What does each of us imagine when we hear the word "Congo"? Black people in loincloths? Or maybe the expanses of the savannas? Or a full-flowing African river, in which large alligators are found? It turns out that this word has several meanings. It's time to find out what Congo is.
Meaning of the word
• People living in Central Africa. Another name for it is "bakongo".
• The language of the people belonging to the Bantu language group. Another name for it is "kikingo".
• A river in Central Africa. It is the largest on this mainland, and in terms of water content and basin area - the second river in the world.
• A depression in the Congo Basin.
• The Democratic Republic, formerly known as Zaire. The capital is the city of Kinshasa.
• The Republic, which was a former colony of France. The capital is the city of Brazzaville.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The country is located in Central Africa, the capital is the city of Kinshasa. It borders countries such as the Central African Republic, Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia and the Republic ofCongo. Africa is home to the least developed and developing countries of the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is among the first. According to the IMF for 2012, it is the poorest state on our planet.
Why is this republic lagging behind in its development? First of all, because it was a colonial country for a long time. Relatively recently, in 1960, the state ceased to depend on the developed European country of Belgium. Prior to that, the republic was its colony. The second thing that hinders the economic development of the country is the climate of the Congo (Republic). It is mostly equatorial, which means that it is always hot here. The sizzling sun burns the crops of the population's crops. A sufficient amount of precipitation falls only on the banks of the rivers. The development of animal husbandry is hampered by the accumulation of tsetse flies observed here, which carry dangerous diseases.
History of the development of the country
Many centuries ago, the territory of the modern republic was inhabited by tribes of pygmies. These short Africans lived mostly in forests, hunting and gathering.
In the II millennium BC. e. the country of the Congo became a haven for the agricultural tribes of the Bantu. These peoples were engaged in agriculture. They brought agriculture and metallurgy here with them. They knew how to make iron tools. The Bantu created the first states in this territory, one of which was called the Kingdom of the Kongo. It originated in the 14th century. Its capital was the city of Mbanza-Kongo (now San Salvador). ATAt the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese arrived in this area. They came to the mouth of the Congo River. From here begins the black page of the slave trade in our history. Soon after the Portuguese to Africa, other European powers rushed for "profitable goods." The slave trade has become the most profitable means of enriching the developed countries. The entire territory of the African continent was soon divided between European countries into colonies. From the Kingdom of the Congo, slaves were exported mainly to work on the plantations of America. In 1876, the Belgians entered the territory of the state. Since 1908, this country has become a colony of this European power. The enslaved peoples had to wait more than 50 years to gain independence. It happened in 1960. A year earlier, the National Movement here, led by Patrice Lumumba, won elections to the local parliament. In 1971, the Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire. It received its current name in 1997.
Population
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to just over 70 million people. The country is agricultural. Therefore, most of the population lives in villages.
Citizens make up only 34% of the total number of people. The average life expectancy here is low: for women - 57 years, for men - 53 years. This is due to the difficult economic situation in the republic. Also, the low level of medicine contributes to the high mortality of the population. Its ethnic composition is very rich: more than 200 different nationalities live here, among which the main groups are Bantu, Luba,Mongo, Mangbetu Azande and Kongo. The official language is French.
Economy of the country
As mentioned above, this state is the poorest in the world. And this despite the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the leader in the presence of many minerals in the bowels of the earth. Here are the largest reserves of cob alt, tantalum, germanium, diamonds, copper, zinc, tin and so on. There are large deposits of oil, iron ore, coal, gold and silver. Plus, the property of this country is its forests and water resources. Despite all this, the state remains an agrarian country.
Moreover, they are engaged here mainly in crop production. Sugar, coffee, tea, palm oil, quinine, bananas and other fruits, corn, root crops are exported from the country every year. In 2002, there was a strong economic growth. However, since 2008, it has slowed down due to falling demand and prices for export goods.
Republic of the Congo
This country is also located in Central Africa. Its capital is the city of Brazzaville. It borders countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The climate here is mainly equatorial and only in the south - subequatorial. It is always very humid in the north of the country.
Development history
Once upon a time, pygmies lived on the territory of the modern country. Then the Bantu peoples came here, engaged in hoe and slash-and-burn agriculture. They grew yams, legumes, sorghum. In 1482, the country of the Congo became the site of onePortuguese expedition. And in the 15th century, the French came here, who concluded a protectorate treaty with all the coastal tribes. From 1885 to 1947, this state was a colony of France, which not only exported slaves from here, but also mined copper ore here. In 1960, the country was able to achieve independence from the European powers. Then the world knew what the Congo was. The first president here was Fulber Yulu, who was soon ousted from this post. Ahead of the country were waiting for several coups, during which power passed from one successor to another.
Climate, flora and fauna: description
Congo is an amazing country. If we say in a few words about its climate, then it will look like this: it is constantly humid and hot here. There are two rainy seasons in the republic: from January to March and from April to May. The coolest months are July and August. Half of the territory is occupied by equatorial tropical forests.
Flora is very widely represented here: mahogany, limba, sapeli, palm trees, chitola, ayus and much more. The animal world is also rich. Buffaloes, elephants, hippos, leopards, monkeys, snakes, birds live here.
Economy and culture
Tourism is underdeveloped in the Republic of the Congo. The peculiarities of its climate, which is unfavorable for Europeans, do not allow the development of this sector of the economy. The basis of the profitability of the country's economy is the production and export of oil. Agriculture is poorly developed here. Grow mainly tapioca, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, coffee and vegetables. It also produces soap, cigarettes, beer and cement. Most of these goods are exported. The largest buyers of this country's products are America, China and France.
Culture of the population
The local population here has a very rich original folklore. Songs and folk dances are its foundation. The craftsmen of this country are engaged in wooden carving. It covers not only pottery, various objects, furniture, pumpkin vessels. There are also many talented artists here who create their paintings based on local traditions.
Full-flowing Congo - the second longest river on the mainland
The mysterious continent of Africa hides many mysteries. One of them is the Congo River, which crosses the equator twice.
Until now, sir, it has been little studied. In the upper course, it is called Lualaba. It is near the settlement of Mumen. Lualaba is a river with a changeable "character". Rapids, through which water flows rapidly, alternate with flat and calm areas. Below the city of Kongolo, where it meets the gorge of Porte, it forms rapids and waterfalls. The most beautiful of them are located under the equator. They are called Stanley Falls. After them, the river is already called the Congo. In its average course, it becomes more calm. The mouth of the Congo River is the Atlantic Ocean.
"Terrible" and "beautiful"
It is difficult to describe in words the impression that this river makes on the traveler. The novelist Joseph Conrad, in his book Heart of Darkness, said thatto find yourself here is like returning to "the beginnings of the world, when vegetation raged on the earth and giant trees soared." What is the Congo (river) in the equatorial forest, where does it originate? This is a real hell: impenetrable thickets of huge 60-meter oaks, ebony trees and heveas, under the crowns of which eternal twilight reigns. And below, in the darkness, in the warm waters of the river, danger lurks at every step: crocodiles, cobras, pythons. Add to this the terrifying heat and unbearable humidity, swarms of mosquitoes. And yet, the Congo River is striking in its grandeur and beauty. She runs at great speed. At the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, one can see a large reddish-brown patch of rocks that the river carries from the savannas. Its waters are full of fish. Tilapia, Nile elephant, Berbel, Nile perch, freshwater herring, tiger fish and more are caught here. In total, more than 1000 different species of commercial fish live here. Several large hydroelectric stations have been built on the river, the largest of which is called Inga.
We learned about what Congo is. It turned out that this word has several meanings: it is the largest river in Africa, and two completely different states. We talked about each of these objects in detail.
