This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire and the Belgian Congo.
The Congo Free State was established in 1885 as a personal initiative of Leopold II of Belgium, which was formally annexed, becoming the Belgian Congo, in 1907. Both entities issued their own stamps.[1]
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In 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo. On 1 August 1964, the state's official name was changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2]
In 1971, the state's name changed to Zaire. The first stamps of Zaire were issued on 18 December 1971.[3][4]
In 1997 the country's name reverted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The State of Katanga seceded from the Republic of the Congo and, during its three years of independence, produced its own stamps and issues overprinted on earlier stamps of the Belgian Congo and the Republic of the Congo.[5]
For a short period in 1960–61, South Kasai was a secessionist region in the south central area of the country that issued overprinted Belgian Congo stamps.[6]
