WWTBAM Bored

Sunday evening was one of the happiest evenings of my life-

I got to use "Congo-Kinshasa or Congo-Brazzaville?" in conversation with somebody who knew what I meant and didn't look at me funny (other than being surprised) when I asked.

We went to hear a missionary couple with 30 years experience in Congo and Cameroon and the wife was setting up a table with some exhibits and there was stuff about "Congo" but they didn't say which one. So, in the first seconds of our conversation, I got to cross using "Congo-Kinshasa or Congo-Brazzaville?" in context off of my bucket list.

She was a little surprised to find somebody who knew the difference and it took her a few seconds to process the question-the answer is "Congo-Kinshasa."

Mrs. S and I visited with them afterwards and they told us about a friend of theirs who is the coolest missionary ever.

He(the friend) likes to hunt and the local population knows that he has a firearm and permits or whatever, so whenever there is a problem elephant, or whatever, in the area-he gets called to take care of the problem

Is it generally assumed to be other by default, if Congo-Brazzaville isn't specified?

My brain still is stuck on Belgian Congo. And I'm not sure which one that is.

The DRC (Kinshasa) is a good place not to be right now.

MarleysGh0st wrote:Is it generally assumed to be other by default, if Congo-Brazzaville isn't specified?

Other what? "The Congo" usually means the Congo Republic (Congo-Brazzaville).

SpacemanSpiff wrote:My brain still is stuck on Belgian Congo. And I'm not sure which one that is.

That's now the Democratic Reoublic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa).

Bob Juch wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:Is it generally assumed to be other by default, if Congo-Brazzaville isn't specified?

Other what? "The Congo" usually means the Congo Republic (Congo-Brazzaville).

The other of the two places mentioned in the subject line. I changed the wording, to sound less repetitive.

And since the Democratic Republic of the Congo is vastly larger than the Republic of the Congo, both in population and in area, I'd dispute your assertion.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

Bob Juch wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:Is it generally assumed to be other by default, if Congo-Brazzaville isn't specified?

Other what? "The Congo" usually means the Congo Republic (Congo-Brazzaville).

The other of the two places mentioned in the subject line. I changed the wording, to sound less repetitive.

And since the Democratic Republic of the Congo is vastly larger than the Republic of the Congo, both in population and in area, I'd dispute your assertion.

Argue with the cartographers: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=republic ... =0CKABELYD

Bob Juch wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

Bob Juch wrote: Other what? "The Congo" usually means the Congo Republic (Congo-Brazzaville).

The other of the two places mentioned in the subject line. I changed the wording, to sound less repetitive.

And since the Democratic Republic of the Congo is vastly larger than the Republic of the Congo, both in population and in area, I'd dispute your assertion.

Argue with the cartographers: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=republic ... =0CKABELYD

It was a lot easier to remember when the DRC was known as Zaire under the dictator Mobutu which was the case during my prime educational years. Well, for me anyway. That period was not so easy on the people trying to live there. Not that the present day is that much better.

Bob Juch wrote:The DRC (Kinshasa) is a good place not to be right now.

While I will grant you that the Republic of Congo may be (marginally) a better place to be right now than the PRC I am not sure either of then is exactly a model for stability!

These missionaries were/are in northwest DRC(Congo-Kinshasa) and he said there are some recent refugees from CAR (Central African Republic) about 100 miles north of them.

Just think how bad a situation your life is in if you are fleeing TO the DRC.

And Yes, I know there are countless refugees in eastern DRC from Rwanda-etc.