Congo River and "Congo" is the preferred English name in 19th-century literature, although references to "Zahir" or "Zaire" as the name used by the inhabitants remained common. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after it, as was the previous Republic of the Congo which had gained independence in 1960 from the Belgian Congo. The Republic of Zaire during 1971–1997 was also named after the river, after its name in French and Portuguese. The Congo's drainage basin covers , an area larger than India. The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from , with an
2/27th Battalion (Australia) contact. With the Japanese pressing hard, Potts ordered a further withdrawal from Menari before the 2/27th arrived, effectively cutting it off from the rest of the brigade. For the next two weeks, the 2/27th fought through the jungle, carrying their wounded with them, to regain contact with supporting units, eventually linking up with them at Jawarere on 22 September. After this, the battalion, having suffered heavily from disease, was briefly withdrawn back to Port Moresby for rest at the end of the month. In October, the 2/27th provided one company to the ad hoc Chaforce, providing work parties to bring