The Economy of the Congo

The democratic republic of the Congo is a very wealthy country with abundant natural resources like cobalt, copper, petroleum, gold, silver, and diamonds. The country also does a little substace farming eventhough 3% of the land is arable and also has huge amounts of rare woods like ebony. The country of the Congo may be rich but its people are not. The people of the Congo are extremely poor, so poor that their currency the Congolese franc is worth 464 francs per every one American dollar.

this is a modern Congolese franc

The miserable economy all started in the 1950s. During this time the Belgians controlled the Congo and exploited its natural resources, mostly of mining and other mining of valuable metals. Then in the 1960s when the Congo gained its independence the economy declined, and then rose again in the late 1960s, then to only go decline to in the 1970s eventually turning to full collapse by the 1990s. The economy now has been trying to build itself back up trading with Belgium, France, USA, Germany and South Africa.
The Congo still has lots of recourses it has not taken into consideration like hydroelectric power, but it still has a long way to go before the people of Congo reach full stability

Sources

"Congo, Democratic Republic of the." CIA World Book. 16 August, 2007. CIA. 4 Sep 2007 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html.

"Economy." Info Please. 2007. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 4 Sep 2007 http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0857521.html.

"1950: Belgium And Belgian Congo." Msn Encarta. 2007. Microsoft. 4 Sep 2007 .

Religion

In the Belgian Congo in 1959 Christianity was the main religion. The number of native Congolese priests totaled about 400. The Belgian administration was back then seen as what we call a paternalistic colonialism. The educational system was mainly dominated by the Roman Catholic Church and sometimes by Protestant churches. In 1959 about 99.6% of educational facilities were controlled by Christian missions.
The traditional religious beliefs in a supreme being, the power of the ancestors, spirits of nature, and the efficacy of magic were mostly abandoned when Christianity was introduced. There was a sizable Christian population, including the local section of the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth by the Prophet Simon Kimbangu (Kimbanguism). The rest of the Congos population continues to follow traditional beliefs. The foreign communities included a small Jewish population and some Hindus and Muslims.
The way religion in the Belgian Congo were 50% were Catholic, 20% were Protestant, 10% were Kimbanguist 10% were Muslims and 10% believed in the traditional religious beliefs of their ancestors. Kimbanguism was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism now has about three million members. As well as being the largest religion in the country with about 30 million members, the Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the largest Christian Churches in Africa roday.
Islam was first brought to the country by slave traders operating out of East Africa and Zanzibar. Traditional religions embody such concepts as monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and sorcery and vary among ethnic groups. The syncretic sections often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals, but may not be accepted by mainstream churches as part of Christianity.

Sources
-https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#Religion
-http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-40797/Congo
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Congo
-http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_365.html

Government Images

Patrice Lumumba, 1960
Belgian Congo's Coat of Arms
Stamp Celebrating Congo's Independence

Government

From 1908 to 1960 the Congo was under Belgian rule. In 1959 there were numerous riots in the capital city of Leopoldville opposing Belgian rule. The Movement National Congolias (MNC), which was led by Patrice Lumumba, was an organization which advocated independence from Belgium. The Belgians recognized that the MNC was a strong force in the Congo and arrested Lumumba and sentenced him to 6 months in prison.

On June 30th, 1960, Belgium announced the Congo's independence and also pronounced Patrice Lumumba as the first Prime Minister. The Belgians were "forced" to make Lumumba Prime Minister because of the strong Congolese support of him. In December of 1960, the Belgians arrested Lumumba again and in February of the following year Lumumba was murdered, which is generally attributed to the United States and Belgium.

Following Lumumba's death the newly named Republic of Congo went through five years of crisis, which resulted in riots, the United Nations being involved in Congolese politics, and a new Prime Minister, Moise Tshombe.

In 1965, a military coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu forced Tshombe to leave office and Mobutu took over the Congo. Mobutu ran the country from 1965 until 1997, when he was forced out of office by rebels supported by Rwanda. During his term as dictator Mobutu changed the name of the Congo to Zaire, improved foreign relations, and tried to rebuild the country.

After Mobutu was thrown out of office, Laurent-Desire Kabila was installed as the new president of the newly named Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2001, one of Kabila's bodyguards murdered him and his son, Joseph, took over office.

Today the UN is still helping stabilize the government and the DRC.


Sources
"Democratic Republic of Congo." History. 2005. African Art. 30 Aug. 2007 <http://africanart.com/DRC.html>

BBC. "Country Profiles." Timeline: Democratic Republic of Congo. 2007. BBC. 2 September. 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072684.stm

"Conflict History: DR Congo." International Crisis Group. 2007. 2 September. 2007 <http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?action=conflict_search&amp;amp;l=1&t=1&c_country=37>.

History of the Congo

The Belgian Congo
-first ever elections in December 1957
-many violent riots in Leopoldville in January 1959
-Belgian government planned to give Congo only limited independence
-Elections in May 1960; Lumumba became prime minister and Kasavubu became president
-gained independence on June 30, 1960

Republic of Congo
-many violent riots from political parties and the Congolese army revolted
-Belgium sent in troops to restore order
-Katanga seceded from the Congo in July 1960
-Colonel Joseph Mobutu seized control of the government and Lumumba was put on house arrest
-By end of 1960, Congo divided into 4 parts: Leopoldville, Stanleyville, South Kasai, Katanga
-Pro-Lumumba soldiers invaded northern Katanga in January 1961
-Lumumba was murdered January 17, 1961
-April 1960 Tshombe agreed to end the Katanga secession to free himself; Katanga proclaimed independence from the Congo again in July; Katanga finally ended secession January 1963
-Central government regained control on the entire country in 1964

Sources
-http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561261_1/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.html
-http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/14chapter7.shtml
-http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9015197
-http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9049346/Patrice-Lumumba#57194.hook
-http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0857522.html

CONGO CULTURE

FOOD


LITERATURE
-Jean Malonga: most "senior" writer, wrote Coeur d'Aryenne [Heart of Aryenne]
- because of this book, author and literary critic Jean-Baptiste Tati-Loutard "emphasises the momentum" for Congolese literature through journal Liason
- post independence: Guy Menga made strides in theatrical genre
- strongest intellectuals and authors of the 1950s and 60s: Jean Malonga, Patrice Lhoni, Tchicaya U tam'Si, Sylvain Bemba, Guy Menga, Martial Sinda

FAMILY LIFE
Gender roles
-men dominate in politics, economics, and religion
-rural woman have a better and more active role in the family, because they have more to do
-urban women are more dependent on their husbands "for their livelihoods"
-women don't mind being the minor gender
-some single women banded together to protest against Mobutu and to be kind of like rebels

Marriage
- it is the woman's obligation to marry
-single Congolese women are "owned" by their fathers, and then to their husbands
-rural men have more than one wife, it makes them look better
Jobs
- Men: hunt for several days; use traps, spears, and bows and arrows to kill large and small animals

-Women: day-to-day survival tasks; cutting wood for cooking fires; hauling on their heads large buckets of water for cooking; cleaning clothes; reaping; sowing, and harvesting the fields; collecting palm fruits; cooking, pounding, and sifting the local cassava root; child rearing; and making baskets and pottery for sale at local markets.

-Kids:boys usually advance further in school than girls, since men are the head of the household/make financial decisions


Main language: French
Others: Lingala, Monokutuba, Kikongo


Ziemke, Jennifer. "Culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo." Countries and their Cultures. 3 Sep 2007 .

"Congo Culture, Map, Flag, Tourist Places." sphereinfo. 1 Sep 2007 .

"Republic of the Congo." Reading Women Writers and African Literature. 10 Nov 2006 . The University of Western Australia. 1 Sep 2007 .