ABSTRACT
The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire, is the third largest country of the African continent. Initiated by the Berlin Conference of 1885, its borders were established arbitrarily during the period 1885 to 1894. The history of the country dates from the 6th century a.d., when in approximately 500 a.d. Woot, the Nyani, established the Kingdom of Kuba. A succession of Western European incursions followed until the late 19th century, when Belgium’s King Leopold II established the area as a personal fiefdom. Finally, almost a century later, on June 30, 1960, the Congo achieved independence from Belgium.
