The two countries
named Congo

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There are two separate, independent nations called Congo: The Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are located next to each other, in Africa.

The Republic of the Congo is the smaller of the two, and it is located on the western coast of Africa, to the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a former French colony which was formerly called Middle Congo. Often, the name of the nation's capital, Brazzaville, is appended to the name Congo, in order to differentiate it from its neighbor to the east. From 1970 to 1992, however, the official name of this country was People's Republic of the Congo.

The official currency in the Republic of the Congo, or Congo Brazzaville, is the CFA franc. The letters CFA stand for Communauté Financière Africaine (African Financial Community).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the larger country, east of Congo Brazzaville. It is a former Belgian possession. For a long time, in order to differentiate this country from its neighbor to the west, the name of its capital, Kinshasa, usually followed the name Congo. However, between 1971 and 1997, Congo Kinshasa was officially known as Zaïre.

The national currency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the Congolese franc.

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