Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Despite similar names, these are two distinct Central African nations separated by the Congo River.
| Feature | DRC (Congo-Kinshasa) | ROC (Congo-Brazzaville) |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Kinshasa | Brazzaville |
| Area | 2,344,858 km² | 342,000 km² |
| Population (2020) | ~89.6 million | ~5.5 million |
| Official Languages | French, Lingala, Swahili | French, Lingala |
| Currency | Congolese franc (CDF) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) |
| GDP Nominal (2020) | $51.4 billion | $10.7 billion |
| HDI (2019) | 0.459 (Low) | 0.571 (Medium) |
The DRC is vastly larger, more populous, and resource-rich but has lower human development. The ROC is smaller, wealthier per capita, and more stable. Their capitals—Kinshasa and Brazzaville—face each other across the Congo River, the world's closest capital pair.