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Why is the Democratic Republic of the Congo also called Congo (Kinshasa)?
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo is referred to as Congo (Kinshasa) to distinguish it from its neighbor, the Republic of the Congo, which is commonly called Congo (Brazzaville).12
Because both nations share the name "Congo," adding the capital city in parenthesesâKinshasa for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville for the Republic of the Congoâserves as a clear and standard way to differentiate between the two countries in international discourse.23