Democratic Republic of the Congo
1
3.7
- proper noun
:
República Democrática del Congo
- In 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo emerged as an independent nation after gaining freedom from Belgian rule.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
Examples
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Lawless roads: In December 2007, I visited the Nord-Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Academic text (2008) -
For every China, there is an autocratic developmental disaster such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo; for every authoritarian success such as Singapore, there is a resounding failure such as Myanmar; for every South Korea, there is a North Korea.
Academic text (2008) -
Lawless roads: In December 2007, I visited the Nord-Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Academic text (2008) -
For every China, there is an autocratic developmental disaster such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo; for every authoritarian success such as Singapore, there is a resounding failure such as Myanmar; for every South Korea, there is a North Korea.
Academic text (2008) -
The Congo River is one of the main features of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, providing vital resources for the country.
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Tourists often visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explore its rich biodiversity and expansive rainforests.
Synonyms
111
7.8
A former country in central Africa now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo
45
3.4
A large country in central Africa with capital Kinshasa
Surface Forms
Morphology
democratic + republic + of + the + Congo
The phrase is fully compositional: 'democratic' + 'republic' + 'of the Congo' literally describe a country that is a republic in the Congo region governed on democratic principles. A B1 learner who knows these constituent words (and basic world knowledge) can infer this is the formal name of a country, so the meaning is transparent rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
Democratic Republic of the Congo is a name that mixes a place and a type of government. The word Congo comes from the old Kingdom of Kongo and the big Congo River that runs through the land, and the words Republic and Democratic show it is a 'people-led country', so the name helps you remember it is a large country in central Africa by the Congo River.