This week here on Fun Fact Tuesday at Statesman Ties we’re going to be talking about The Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the country that inspired our Congo tie.

Fun Fact 1: Congo is an incredibly diverse nation with over 200 ethnic groups represented and nearly 250 languages spoken within its borders. Kinshasa, the capital, is the second largest French-speaking city in the entire world (secondo only to Paris), and before even Montreal and Brussels.

Fun Fact 2: Congo is the only place in the world that great apes like the lowland gorillas and bonobos can be found. Unfortunately, both of these species are threatened with extinction due to pollution, deforestation, and bush-meat trade. Congo’s Virguna National Park is the oldest national park in Africa and is home to rare species like mountain gorillas (pictured below), lions, and elephants.

My favorite fun fact is that in addition to being flora-rich, the Congo is also among one of the most resource-rich countries on the planet by being home to gold, tantalum, tungsten, and tin – all materials used to build electronics like phones.

Do you know any fun facts about Congo? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check out our Congo tie!