Congo-Kinshasa - Burnet Middle School

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CultureGrams
Kids Edition
(Democratic Republic of the Congo)
2014
Congo-Kinshasa
République Démocratique du Congo
Although the nation’s official name is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, several other names are also used:
Congo-Kinshasa, Congo-Zaire, D.R. Congo, or just Congo. This can be confusing because there is another
country called Congo next to it: Republic of the Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville.
Congo covers an area roughly the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River.
A popular Congolese musical instrument is the likembe. It is a board with thin metal strips plucked with the
thumbs. It is sometimes called a “thumb piano.”
One of the largest United Nations peacekeeping forces is based in Congo.
The average height of a Mbuti (a group living in Congo near the equator) adult is 4 feet 7 inches (1.4 m).
Soukous is Congo’s favorite style of music. Congolese love to dance and listen to the fast beat played by guitar
bands. Although originally from Congo, soukous is now popular throughout Africa and even in North America and
Europe.
Almost half of the people in Congo are younger than 15.
Flag
The blue in the flag symbolizes peace, and the red represents the blood of the country’s
martyrs. The yellow stands for the country’s wealth, and the star a radiant future for the
country.
National Image
The okapi lives in Congo. It is a relative of the giraffe, and has the partial markings of a
zebra, but the okapi’s neck is much shorter.
Land and Climate
Area (sq. mi.): 905,355
Area (sq. km.): 2,344,858
Congo-Kinshasa covers 905,355 square miles (2,344,858 sq km) and is slightly smaller
than Algeria, or one-quarter the size of the United States. Most of Congo-Kinshasa lies
within the huge lowlands of the Congo River Basin, home to the second longest river in
Africa. In the heart of the basin are thick tropical rain forests full of thousands of
different kinds of plants and animals, including the rare mountain gorillas, which live in
protected areas in Congo-Kinshasa. These forests remain some of the least explored
places on earth. Tall mountains, including several active volcanoes, line
Congo-Kinshasa’s eastern border, and flat grasslands cover the south. Temperatures
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are warm and humid throughout most of the country. Heavy rains are common.
Population
Population: 75,507,308
More than 73 million people live in Congo-Kinshasa. Most live in the countryside, but
more are moving to the large and crowded cities. The population of Congo-Kinshasa
belongs to more than two hundred ethnic groups. The Mongo, Luba, Kongo, and
Mangbetu-Azande are some of the largest. Congo-Kinshasa’s recent history has been
marked by violence between ethnic groups. However, most of the time, people from
different groups get along well. They live in the same villages, marry one another, and
usually handle their disagreements without violence. A significant number of business
owners are from Lebanon or India, and a small and aging group of Greek merchants
still live in Congo-Kinshasa. A few Congolese are very rich, but most are very poor;
very few people fit into the category of “middle class.”
Language
At home, people speak the language of their ethnic group. At work or at school, they speak one of four national
languages (Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, and Swahili), depending on the region. They may also speak French, the
language used by the most educated. Interestingly, there is no word in any of the national languages, except Swahili,
for “thank you.”
Can You Say It in Lingala?
Hello
Mbote
(m-BOW-teh)
Good-bye
Nakeyi
(nah-KAY-yee)
Please
Bolimbisi
(bow-lim-BEE-see)
Thank you
Botondi
(bow-TON-dee)
Yes
Eh
(ay)
No
Te
(tay)
Religion
Regardless of one’s faith, religion plays an important role in daily life. Churches can be found in many places, including
on rooftops, in vacant lots, and at the marketplace. Religious observance and prayer are often part of everyday life in
meetings, speeches, programs, and discussions. Eighty percent of the population is Christian. About 10 percent of
these Congolese Christians often mix traditional African beliefs with Christian beliefs. Ten percent of the population
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belongs to the Kimbanguist Church, a Christian organization started in Congo-Kinshasa in the early 1920s. About 10
percent of the people are Muslim. The remaining 10 percent follow traditional beliefs alone.
Time Line
8000 BC
8000 BC
Hunting-gathering tribes occupy the rainforests of what is now
Congo-Kinshasa
1000
1000
The Bantu (ancestors of the Congolese) arrive in Congo-Kinshasa from
western Africa
AD 800
AD 800s
The ancestors of modern Congolese end their migrations to the Congo
River Basin
1200
1200s
Early central African kingdoms are established
1482
Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão reaches the mouth of the Congo River
1507
Nzinga Mbemba becomes king of Congo-Kinshasa and changes his
name to Alfonzo I
1660s
Wars caused by the Atlantic slave trade lead to the decline of the
Kongo Kingdom
1700
1700s
Arab sultans in Zanzibar get slaves from eastern Congo
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1874
Henry Stanley begins exploring central Africa
1884
The Congo Free State becomes the property of Belgium’s King
Leopold II
1890
George Washington Williams, an African American journalist, writes
news reports about the violent treatment of the Congolese by officials
working for King Leopold II
1900
1908
The Congo Free State becomes the Belgian Congo, a colony of
Belgium
1959
Rioters in Kinshasa call for greater freedoms
1960
The colony of the Belgian Congo becomes the Democratic Republic of
the Congo; civil war begins
1961
Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister, is executed
1965
Mobutu Sese Seko takes power
1971
Mobutu renames the country Zaire, a Bantu word for “river”
1988
Mobutu is accused of stealing money from the national treasury
1990
Mobutu lifts the ban on political parties
1994
The war in Rwanda begins to spill over into Zaire as refugees flee the
fighting
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1997
Laurent Kabila takes over the government; the nation is again named
the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1998
War breaks out between the Kabila government and rebel groups
2000
2001
Laurent Kabila is murdered; his son Joseph becomes president
2002
A peace treaty is signed between the Congolese government and rebel
groups, ending a civil war that cost more than three million lives; the
rebels are given a role in the government
2006
A new constitution paves the way for the first free elections in decades,
and a new national flag is adopted
2008
Renewed fighting erupts in the eastern part of the country between
government and rebel troops
2010
The first national conference of women is held in Kinshasa to help
women gain greater power in the national government of
Congo-Kinshasa; the nation celebrates 50 years of independence
PRESENT
Kingdoms of Central Africa
The earliest people to occupy the land now known as the Congo were ancestors of the Mbuti and lived in the western
part of Congo thousands of years ago. These people, who were mostly hunters and farmers, migrated east and
eventually began to organize themselves into kingdoms. They used tools made from iron and developed their own
money made from gold bars. Hundreds of years ago, these kingdoms ruled large areas of what is now the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. One of these, the Kongo Kingdom, was established around the mouth of the Congo River. It
conquered neighboring tribes and created a complex system of government. It carried on trade with merchants in the
eastern part of Africa, and by the time the first explorers arrived from Portugal in 1482, the Kongo Kingdom was the
most powerful kingdom in the region.
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The Slave Trade
Portugal’s main interest in Africa was slaves. In the beginning, Kongo kings helped the
Portuguese by letting them makes slaves of people who had been taken captive in
battle. Later, one African king, King Alfonso, protested that the Portuguese were
stealing his people. Nothing he said made a difference to the Portuguese, who
continued to kidnap and enslave Africans for another three hundred years or so. Helped
by the Kongo kings, Portuguese traders captured people (or paid other African tribes to
do so) and put them on ships sailing for the Americas, where they were forced to work
on farms. The slave trade had many terrible effects on central Africa. It split families
apart and led to wars among the tribes. Not until the early 1800s was the trading of
slaves outlawed by most European countries and the United States.
Leopold's Land
In the late 1800s, King Leopold II of Belgium sent explorer and journalist Henry Stanley
to sign treaties with African chiefs. Without fully understanding what they were doing,
these African chiefs agreed to these treaties. Soon, the Congo Free State, as it was
called, became the property of Leopold (the “Free” in the name described how his
trading partners would be able to profit, not how the Africans who worked for him were
allowed to live). His promises to the African chiefs went unfulfilled. He grew rich from its
rubber and ivory, but an African American journalist named George Washington
Williams wrote several articles about how badly King Leopold allowed his Congolese
workers to be treated. The Belgian parliament finally took the Congo Free State away
from him because the treatment of the Africans became so terrible. However, life did
not improve much, if at all, for most of the Congolese, who were still treated like slaves
after Leopold was removed from power. Millions of Congolese died because of the poor
working conditions, lack of food, and sickness.
The Belgian Congo
From 1908 until 1960, Belgium kept Congo as a colony. Although the Belgian Congo was under the control of Belgium,
it was really a handful of Belgian companies that ran things in the area. Many Congolese worked for these companies
and suffered greatly in poor working conditions. Sometimes the workers tried to fight against this treatment, but the
owners called on officials in the government to help them put down these rebellions. During both world wars, the
Congo became a source of raw materials and soldiers used to fight against Germany. Many Congolese fought in the
war on the side of Belgium. Later, Christian missionaries in the Belgian Congo spread the French language and
Christianity among the native inhabitants. The Congolese continued to demand more freedom and finally, after several
violent conflicts, Belgium gave up its control of the African colony. In 1960, under the leadership of Patrice Lumumba,
Congo gained its independence from Belgian rule and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, peace
and prosperity remain harder for the Congolese people to achieve.
The Rule of Mobutu
After a few months, a civil war broke out between different groups in Congo. Following
five years of struggle and violence, a general named Mobutu Sese Seko took control of
the government. Mobutu was against communism, so he received support from
countries like the United States and Great Britain. He renamed many of the towns and
cities in Congo to African names, including changing the name of the country to Zaire.
For more than 30 years, Mobutu ruled as a dictator, not allowing elections and
punishing people who disagreed with him. He stole money from the national treasury
and became rich while his nation suffered. Even though he promised to help his
country, he ended up leading it into even worse conditions than before he took control.
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A Nation at War
In 1997, rebel leader Laurent Kabila overthrew Mobutu and became president. Kabila
changed the country’s name back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many
believed that Kabila would bring improvements to Congo. However, in 1998, the
country was thrown into civil war again when neighboring countries sent troops to
Congo, siding with either Kabila or rebel groups. Then, in 2001, Kabila was murdered.
His son Joseph became the new president. The younger Kabila worked to end the civil
war, which had resulted in the deaths of more than three million people. At the end of
2002, a peace treaty was signed that finally brought an end to the conflict. However, the
threat of war remained, and in 2008, fighting again broke out between government and
rebel troops. The United Nations called for rebel troops to leave Congo by the middle of
2010, but violence continues to rule the region.
Games and Sports
Soccer is the most popular sport in the country. People usually play on dirt fields, and
balls are often homemade. That doesn’t stop Congolese kids and adults from playing
whenever they get a chance. Congolese also enjoy the game of mankala. Played all
over Africa, mankala is a bit like backgammon. Players move beans or pebbles from
cup to cup on a wooden board. If people don’t have a board, they dig small holes in the
ground to put their beans or pebbles in. Congolese also enjoy socializing as an activity.
People often get together to walk or jog in groups just to enjoy each other’s company.
Young children enjoy pretending to hunt wild animals, and young girls in the
countryside practice carrying loads on their heads in imitation of the older women in the
village.
Holidays
Parents’ Day, on 1 August, is similar to Memorial Day in the United States. On this day,
Congolese honor their ancestors by going to cemeteries to clean and repair the grave
sites. Afterward, they have meals with their families. Religious holidays like Easter and
Christmas are also celebrated with large feasts where believers dress up in their best
clothes and meet together. Patriotic holidays are occasions for parades. One patriotic
holiday, Independence Day, on 30 June, marks the anniversary of Congo becoming
free from Belgian rule. Local festivals to celebrate important events like births and
marriages are also popular in Congo. Villages celebrate the passage of a young man
into adulthood with a large party. Singing and dancing have a place at nearly every
celebration.
Food
Food is hard to get in Congo. In the countryside, most Congolese only eat twice a
day—once at midday and once in the evening. One of the most common foods in
Congo is a thick root called cassava. In the United States, it’s known as tapioca. When
cassava is ground into a powder and heated in water, it makes a thick, spongy dough.
Congolese dip balls of this dough in different sauces. They eat cassava with a favorite
dish called moambé. This is made by cooking chicken (or sometimes fish) with peanuts,
ginger, and palm oil. Like many Congolese foods, moambé is very spicy. Dried fish is
popular, and people also enjoy protein-rich foods like locusts, ants, and termites! In a
place where food is precious, the Congolese have learned to find nutrition wherever
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they can.
Schools
Adult Literacy: 66.8%
War has hurt Congo’s education system. It is difficult to know how many of Congo’s
kids actually attend school. A lot of schools are closed because the government can’t
afford to pay teachers. Many teachers and other educated people have left the country.
Those kids that are able to go to school must use limited resources. There aren’t many
books. School buildings are made of basic materials like mud brick walls and thatched
roofs. For many years, boys as young as eight or nine have been prevented from
attending school because they have been recruited for service in the military.
Life as a Kid
Life is often hard for Congolese kids. Many are refugees, forced to leave their homes by
war. Some boys have been made to fight for the armies in Congo. They are given rifles
and put into combat. Luckier kids live at home with their families and attend school.
Kids are expected to do a lot of work to support their families, so they don’t have much
free time. But, like you, they like to play with their friends whenever they get the chance.
Lack of money doesn’t prevent them from finding ways to have fun, though. They enjoy
challenging each other to foot races, practicing being hunters with homemade bows
and arrows, or pretending to be mothers.
Government
Capital: Kinshasa
Head of State: Pres. Joseph Kabila
Head of Government: PM Matata Ponyo
For most of Congo’s history, the country’s citizens have not been able to choose their leaders. A new constitution went
into effect in 2006. Under its terms, the president appoints a prime minister to run the daily affairs of government. The
legislature has two houses: a 500-seat National Assembly and a 108-seat Senate. The president and members of the
legislature are elected to five-year terms. There are hundreds of political parties in Congo, but only a handful win more
than a few seats in the legislature. Armed rebel groups are active in areas outside the capital city. The government is
relatively unstable, and human rights are not guaranteed. The voting age is 18.
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Money and Economy
Currency: Congolese franc
Congo has many valuable resources, like copper and diamonds. It also has the world’s
largest reserves of cobalt, a dark gray metal. However, years of corruption and war
have made Congo one of the world’s poorest countries. Congo is the world’s largest
producer of diamonds, but the armies steal many of them. Most people live in small
villages and farm small plots of land or catch fish. The currency of Congo is the franc
congolais (Congolese franc).
Getting Around
Congo has few roads, and many of them are in bad condition. Dirt roads turn to mud in
the rainy season, making it impossible to travel on them. Most Congolese don’t have
cars anyway, so they walk just about everywhere they need to go. The many rivers, like
the Congo River, are more reliable than roads; however, in some areas, large waterfalls
make it necessary for the travelers to leave the river and go around the waterfall by foot
or train. People travel in long canoes called pirogues or ride on riverboats. These
riverboats are like floating villages, where people prepare meals, play games, and sell
goods. In some larger towns, old cars or trucks are used as “bush-taxis,” filled beyond
capacity with as many passengers as can possibly fit. Travelers also use trains for
long-distance travel, but these have not been maintained well over the years and are
often uncomfortable, lacking basic items such as water or lighting.
Rare and Beautiful Wildlife
Congo is home to some of the world’s rarest animals. In the east lives the mountain
gorilla, an endangered species. There are only about eight hundred left in the world.
These large animals are herbivores, which means that they eat only leaves and plants.
Even rarer is the northern white rhino, whose numbers have decreased to about seven
still living in the world. The okapi lives only in Congo. It is a relative of the giraffe, but
without the long neck. Congo is also home to many other exotic animals, such as
hippos, leopards, and chimpanzees. Many of these animals face extinction because of
war or hunting. Although special parks have been set up as safe places for these
animals, poachers (illegal hunters) and soldiers continue to kill animals for money or
food.
Learn More
Contact the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1726 M Street NW, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20036;
phone (202) 234-7690; web site www.ambardcusa.org.
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