<P> The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( / ˈkɒŋɡoʊ / ; French pronunciation : ​ ( kɔ̃ɡo ) ; French : République démocratique du Congo ) , also known as Zaire , DR Congo , East Congo , DRC , DROC , Congo - Kinshasa or simply the Congo , is a country located in Central Africa . The DRC borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north ; Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi and Tanzania to the east ; Zambia and Angola to the south ; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest . It is the second - largest country in Africa ( largest in Sub-Saharan Africa ) by area and eleventh largest in the world . With a population of over 80 million , the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country , the fourth most - populated nation in Africa and the seventeenth most populated country in the world . </P>
where is democratic republic of congo located on the world map
borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north ; Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi and Tanzania to the east ; Zambia and Angola to the south ; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest