Zaire: Map & History
Zaire, officially the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1971 and the Republic of Zaire from 1971 to 1997, was the Congolese state in Central Africa headed by Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 to 1997.
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Zaire, officially the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1971 and the Republic of Zaire from 1971 to 1997, was the Congolese state in Central Africa headed by Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 to 1997. It was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-largest country in the world from 1965 to 1991. With a population of over 23 million, Zaire was the most populous Francophone country in Africa. Zaire was strategically important to the West during the Cold War, particularly the U.S., as a counterbalance to Soviet influence in Africa. The U.S. and its allies supported the Mobutu regime with military and economic aid to prevent the spread of communism which made it a key player for U.S. involvement in Africa.
Modern Countries Once Part of Zaire
At its mapped extent, Zaire covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Zaire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Zaire in Depth
History
In 1965, as in 1960, the division of power in Congo-Léopoldville (a former Belgian colony) between President and Parliament led to a stalemate and threatened the country's stability. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu again seized power. Unlike the first time, however, Mobutu assumed the presidency, rather than remaining behind the scenes. From 1965, Mobutu dominated the political life of the country, restructuring the state on more than one occasion, and claiming the title of "Father of the Nation". He announced the renaming of the country as the Republic of Zaire on 27 October 1971.
Government and politics
The country was governed by the Popular Movement of the Revolution as a unitary one-party state as the only legally permitted party in the country, though the Congo had effectively been a one-party state since the MPR's formation. Despite the constitution nominally allowing for the existence of two parties, the MPR was the only party that was allowed to nominate a candidate for the 1 November 1970 presidential election. Mobutu was confirmed in office by an implausible margin of over 10,131,000 votes against only 157 who voted "no." At parliamentary elections held two weeks later, voters were presented with a single MPR list that was approved with over 99 per cent support.
Economy
The zaïre was introduced to replace the franc as the new national currency. 100 makuta (singular likuta) equaled one zaïre. The likuta was also divided into 100 sengi. However this unit was worth very little, so the smallest coin was for 10 Sengi. The currency and the cities named above had actually already been renamed between 1966 and 1971.
While the country began to stabilise after Mobutu took control, the economic situation began to decline, and by 1979, the purchasing power was only 4% of that in 1960. Starting in 1976 the IMF provided stabilising loans to his regime. Much of this money was embezzled by Mobutu and his circle.
Culture
The concept of authenticity was derived from the MPR's professed doctrine of "authentic Zairian nationalism and condemnation of regionalism and tribalism". Mobutu defined it as being conscious of one's own personality and one's own values and of being at home in one's culture. In line with the dictates of authenticity, the name of the country was changed to the Republic of Zaire on 27 October 1971, and that of the armed forces to Zairian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Zaïroises—FAZ).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Zaire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Zaire: Key Facts
| Capital | Kinshasa |
|---|---|
| Official language | French |
| Form of government | Mobutism, republic |
| Currency | zaire |
| Founded | 27 October 1971 |
| Dissolved | 16 May 1997 |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q6500954 (CC0).
Zaire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,307,837 km² in 1994 CE.
Zaire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Zaire exist?
Zaire is dated to 1973 CE – 1995 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Zaire?
The capital of Zaire was Kinshasa (named "Léopoldville" until 1966).
How large was Zaire at its peak?
At its peak in 1994 Zaire covered about 2,307,837 km².
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