Languages of Gabon and the Congos

According to Ethnologue (↗), a total of 315 living languages are currently used for communication in GABON, the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO ("Kinshasa Congo"), and the REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO ("Brazzaville Congo"). A relic of France's controversial African colonization, the official language for all three countries is French. You will find that some languages listed below are present in all three Central African nations. Figures in parentheses are estimates of the number of communicators within each country.

● ● ● ● ●  Gabon's 43 prominently communicated languages include Baka, Bekwel, Benga, Bubi, Duma, Fang (350,000 communicators), French (over 1 million), Kota, Lumbu, Mahongwe, Mbangwe, Mbere, Myene, Ndumu, Ngom, Njebi, Punu (160,000), Sake, Sangu, Sira, Tchitchege, Teke-Tege (95,000), Tsaangi, Tsogo, Vili, Vumbu, Wandji, Wumbvu, and Yasa.

● ● ● ● ●  The DR Congo's 210 languages include Aloro (Alur; 750,000 communicators), Asoa, Aushi, Avokaya, Bali, Baloi, Banda (Togbo-Vara), Bangala (3,500,000), Bangba, Bangi, Bangubangu, Barambu, Bemba (300,000), Bembe (255,000), Bendi, Bera, Bhele, Bila, Binji, Boko, Bolia, Boma, Bomboma, Budu, Budza (230,000), Bushoong, Buyu, Bwa (Kibua; 200,000), Bwile, Chokwe (505,000), Congo (Koongo; over 8,000,000), Congo Swahili (over 9,000,000), Ding, Dongo, Efe, Enya, Foma, French (6,100,000), Fuliiru (400,000), Furu, Gilima, Gobu, Hamba, Havu (510,000), Hema, Hemba, Holoholo, Hunde (200,000), Kakwa, Kanyok (200,000), Kaonde, Kela, Kélé, Kinyarwanda (250,000), Kituba (Kikongo; 5,000,000), Komo (400,000), Kusu, Kwese, Lalia, Lega-Mwenga, Lega-Shabunda (400,000), Lele, Lendu (750,000), Lengola, Lese, Libinza, Ligenza, Lika, Lingala (2,050,000), Lobala, Logo (225,000), Lombi, Lombo, Luba-Kasi (Tshiluba; 7,000,000), Luba-Katanga (Kiluba; 1,500,000), Lugbara (850,000), Luna, Lusengo, Lwalu, Mabaale, Mamvu, Mangbetu (620,000), Mayekyeka, Mayogo, Mba, Mbala (230,000), Mbandja (355,000), Mbo, Mbole, Mituku, Mongo-Nkundu (400,000), Mono, Mpuono, Nande (910,000), Ndaka, Ndo, Ndobo, Ngando (220,000), Ngbaka (over 1,000,000), Ngbaka Ma’bo (Bouaka), Northern Ngbandi (250,000), Southern Ngbandi, Ngbundu, Ngelima, Ngiti, Ngombe, Ntomba, Nyali, Nyanga, Nyanga-li (Linyanga-le), Nzakara, Omi, Pagibete, Pambia, Phende (420,000), Poke, Ruunde, Sakata, Salampasu, Sanga (435,000), San Salvador Kongo (540,000), Seba, Sengele, Shi (655,000), Sonde, Songe (1,000,000), Songo, Songomeno, Suku, Taabwa (270,000), Tagbu, Talinga-Bwisi, Teke-Ibali, Tembo, Tetela (750,000), Tiene, Wongo, Yaka (700,000), Yakoma, Yamongeri, Yansi, Yela, Yombe (670,000), Zande (730,000), and Zimba.

● ● ● ● ●  Finally, the Republic of the Congo's 62 languages include Aka, Akwa, Beembe (100,000 communicators), Bekwel, Bobangi, Bomitaba, Bomwali, Bongili, Doondo, Fang, French (over 2,500,000), Kako, Kituba (1,490,000), Koongo, Kota, Kunyi (117,000), Laari (135,000), Likuba, Likwala, Lingala (182,000), Mbaka (Ngbaka Ma'bo; 135,000), Mbandja, Mbere (90,000), Mboko, Monzombo, Mpyemo (Bimu), Ngungwel, Njebi, Ombamba, Pomo (Pol), Soundi (Suundi; 185,000), Teke-Eboo, Teke-Fuumu, Teke-Ibali, Teke-Kukuya, Teke-Tege, Teke-Tsaayi (100,000), Teke-Tyee, Tsaangi, Vili, Wumbvu, Yaka, and Yombe.