The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa. It is surrounded by nine neighboring countries and shares borders with Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, and the Republic of Congo. The country is commonly referred to as DR Congo or simply Congo-Kinshasa, which differentiates it from its neighboring country the Republic of Congo, which is also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville. Other synonyms for DR Congo include Zaire, which was the country's name from 1971 to 1997, and Congo Free State, which was its name during the period of colonial rule by Belgium.