY The kingdom that gave the country its name
  • PLACE The largest French-speaking city is not Paris
  • NOW The hill that collapsed twice in five weeks

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare the Democratic Republic of the Congo with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Kinshasa. Kinshasa lies at about 4.3 degrees south and 15.3 degrees east. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in Africa. It is home to about 112.8 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
About 112.8 million people live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 15th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 2,344,860 square kilometres, that is about 48 people per square kilometre.
What countries border the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo shares land borders with 8 countries: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. The map on this page outlines each of them around the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How big is the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo covers 2,344,860 square kilometres, or about 905,355 square miles. That makes it the 11th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers.

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