# Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)

> former country (1960–1971) in Africa, predecessor of Zaire

**Wikidata**: [Q618399](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q618399)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Congolese_Republic)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/republic-of-the-congo-leopoldville

## Summary
The Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) was a historical sovereign state in central Africa that existed from 30 June 1960 until it was dissolved in 1971. It is also known as the First Congolese Republic and is the direct predecessor state of Zaire.

## Key Facts
- Officially known in sources as Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville); aliases include Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Léopoldville, and Congo-Leopoldville.
- Inception date: 1960-06-30.
- Dissolved: 1971 (year of dissolution recorded as +1971-00-00T00:00:00Z).
- Coordinates (central location): latitude -4.4, longitude 15.4.
- Classified as a historical country and a sovereign state.
- Wikipedia title associated with the entity: First Congolese Republic.
- Wikidata description: "former country (1960–1971) in Africa, predecessor of Zaire."
- Sitelink count recorded in the source material: 25.
- Succeeded by: Zaire (successor state), with Zaire's inception recorded as 1971-10-27.
- Related city: Kinshasa — cited in the source material as the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with an inception date of 1881-01-01 and multiple country associations in the source data.
- Related currencies mentioned in source material: Congolese franc (currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and zaire (currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and of the Republic of Zaire from 1967 until 1997).
- Related language in source material: French (described as a Romance language).
- Related international organization class present in source material: United Nations (described as a global international and intergovernmental organization; inception 1945 / 1945-10-24 in the provided data).
- Related political party (listed as connected): Bakongo Alliance — political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with inception recorded as 1950.
- Related financial institution: Union des Banques Congolaises — former Congolese bank; inception 1960; listed as associated with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zaire, and Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).
- Notable persons linked in the provided material:
  - Patrice Lumumba — Congolese politician and independence leader (1925–1961).
  - Mobutu Sese Seko — Congolese politician and military officer; identified as the first and only president of Zaire from 1971 to 1997 (1930–1997).
  - Dieudonné Kabongo — Congolese-Belgian comedian, humorist, musician and actor (citizenship entries include the relevant Congolese entities).
  - Roger Hitoto — Zairean and French footballer (citizenship entries include the relevant Congolese entities).
  - Chéri Cherin — Congolese painter (born 1955) with multiple citizenship entries including Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) in the provided data.

## FAQs
Q: What was the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)?
A: It was a historical sovereign state in central Africa that existed from 30 June 1960 until its dissolution in 1971 and is described in sources as the predecessor of Zaire. Its Wikipedia title in the provided material is "First Congolese Republic."

Q: When was it founded and when did it end?
A: The inception date recorded in the source material is 1960-06-30. The entity is recorded as dissolved in 1971.

Q: What state followed the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)?
A: The source material identifies Zaire as the successor state; Zaire’s inception in the source is recorded as 1971-10-27.

Q: Where was it located and what are its coordinates?
A: The provided central coordinates are latitude -4.4 and longitude 15.4. The material also ties the entity to the Kinshasa area, noting Kinshasa as the major city referenced in the dataset.

Q: Which notable people are associated with it?
A: The source material lists Patrice Lumumba (Congolese politician and independence leader), Mobutu Sese Seko (who became president of Zaire), Dieudonné Kabongo (Congolese-Belgian entertainer), Roger Hitoto (Zairean and French footballer), and Chéri Cherin (Congolese painter, b. 1955) among persons connected to the entity.

Q: What related organizations, parties, or financial institutions are mentioned?
A: Related organizations and groups in the source include the Bakongo Alliance (a political party listed with inception 1950) and the Union des Banques Congolaises (a former bank with inception 1960) that is associated with the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) among other Congolese states.

Q: What languages and currencies appear in the source connections?
A: The language mentioned in the related items is French (a Romance language). Related currencies cited in the material are the Congolese franc and the zaire (the latter noted as the currency of the Republic of Zaire from 1967 until 1997 in the provided data).

## Why It Matters
The Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) represents a defined historical period in central Africa’s state structure and the immediate predecessor to Zaire, making it a pivotal reference point for understanding mid-20th-century political transitions in the region. The entity’s timeframe (1960–1971) places it squarely in the era of African post-colonial state formation; the provided material connects it with prominent political figures such as Patrice Lumumba and Mobutu Sese Seko, which ties the republic to major leadership and governance narratives of the period. Institutional and economic links in the source — for example, the Union des Banques Congolaises (inception 1960) — show the republic’s role in the continuity of financial and political structures that carried forward into successor states. Additionally, its association with Kinshasa and cited coordinates makes it geographically central to contemporary Democratic Republic of the Congo discussions.

## Notable For
- Being identified in sources as the First Congolese Republic (Wikipedia title in the provided data).
- Existing as a historical sovereign state from 1960-06-30 until dissolution in 1971, and serving as the predecessor of Zaire.
- Close association in the source material with major political figures of the era, including Patrice Lumumba and Mobutu Sese Seko.
- Inclusion in the dataset of related civic and economic institutions such as the Union des Banques Congolaises (inception 1960).
- The dataset links the entity geographically to coordinates lat -4.4, lon 15.4 and to the Kinshasa area as a principal urban reference.
- Presence across multilingual and interlinked reference systems, with a recorded sitelink_count of 25 in the provided material.

## Body

### Names and Classification
- The entity is titled in the provided material as Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).  
- Aliases listed in source data: Democratic Republic of the Congo; Congo-Léopoldville; Congo-Leopoldville.  
- The Wikipedia title provided for this entity in the material is "First Congolese Republic."  
- The source classifies it as a historical country and a sovereign state.  
- The Wikidata description provided reads: "former country (1960–1971) in Africa, predecessor of Zaire."

### Dates and Legal Existence
- Inception is recorded as 1960-06-30.  
- The entity is recorded as dissolved in 1971 (source format: +1971-00-00T00:00:00Z).  
- The successor state listed in the source is Zaire, with Zaire’s inception given as 1971-10-27.

### Geography and Location
- Central coordinates recorded in the provided material: latitude -4.4, longitude 15.4.  
- The source repeatedly references Kinshasa in relation to the entity; Kinshasa is described in the material as the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is included among country associations in the dataset.  
- The entity is therefore positioned in the central African region associated with Kinshasa and the contemporary Democratic Republic of the Congo in the source connections.

### Related Languages and International Context
- The language listed among related items is French, described in the material as a Romance language.  
- The United Nations appears among the related classes in source data as a global international and intergovernmental organization; the material records the UN’s inception in 1945 (with a preferred date of 1945-10-24 in the provided details).

### Currency and Economy (Related Items)
- The provided dataset references the Congolese franc as a currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  
- The zaire is cited in the source as a currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and as the currency of the Republic of Zaire from 1967 until 1997.  
- A financial institution connected in the material is the Union des Banques Congolaises, a former Congolese bank with inception 1960 and listed as associated with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zaire, and Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).

### Political Organizations and Parties
- The Bakongo Alliance is included among related items. The source describes it as a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with inception recorded as 1950 and country associations present in the dataset.  
- The Union des Banques Congolaises is noted under organizations as a former bank that operated within the set of related Congolese states, with an inception date recorded as 1960.

### Notable People Connected in Source Material
- Patrice Lumumba: described in the provided material as a Congolese politician and independence leader, with life dates given as 1925–1961 in the source.  
- Mobutu Sese Seko: described in the source as a Congolese politician and military officer and identified as the first and only president of Zaire from 1971 to 1997, with life dates 1930–1997 in the provided data.  
- Dieudonné Kabongo: listed in the material as a Congolese-Belgian comedian, humorist, musician and actor; the source includes citizenship entries linking him to the Congolese entities.  
- Roger Hitoto: listed as a Zairean and French footballer in the source material, with citizenship entries that include related Congolese entities.  
- Chéri Cherin: cited as a Congolese painter born in 1955; the source lists multiple citizenship entries including Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville).

### Successor State and Continuity
- The dataset explicitly lists Zaire as the successor state to the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). Zaire’s inception date in the provided material is 1971-10-27.  
- The provided material links economic and institutional continuity across the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), Zaire, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo through shared references to currency names and institutions (e.g., zaire, Congolese franc, Union des Banques Congolaises).

### Metadata and Identifiers
- Sitelink count for the entity as provided: 25.  
- The source material provides structured identifiers and descriptive labels (aliases, Wikipedia title, Wikidata description) that position the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) within linked-data and reference frameworks.

### Connections and Cross-References in the Source Material
- Kinshasa: referenced multiple times in the source material as the major urban locus connected to the entity; Kinshasa’s own inception in the dataset is 1881-01-01.  
- Currencies: Congolese franc and zaire appear as related monetary terms in the material.  
- Political and financial entities: Bakongo Alliance and Union des Banques Congolaises are listed as connected organizations with inception dates (1950 and 1960 respectively).  
- International context entry: United Nations is present among related classes with inception details supplied in the source data.  
- Person entries: the dataset enumerates several persons tied to the political, cultural and sporting histories connected to the entity, including Lumumba and Mobutu whose life dates and roles are recorded in the provided material.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013