Click here to locate Congo synagogues on a map
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Official Name: Democratic Republic of the Congo (Formerly the Belgian Congo And Republic of Zaire)
Position: Large nation in central Africa bordered by Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and the Atlanta Ocean
Independence: From Belgium in June 1960
Current Population: 77.5 million
Area: 2,345,409 km2 / 905,355 square miles
Capital: Kinshasa
Languages: French with Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, and Tshiluba
National Groups: Over two hundred, with the Bantu and Mangbetu-Azande peoples the largest groups. A very small white population also can be found in the country along with various South and Southeast Asian communities.
JEWISH CENTERS
Active Community: Kinshasa (formerly Leopoldville) and Lubumbashi (formerly Elisabethville); A Jewish community also once resided in Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville)
Estimated Current-Day Jewish Population: One hundred living in the capital city of Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and scattered elsewhere
Operational Synagogues: Kinshasa (1) and Lubumbashi (1)
Cemeteries: Kinshasa and Lubumbashi
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO'S SYNAGOGUES AND OTHER JEWISH ARCHITECTURE