DRC as a great power

Given the huge reserves of the DRC, in another timeline could the fractured nation have become a first world country, even a major power on a similar scale to some European nations? Obviously I mean in the post-colonial era, though the idea of a powerful Belgium is interesting.

Have a nice day.
-MRegent
 
What about a Kongo Empire turning in Brazil-equivalent, being independent at the beggining of XIX century?

Except that the Kingdom of Kongo doesn't correspond, at all, territorially or culturally to the DRC. Kongo covered more of modern Angola, Gabon, and the ROC than it did the DRC.
 
Except that the Kingdom of Kongo doesn't correspond, at all, territorially or culturally to the DRC. Kongo covered more of modern Angola, Gabon, and the ROC than it did the DRC.

Indeed, but with a Brazil equivalent, the only way is to begin with Kongo part of Congo basin and then expand towards east.
 
What about a Kongo Empire turning in Brazil-equivalent, being independent at the beggining of XIX century?

That's dumb, Brazil's strength is not related at all to the barely populated expanse of the Amazon, an expanse of jungle will not help a grand power grow.

Despite the usual AH idiocy of looking at a space filling area on the map and conflating it with potential power, the vast majority of the DRC's population live in either the downslopes of the Angolan Plateau in the south west (this is where the historical Kongo kingdoms were located) or along the mountain borders of the great rift valley.

A Kongo Kingdom/Super Angola that did own the Congo basin would be a powerful country, but it wouldn't be the DRC, and would hardly be stronger than Nigeria or South Africa in Africa alone, much less a great power. It would also have enormous problems assimilating the eastern ranges that are actually populated.

Secondly everywhere in africa has only seen very recent large population growth, looking at the big numbers now has little baring on strength back then even in the immediate post-colonial era (indeed population growth faster than economic growth beggers the country).
 
Indeed, but with a Brazil equivalent, the only way is to begin with Kongo part of Congo basin and then expand towards east.

But a surviving & vassalized Kongo wouldn't be a Brazil equivalent. Brazil was a settler/plantation-slavery colony; any surviving Kongo would naturally be a native kingdom subsumed into the greater Portuguese empire. India would be a closer analogy perhaps, and even then I'm not quite sure you could say that either it would be a) a surviving Kongo as opposed to a Portuguese Congo, or b) a great power.
 
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