Congo, Democratic Republic of the or Congo-Kinshasa, nation in central Africa, a large nation of dense forests traversed by the powerful Congo River. valuable in natural resources, the nation is nonetheless economically stunted due to decades of misrule in the second half of the 20th century, under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The region was first united as the Congo Free State, a colony created by Belgian king Leopold II in the late 19th century. The colony was called the Belgian Congo from 1908 until 1960, when it gained freedom as the Republic of the Congo. Its name was changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1964 and then to Zaire in 1971.