A country in the center of Africa, the Congo covers an area of 342,000 million square meters. It covers part of the Congo River and shares many borders with other African countries. Its lands are rich in timber, stone and hydrocarbon resources. The country can be distinguished from many other African countries by the characteristics it possesses. Its coat of arms features two elephants accompanying a fiery lion. Its three-color flag: green, yellow and red. With these symbols, the country stands out from the rest of Africa.

In this article, we take a look at the symbols, ornaments, emblems and expressions that identify and represent the Congo.

We’ll start with the Congo’s flag, then look at its coat of arms, its anthem and finally its emblems.

The Congo flag.

The national flag is red, yellow and green, and today’s Congo flag is rectangular. It was adopted on August 18, 1958, and was designed to be pan-Africanist, the colors being in fact the colors of pan-Africanism. Red is triangular in shape and occupies the upper left of the flag. Green is triangular and occupies the lower right of the flag. Yellow is a stripe running from left to right across the center of the flag.

For the record, the flag was changed between 1970 and 1991 to an all-red flag with a spade, hammer, star and two laurel leaves in the upper left, symbolizing socialism.

The flag has the same colors as the flag of Ethiopia, red symbolizing the struggle for freedom; green the country’s nature; and yellow the country’s natural wealth.

The Congo coat of arms.

Created on August 15, 1963 by Abbé Fulbert Youlou, the Congo coat of arms features two elephants surrounding a fiery lion.

At the center of the coat of arms is a lion carrying a torch, symbolizing protection. It is supported by two Sable elephants with gold tusks. The shield is surmounted by a special seven-pointed forest crown. At the top of the coat of arms, the country’s official name is inscribed in special font: “République du Congo”.

At the bottom, a gold scroll bears the national motto: “Unity, Work, Progress”.

Between 1970 and 1991, the country’s coat-of-arms was changed to “breche et marteau étoile et feuille de laurier” to reflect the country’s socialist ideology. The gilded coat-of-arms of Abbé Fulbert Youlou was later reinstated.

The national anthem of Congo-Brazzaville: La Congolaise.

The national anthem of Congo-Brazzaville is called La Congolaise, and consists of three refrains. It has many similarities with the French national anthem and is sung in six verses.

La congolaise:

On this day, the sun rises
And our Congo shines
A long night is over
A great happiness has arisen
Let us all sing with intoxication
The song of freedom.

Refrain :
Congolese standing proud everywhere
Let us proclaim the union of our nation
Forget what divides us
Let’s be more united than ever.

|Let’s live by our motto:
Unity, Work, Progress(x2) : |

From the forest to the savannah
From savannah to sea
One people, one soul
One fiery and proud heart
Let us all fight as long as we are
For our old black country.

Refrain :
Congolese proudly standing everywhere
Let us proclaim the union of our nation
Forget what divides us
Let’s be more united than ever.

|Let’s live by our motto:
Unity, Work, Progress(x2) : |

And if we have to die
Who cares, because our children
Everywhere will be able to say oh how
We triumph by fighting
And in every village
Let’s sing under our three colors.

Refrain :
Congolese standing proud everywhere
Proclaim the union of our nation
Forget what divides us
Let’s be more united than ever.

|Let’s live by our motto:
Unity, Work, Progress.(x2) : |

Emblems of the country.

The cheetah is the animal that represents the country, and is seen on many of Congo’s establishments.  The animal is found in central Africa and is widespread in Central Africa. A major predator in Central Africa, it represents strength, speed and agility.

The animal is also used as a means of clothing for the region’s traditional garments.

It is used, for example, on the bustiers of traditional garments, as well as on men’s skirts.

In everyday life, cheetah patterns protect women’s legs and also serve as a coat to cover their arms and backs. The pattern is often used for sweaters and scarves. It’s a very fashionable pattern these days, often used as a fashion accessory and as an ostentatious accessory: glasses, suitcases, watches are often in cheetah skin patterns.

According to superstition, the cheetah is said to bring good luck.