Our expedition lands us in the Republic of the Congo (often called Congo-Brazzaville), a country covered in emerald-green jungles right on the equator. There are around 6 million people living here, and the capital is Brazzaville. This city sits directly across the river from Kinshasa (the capital of the other Congo), making them the two closest capital cities in the world! The official language is French, alongside local languages like Lingala and Kituba.
The country covers about 342,000 square kilometers, or 132,000 square miles. To imagine its size, it is roughly the same size as the state of Montana in the U.S., or about the same size as Malaysia in Asia. In European terms, it is approximately the same size as Germany. Most of the land is a dense, lush carpet of the Congo Basin rainforest.
The most popular sport is Football, but the country is also famous for a unique fashion subculture called La Sape, where “Sapeurs” dress in incredibly bright, expensive, and elegant designer suits to walk the city streets like models. Their national animal is the Western Lowland Gorilla, a gentle giant of the forest that the country works very hard to protect.
The flag features a yellow diagonal stripe separating a green triangle on the top left from a red triangle on the bottom right, where the green represents the forests, the yellow stands for the friendship and nobility of the people, and the red symbolizes the struggle for independence.
The food is bold and flavorful. You should try Saka Saka, a dish made from mashed cassava leaves, palm oil, and peanut butter, often served with smoked fish or meat. They also love Moambe, a savory stew made from the fruit of the oil palm.
The Republic of the Congo is home to the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Africa, where you can find “bais”—natural forest clearings where gorillas and elephants gather to find salt and minerals. The country is also the heart of Congolese Rumba, a style of music so influential that it has been recognized by UNESCO as a treasure of humanity. If you travel deep into the north, you’ll reach the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, a place so remote and wild that it is often called “The Last Place on Earth” because the animals there sometimes don’t even recognize humans as a threat.
From the stylish streets of Brazzaville to the deep, quiet heart of the jungle, the Republic of the Congo is a land of elegance and wilderness. Merci! That means “Thank you!”