Imagine waking up to find your country has a new name.

On October 27, 1971, President Mobutu Sese Seko renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Republic of Zaire. The change was part of his 'authenticity' campaign, which also renamed cities and asked citizens to drop European names.

The name Zaire came from a Portuguese adaptation of a local word for 'river.' It lasted until 1997, when Mobutu was overthrown and the country became the Democratic Republic of the Congo again.

Do you remember seeing 'Zaire' on maps?

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