Democratic Republic of the Congo - Learn, Explore and Travel

Kinshasa: The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo sits on the mighty Congo River with markets, scenic views around the capital and Ma Vallee, rainforests and national parks to keep visitors busy. Kinshasa University, with several small museums with exhibits on the country's history, and the National Museum, home to the best collections of art, are both worth an afternoon to enjoy, then see the pagodas of the Gardens of the Presidential Farm of Nsele, and the Park of the Nsele, with a zoo and picnic facilities.

The war in the Congo has claimed nearly 3 million human lives.

PEOPLE: Over 99% of the population are Black Africans and there are around 200 tribes which are mostly of Bantu origin. The four principal tribes are the Mongo, Kongo, Luba and Mangbetu-Azande. Other ethnic aliens include Angolans, Sudanese, Zambians, Portuguese, Belgians, Italians, Greeks, Arabs, Lebanese, Pakistanis and Indians.

Labeled Africa's "forgotten and ignored war," the conflict has left a terrible legacy of immense suffering and trauma. It is estimated between 3-4 million Congolese (out of a total population of about 50 million) have died as a result of massacre, famine and disease, making the Congo's death toll the highest in Africa. Children have been brutally mutilated and scarred by the militia's machetes; women and girls have been horribly abused and raped amidst what has been described as "an epidemic of sexual violence" in northeastern Congo; thousands have been uprooted from their villages, their homes and farms destroyed.