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
Malik Zaire backup, Zaire started the 2014 Music City Bowl. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 96 yards with one touchdown, and ran for 96 yards on 22 carries scoring one touchdown leading Notre Dame to a 31–28 victory over LSU and earning the game's MVP. The Fighting Irish opened spring practice with an open competition at quarterback, but neither Zaire or Everett Golson separated themselves as the starter according to head coach Brian Kelly. However, after Golson decided to transfer and play his final season at Florida State University, Zaire was named the starting quarterback. In the second game of