What is the Congo? Country of the Congo. Congo River

What does each of us present when he hears the word "Congo"? Black people in loincloths? Or maybe the expanses of savannahs? Or a full-flowing African river, in which there are large alligators? It turns out that this word has several meanings. It's time to find out what Congo is.

Meaning of the word

• The people living in Central Africa. Its other name is Bakongo.

• The language of the people belonging to the Bantu language group. Its other name is "kikingo".

• The river in Central Africa. It is the largest on this continent, and in terms of water content and area of the basin - the second river of the world.

• Depression in the basin of the Congo River.

• 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 in Central Africa, the capital city is Kinshasa. It borders on such states as the Central African Republic, Uganda, Southern Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia and the Republic of the Congo. Africa is the home of the least developed and developing countries in 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 does this republic lag behind in its development? First of all, because she was a colonial country for a long time. More recently, in 1960, the state ceased to depend on the developed European country of Belgium. Prior to this, the republic was its colony. The second, which impedes the economic development of the country, is the climate of the Congo (Republic). It is basically equatorial, which means that it's always hot here. The sizzling sun burns crops of the population. A sufficient amount of precipitation falls only on the banks of rivers. The development of animal husbandry is hampered by the tsetse flies observed here, which carry dangerous diseases.

History of the country's development

Many centuries ago the territory of the modern republic was inhabited by the Pygmy tribes. These undersized inhabitants of Africa lived mainly in the forests, engaged in hunting and gathering. In the II millennium BC. E. The country of the Congo has become a haven for the agricultural tribes of Bantu. These peoples were engaged in agriculture. They brought with them farming and metallurgy. They knew how to make iron tools. Bantu created in this area the first states, one of which was called the kingdom of the Congo. It arose in the XIV century. His capital was the city of Mbandasa-Congo (now San Salvador). At the end of the XV century in this territory there were Portuguese. 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, other European powers rushed to Africa for "profitable goods." The slave trade has become the most profitable means of enriching developed countries. The entire territory of the African continent was soon divided between European countries in the colony. From the kingdom of 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. More than 50 years had to wait for the enslaved peoples to gain independence. It happened in 1960. A year earlier, the National Movement, led by Patrice Lumumba, won elections to the local parliament. In 1971, the Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire. In 1997, it received a modern name.

Population

A little over 70 million people live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country is an agrarian country. Therefore, most of the population lives in the villages. Citizens make up only 34% of the total number of people. The average life expectancy here is small: for women - 57 years, for men - 53 years. This is due to the difficult economic situation in the republic. Also a low level of medicine contributes to the high mortality rate 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 Congo. The official language is French.

Country economy

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 cobalt, tantalum, germanium, diamonds, copper, zinc, tin and so on. There are large deposits of oil, iron ore, coal, gold and silver. Plus, the heritage of this country is its forests and hydro resources. Despite all this, the state remains an agrarian country. And they are engaged here, mainly, in plant growing. Annually from the country abroad, sugar, coffee, tea, palm oil, quinine, bananas and other fruits, corn, root crops are exported. In 2002, there was a steady economic growth. However, since 2008, it has slowed 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 on such states 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. In the north of the country it is always very humid.

History of development

Once upon a time in a modern country lived pygmies. Then came the Bantu people, engaged in hoeing and slash-and-burn agriculture. They grew yam, beans, sorghum. In 1482 the country of the Congo became the site of one Portuguese expedition. And in the 15th century the French came here, who concluded a treaty on the protectorate 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 European powers. Then the world learned what Congo is. The first president here was Fulber Yulu, who was soon deposed from this post. Ahead of the country, several coups awaited, during which power passed from one successor to another.

Climate, flora and fauna: a description

Congo is an amazing country. If in a few words to say about its climate, it will look like this: it is constantly wet and hot. There are two seasons of rains 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. The flora here is represented very widely: mahogany, limba, sapeli, palm trees, chitola, ayus and much more. The animal kingdom is also rich. Here live buffaloes, elephants, hippos, leopards, monkeys, snakes, birds.

Economy and Culture

Tourism is poorly developed in the Republic of the Congo. The peculiarities of its climate, unfavorable for Europeans, do not allow to establish this branch of the economy. The basis for the profitability of the country's economy is the extraction and export of oil. Agriculture is poorly developed here. They grow mainly tapioca, rice, corn, sugar cane, cocoa, coffee and vegetables. Soap, cigarettes, beer and cement are also produced here. Most of these products are exported. The largest buyers of this country's products are America, China and France.

Culture of the population

The local population has a very rich and original folklore. Songs and folk dances are its basis. The craftsmen of this country are engaged in wood carvings. It is covered not only with earthenware, various objects, furniture, vessels of pumpkin. Also here there are many talented artists who create their pictures, relying on local traditions.

The deep-water Congo is the second longest river in the continent

Many mysteries in itself conceal the mysterious continent of Africa. One is the Congo River, which crosses the equator twice. Until now it has been little studied. In the upper current it is called Lualaba. It is near the settlement of Moumena. Lualaba is a river with a changeable "character." The rusty areas, through which the water flows swiftly, alternate with smooth and calm areas. Below the city of Congolo, where it meets the gorge of Port-d, it forms rapids and waterfalls. The most beautiful of them are under the equator. They are called the Stanley waterfalls. After them, the river is already called Congo. On average, it becomes more calm. The mouth of the Congo River is the Atlantic Ocean.

"Terrible" and "beautiful"

It is difficult to describe the impression that this river produces on a traveler. The novelist Joseph Conrad, in his book The Heart of Darkness, said that to be here is like returning to "the primordial world, when vegetation raged on earth and huge trees hovered". What is the Congo (river) in the equatorial forest, where does it originate? This is a true hell: impenetrable thickets of huge 60-meter oaks, ebony trees and gays, under the crowns of which reigns eternal twilight. And below, in the darkness, in the warm waters of the river at every step lies danger: crocodiles, cobra, pythons. To this it is necessary to add a terrifying heat and unbearable humidity, swarms of mosquitoes. And yet, with its greatness and beauty, the Congo River strikes. She rushes with great speed. At the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, one can see a large reddish-brown stain of rocks that the river carries from the savannah itself. Its waters are full of fish. Here they catch tilapia, Nile elephant, Berbel, Nile perch, freshwater herring, tiger fish and others. More than 1,000 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 described each of these objects in detail.