Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire (French: République du Zaïre), is the name of the state that exists between October 27, 1971 and May 17, 997, currently named Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Founded by Mobutu Sese Seko, the name of Zaire derives from the Portuguese word "zaire", itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi ("river that swallows all rivers").