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 the third best Dual-threat quarterback in his class. Zaire committed to the University of Notre Dame to play college football. Zaire did not play in any games as a freshman at Notre Dame in 2013. Prior to his sophomore season in 2014, he competed with Everett Golson to be the starting quarterback. Golson won the job with Zaire as the backup. He received his first extensive playing time against the USC Trojans, replacing Golson, who was benched. He completed 9 of 20 passes for 170 yards and a rushing touchdown in the game. After spending the entire season as Golson's