Officially name: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Capital: Kinshasa
Largest city: Kinshasa
Official language: French
Government: Semi-presidential republic
Over 200 ethnic groups populate the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which the majority are Bantu peoples. Together, Mongo, Luba and Kongo peoples (Bantu) and Mangbetu-Azande peoples constitute around 45% of the population.
In July 1960, there were six provinces in the Belgian Congo: Leopoldville Province, Equateur Province, Province Orientale, Kivu Province, Katanga Province, and Kasai Province. Kivu Province existed from 1933 to 1962 (under the name Province de Costermansville until 1947, from the name of its capital) and from 1966 to 1988.