7 Facts about the Democratic Republic of Congo

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• published: 21 Jan 2017
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (not to be confused with its smaller neighbour, the Republic of Congo) is the second largest country in Africa and the 11th largest in the world. Formerly known as Zaire or, before that, Belgian Congo, today it’s the largest Francophone nation, with more French speakers than France itself. You can now support this channel via Patreon, by accessing the link bellow. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/7facts Learn, Share, Subscribe The African series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRSS8U_aviqtyOJOPSmcRlyd The Oceanian series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRT-Yslq4Rpl_1bByPrZqYyM The American Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRR8eYVQa9r_t3h4Tc2bmhsu The Asian series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRRGIkTyr4u371Fx6e88Qx2N The European Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRTa_XMM9a4hDh2Yo9CsZzOR Social Media: https://twitter.com/Sebastian2Go https://www.facebook.com/official7facts ------------------------------------------------ In this brief video you can find seven little known facts about the Democratic Republic of Congo. 1. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the 2nd largest country in Africa and 11th largest in the world. At 2,344,858 square kilometers, the DRC covers a land area larger than the combined territories of Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Lithuania. 2. With a population of over 80 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the 4th most-populated nation in Africa and the 18th most populated country in the world. The people represent over 200 ethnic groups, with nearly 250 languages and dialects spoken throughout the country. Kinshasa, the capital, is the largest French-speaking city in the world. 3. Despite being a poor and conflict-ridden country, the DRC boasts a space program. Privately financed by the Développement Tous Azimuts (DTA), with significant government support, the Troposphere rockets are expected to send cargo to outer space in the near future. 4. Kinshasa and Brazzaville in the next-door Republic of Congo are the closest capital cities in the world (with the exception of Vatican City and Rome). A bridge across the Congo River still needs to be constructed to connect the two political centers. 5. The great apes, such as the bonobos and the eastern lowland gorillas, can be found only in Congo. Along with the common chimpanzee, the bonobo is the closest extant relative to humans. 6. The DRC used to have a very strange form of currency, called the Katanga cross. The metal is made of copper and is shaped in the form of an X. The Katanga cross underwent a change of value from being owned by tribal chiefs, who used them for large transactions or rituals, to a more widespread use for purchasing perishable goods, although its main use was to bind marriages. 7. The DRC is among the most resource-rich countries on the planet, yet it continues to have an extremely poor population. Tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold have been dubbed “conflict minerals.” Armed groups use the profits from sales for campaigns of violence. More Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere_(rocket_family) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo http://currencies.wikia.com/wiki/Katanga_cross Music: Teknoaxe – Cutting Through the Madness https://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe Images: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Dr_congo_in_au.png http://kingofwallpapers.com/congo/congo-013.jpg http://africa-facts.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/african-kids.jpg https://childrenincrisis.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/jess.jpg https://www.carbonbrief.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/launch-of-NOAA-17.jpg https://images.vice.com/vice/images/articles/meta/2014/03/15/hows-the-congolese-space-program-doing-1413249485257.jpeg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,center&resize;=1440:* http://airlines-airports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Congo-Kinshasa.jpg http://www.gtreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Kinshasa-Republic-Of-The-Congo-River-Crane-e1434104342420.jpg http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/xx_factor/2016/09/14/why_do_we_idolize_chimps_when_we_could_be_imitating_feminist_bonobos/72408173-kinshasa-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-this-picture.jpg.CROP.promo-xlarge2.jpg http://www.awf.org/sites/default/files/media/gallery/wildlife/Bonobo/620065_CYRIL%20RUOSO.jpg?itok=8W9zuAbi http://www.amazigh.it/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/KGrHqZoQFIrli9M7zBSQe1diL2g60_571.jpg https://www.sheridan-portraits.fr/collections/article-01/48-katanga-cross.JPG http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/20kimk/files/2014/10/2234_1pngmining_025__1_-2mblv3n.jpg http://interrete.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Conflict-Minerals-Rebels-and-Child-Soldiers-in-Congo-.jpg Intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwZ0nbYy5To Intro Creator: Design Showcase https://www.youtube.com/hasanhalai123