Fun Trivia : Democratic Republic of the Congo

Structure Sub-topic of: Africa Quizzes Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 10 general entries.

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

Democratic Republic of the Congo

It's our last day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and our tour guide, Exit10, who is an expert in hydrology, takes us to see one more site. She explains that this is where the navigable Congo River officially begins. Which site are we viewing?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Boyoma (Stanley) Falls. The top of the Boyoma Falls is at the end of the Lualaba River; at the bottom of the falls, it officially becomes the Congo River. The actual sources of the Congo River are in the mountains and lakes of the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from the Chambeshi River in Zambia. Up until it reaches the Boyoma Falls, the river is also known as the upper Congo; it then becomes the middle Congo until it reaches the Malebo Pool in the middle of the country, where it becomes the lower Congo.



Our tour guide, Exit10, a volunteer zoologist, is taking us to an animal refuge which she tells us contains a species of ape that is solely indigenous to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Which reserve will we be visiting?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve. Bonobo apes look similar to chimpanzees, but they are a separate species. The reserve, located in a remote northwestern area of the Congo River Basin, was established in 2001 and provides a habitat for other animals as well, including salonga monkeys, also solely indigenous to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The surrounding villages formed a partnership with conservation groups and manage the reserve in exchange for investment in their community, including training programs, schools, drinking wells and medical facilities.



Lucky for us, our tour guide, Exit10, has a sorority sister from Phi Delta Magma who works at the Virunga National Park, and she assures us that it is safe to visit Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. Which types of features are these that are responsible for natural disasters in the country?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Volcanoes. Virunga National Park became a World Heritage Site in 1979 and was classified as an endangered site in 1994 due to the impact of war on the area. There is a chain of active volcanoes within the park, with Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira being particularly destructive as Africa's two most active volcanoes. The park also has an abundance of wildlife including mountain gorillas and an estimated 20,000 hippopotami.



Our tour guide, Exit10, is now taking us to a World Heritage Site on the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Having traveled throughout the continent, she explains that this national park has some terrain that is not common in Africa. What is it?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Snow-capped mountains. The Rwenzori Mountains on the Democratic Republic of the Congo/Uganda border are snow-capped year round and, along with Mounts Kilimanjaro and Kenya, are the only such mountains in Africa (although reductions in precipitation could change this). The elevation reaches 16,761 feet/5,109 meters, with the Margherita Point on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) within the mountain range, being the highest point in the country (and the third highest in Africa, after Mounts Kilimanjaro and Kenya).



Our tour guide, Exit10, tells us that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa. She says that while attending the Sorbonne, she learned it was approximately four times the size of which other country?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


France. At a whopping 900,000 square miles/2,300,000 square kilometers, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also slightly less than a quarter of the United States. The country barely trails Algeria for the title of the largest country in Africa.



The Democratic Republic of the Congo is nearly a landlocked country, but it does have a slight coastline, which our tour guide, Exit10, jogs along every evening to watch the sunset over the water. She takes us to see the 23 mile/37 kilometer coast with which body of water?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Atlantic Ocean. The narrow slip of Atlantic Ocean coastline is surrounded by Angola on both sides (the exclave of the Angolan province of Cabinda to the north and the rest of Angola to the south). With such a small area of coastline, it might seem surprising that commercial ship repair is one of the major industries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the eastern border of the country is nearly entirely made up of large lakes and rivers, and the great Congo River does run through the country.



Our tour guide, Exit10, drives us by an area where the Democratic Republic of the Congo's main export products are being produced. As a former geologist, she tells us the country is one of the world's largest suppliers in which industry?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Mining . Mining accounts for the bulk of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's exports, with lumber/forestry, oil and agricultural products also in the mix. The country is among the world's major suppliers of cobalt, diamonds and copper. Other natural resources in the country include gold, tantalum, zinc, manganese, tin, coal and uranium. Agricultural products include coffee, pine oil and sugar.



Our tour guide, Exit10, tells us that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is bordered by nine countries: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Amazingly, she knows the exact measurement of each border! Which tragic country has the smallest border?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Rwanda. The 135 mile/217 kilometer border with Rwanda is the smallest land border for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi is close with a 145 mile/233 kilometer border. Angola has the largest border at 1,560 miles/2,511 kilometers. A portion of the border with Angola is for the province of Cabinda. It is an exclave that is completely surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. The border with Tanzania is actually Lake Tanganyika - the two countries do not have a land border. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a sizeable Rwandan population from refugees who escaped the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.



Our tour guide, Exit10, meets us at the airport in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Having memorized the world's capital cities, she informs us that the city across the river from Kinshasa is Brazzaville, the capital city of which separate country?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


The Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa lies across the Congo River from Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. Both cities are located pretty much at the west end of the navigable river; the Congo Rapids and Livingstone Falls are just beyond, and the railroad is used to bypass them to reach the mouth of the river.



We're on our way to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Our tour guide, Exit10, a part-time cartographer, tells us that it is conveniently located in which part of the African continent?

Do the Congo, Part Deux!


Central. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa (and formerly known as Zaire), is located in the center of Africa, slightly in the southern half of the continent. It is a large, somewhat tilted, square-shaped country (ok, maybe if a two-year old had drawn it). The Equator runs through the country with a third of the country located north of it.