Democratic Republic of the Congo Colonial Records

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Colonial Records

Leopold II, King of Belgium (1885-1908)

The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was ruled personally by Leopold II, Belgium's constitutional monarch, and not by the government of Belgium.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records

Belgium Colonization (1908-1960)

In 1908, the Congo Free State (also known as Zaire) became a colony when Belgium took control of the country from King Leopold. The country achieved independence in 1960, and was renamed The Republic of the Congo.

Additional Reading:

• Histoire de l'administration des archives du Zaïre. Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic) : s.n., 198-?.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
Indicateur officiel des téléphones, 1950-51, Congo belge	1950-1951	Telephone directory	French
République démocratique du Congo cartes d'identité nationales, 1920-2015	1920-2015	National identity cards	French