Democratic republic of the congo history britannica. Politics of the democratic republic of the congo wikipedia. During this conference, africa was arbitrarily divided in ways that benefitted the european colonial powers, w. History of the democratic republic of the congo english. Democratic republic of the congo country profile nations.
The constitution of the congo, promulgated august 1, 1964 by congo democratic republic 2 editions published in 1965 in english and held by 178 worldcat member libraries worldwide. The small country now known as the republic of congo was originally part of the kingdom of the kongo, and the bakongo, bateke and dsanga were the main peoples in the area when the portuguese arrived in the 15th century. French, belgian and moroccan troops help repulse attack on katanga by angolanbased. Democratic republic of the congo simple english wikipedia. Democratic republic of congo profile timeline bbc news. A small settlement along the congo river was renamed brazzaville and became the capital of the area now called the middle congo.
However, its political history has limited the large potential. A very brief history of the democratic republic of congo. A chronology of key events in the history of the democratic republic of congo, from the 1200s to the present. Democratic republic of the congo, formerly zaire zi. The territory that is congo contains the population and the resources to be one of the continents richest countries. It is the third largest city in africa after cairo and lagos and the second largest french speaking city in the world other than paris, france. Australia brazil canada china france germany india italy japan mexico. Drc tales focus on a 1950s missionary family, greed and corruption in the 1960s, and the fallout from 1990s genocide. Jan 20, 2020 on the western border of the democratic republic of congo, youll find the smaller of the two congos, the republic of the congo, or congo brazzaville. A work of excruciating yet compassionate clarity through the political history and. Discovered in the 1990s, the earliest discovered human remains in the democratic republic of the congo have been dated to approximately 90,000 years ago. May 30, 2018 the democratic republic of congo is rarely if ever at the top of the western headlines, but heads of state and socalled experts have long made similar proposals to carve out new, smaller, more homogeneous nations in congos resourcerich eastern provinces. The author says she spent nearly 30 years waiting for the wisdom and maturity to write this book.
The democratic republic of the congo pronunciation help info french. The republic of congo, also known as middle congo, congobrazzaville, and congo but not to be confused with the democratic republic of the congo, formerly zaire, which was also at one time known as the republic of the congo, is a former french colony of westcentral africa. Jul 14, 2017 a coalition of rwandan and ugandan armies, led by lawrence kabila, then invaded zaire to overthrow the government of mobutu, launching the first congo war. He goes back to essentially prehistoric times and traces the history of the congo or today, the democratic republic of the congo, drc up until the times leading up to just a few years ago. Politics of the democratic republic of congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semipresidential republic on 18 and 19 december 2005, a successful nationwide referendum was carried out on a draft constitution, which set the stage for elections in 2006. Interesting facts about the democratic republic of congo. Over the past two decades, the democratic republic of congo has been at the centre of the deadliest series of conflicts since the second world war, and now hosts the largest united nations peacekeeping mission in the world. Four indigenous languages have the status of national language. Democratic republic of congo travel africa lonely planet. From the capital they ruled over an empire encompassing large parts of presentday angola, the republic of congo and the democratic republic of congo. Dec 12, 20 the best books on democratic republic of the congo. Culture of republic of congo history, people, women.
The democratic republic of the congo previously zaire is at africas center, both geographically and economically. It borders on angola in the southwest and west, on the atlantic ocean, cabinda an angolan exclave, and the republic of the congo in the west. The capital, kinshasa, is located on the congo river about 320 miles 515 km from its mouth. Culture of democratic republic of the congo history, people. A quarter century of experimentation with marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. Human habitation of the congo basin came relatively late in the sangoan era 100,000 to 40,000 bce. Republic of congo history, language and culture history of republic of congo. Economy of the democratic republic of the congo wikipedia. Congo is the largest and most populous country in central africa. Van reybrouck recounts the history of the democratic republic of congo. Kituba called kikongo, lingala, swahili and tshiluba.
The who country health profile of democratic republic of the congo provides key statistics and links to health topical databases, plus news, features and bulletin journal articles on the health issues of the country. Between hope and despair african arguments by michael deibert isbn. It uses his expedition across the congo to tell the regions turbulent history. Mar 31, 2011 kinshasa is the capital and largest city in the democratic republic of congo. He has worked for the daily telegraph since 1991 specialising in. The prime minister of the democratic republic of the congo french. You may also be interested in the refugee studies centre report dynamics of conflict and forced migration in the democratic republic of congo rapport en francais, which summarises a two day experts workshop on conflict and forced migration in the democratic republic of congo. Africa congo, democratic republic of the the world. Rich in minerals, the democratic republic of the congo has a difficult history of predatory mineral extraction, which has been at the heart of many struggles within the country for many decades, but particularly in the 1990s. The international boundary follows the south shore of the pool roughly 30 km in diameter. French citizenship was granted to local residents in 1946. Official web sites of democratic republic of the congo, links and information on democratic republic of the congo s art, culture, geography, history, travel and tourism, cities, the capital city, airlines, embassies, tourist boards and newspapers. The insurgents, who also received aid from zambia and angola, met little resistance from the ragged zairean army and entered kinshasa on may 17, 1997. This area was formerly the french territory known as middle congo.
History of the democratic republic of the congo wikipedia. Prime minister of the democratic republic of the congo. Republique democratique du congo, also known as dr congo, the drc, droc, congo kinshasa, or simply the congo, is a country located in central africa. Democratic republic of the congo travel guide at wikivoyage. I mean when someone says they are going to tell you the epic history of a people they have already set a daunting standard, but van reybouck found a way to do it. The epic history of a people is an intimidating book both in terms of size and subject matter. The first 40 french combat troops arrive in the congolese town of bunia, with the aim of ending years of tribal violence.
Early in 2003 when the worlds attention was focused on the unfolding calamity of the iraq invasion, another deadly conflict was occurring in the democratic republic of congo drc. As of 1 january 2017, the population of democratic republic of the congo was estimated to be 80,961,908 people. Democratic republic of congo history, language and culture history of democratic republic of congo. Gabon, the central african republic, and chad were combined with middle congo to become french equatorial africa in 1910. Arguin malaria the following pages present countryspecific information on yellow fever yf vaccine requirements and recommendations and malaria transmission information and prophylaxis recommendations. The country that began as a kings private domain the congo free state, evolved into a colony the belgian congo, became independent in 1960 as the republic of the congo, and later underwent several name changes to the democratic republic of the congo, then to zaire, and back again to the democratic republic of the congo is the product of a complex pattern of historical forces.
Democratic republic of the congo languages genealogy. Lses jonathan silver calls michael deiberts book an essential read for those interested in wider postcolonial worlds. See also mortality study, eastern democratic republic of congo, februaryapril 2001, includes a map. Republique democratique du congo, commonly referred to as dr congo, congokinshasa or the drc, is a country located in central africa. Named after the enormous congo river and the large ethnic group living at its mouth, the kongo, the democratic republic of the congo first had its borders drawn at the berlin conference of 18841885. So often the history of this huge country and its many grand and. The area now known as the democratic republic of the congo was populated as early as 80,000 years ago, as shown by the 1988 discovery of the semliki harpoon at katanda, one of the oldest barbed harpoons ever found, which is believed to have been used to catch giant river catfish. Democratic republic of the congo, country located in central africa. The kongo empire, a highly structured and developed state, rules over a region that today covers parts of southwestern congo, northern angola and a slice of the republic of. The belgian congo was created in 1885, essentially as the personal property of. Een geschiedenis is a 639 page nonfiction book by david van reybrouck. Republic of the congo republic of the congo history. The role of older powers such as france and belgium together with new. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about congo, democratic republic of thes geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages.
The best books on democratic republic of the congo. The belgian congo was created in 1885, essentially as the personal property of the belgian monarch, king leopold ii. Historical dictionary of democratic republic of the congo. He changes the name of the country from mobutus favoured zaire, reverting instead to the original democratic republic of congo.
Upon independence in 1960, the former french region of middle congo became the republic of the congo. They ruled over nearby tributary states, often by appointing sons of the kongo kings to head these states. It is the second largest country in africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. It had six socalled provinces called mbemba, soyo, mbamba, mbata, nsundi and mpangu. It bulges with both the grand sweep of history and a rich variety of voices gathered through enterprising, on the ground reporting. Tram 83 by fiston mwanza mujila, the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver, heart of darkness by jose. By may 1997, kabila had made it to the capital kinshasa, named himself president and changed the name of the country back to the democratic republic of congo. The four and a half year war in the democratic republic of congo has taken more lives than any other since world war ii and is the deadliest documented conflict in african history, says the international rescue committee. During its recorded history, the area has also been known as congo, congo free state, belgian congo, and zaire. The first real states, such as the kongo, the lunda, the luba and kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards. I spoke with congolese scholar and activist boniface musavuli about the plans. Discovered in the 1990s, the earliest discovered human remains in the democratic republic of. Explore democratic republic of congo holidays and discover the best time and places to visit.
The republic of the congo, originally a french colony, is sometimes called congobrazzaville as opposed to the democratic republic of the congo known from 1971 to 1999 as zaire which is often called congokinshasa, originally a belgian colony. Republique democratique du congo, also known as dr congo, the drc, droc, congokinshasa, or simply the congo, is a country located in central africa. Jan 10, 2019 a chronology of key events in the history of the democratic republic of congo, from the 1200s to the present. The democratic republic of the congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken. Tim butchers top 10 books about congo books the guardian. Waziri mkuu wa jamhuri ya kidemokrasia ya kongo, lingala. The author is a congolese with solid academic credentials. Republique democratique du congo, commonly referred to as dr congo, congokinshasa or the drc, is a country in central africa. The epic history of a people by david van reybrouck. For anyone interested in the history of the democratic republic of the congo, this is the book to read.
With an area of 2,345,409 square kilometers 905,567 square miles, the democratic republic of the congo is the eleventhlargest country in the world, and the second largest in africa after algeria. A peoples history 1 by georges nzongolantalaja isbn. Officially known as the democratic republic of the congo, the country has a 25mile 40km coastline on the atlantic ocean but is otherwise landlocked. Brazzaville is also the countrys capital and largest city. Ironically the new president inherits in the late 1990s the identical problem confronting his predecessor, lumumba, when the democratic republic first became independent in 1960. Infoplease has everything you need to know about congo, democratic republic of the. This book was widely popular in van reybroucks native belgium when it first came out in 2010, and with good reason. The french colony of middle congo moyen congo also chose the name. Rebel leader laurentdesire kabila was sworn in as president on may 29 and changed the name of the country to the democratic republic of the congo. Carpeted by huge swaths of rainforest and punctuated by gushing rivers and smoking volcanoes, the democratic republic of congo drc, formerly zaire is the ultimate african adventure.
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