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 Malik Zaire Malik Jamaal Zaire (born February 28, 1995) is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He began his college football career at Notre Dame, before transferring to the University of Florida as a graduate transfer. Zaire attended Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio. As a senior, he earned 2012 AP Ohio Division III Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year accolades with 1,990 yards passing, 1,120 yards on the ground and 33 total touchdowns (24 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns). He was rated by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit and was ranked as