Congo+1914-present

** NAME: Catherine Duffy PERIOD: 8 DATE: 4/15/11 ** ** __ Congo __ (Democratic Republic of Congo) // 1914-present // ** || *  Belgium government gave political power to native people: ||    || *   Poor economy || *  Christianity is major religion, but also small minority of Muslim, Protestant, Hindu || *  Today, most citizens are farmers || *  Characterized by naturalism || *  West-central Africa, astride the equator
 * CHART: CHARACTERISTICS OF A CIVILIZATION OR CULTURE **
 * = POLITICAL  =
 * ** Leaders, Elites  **
 * ** State Structure  **
 * ** War  **
 * ** Diplomacy, Treaties  **
 * ** Courts, Laws **
 * Joseph Kasavubu (President), Patric Lumumba (Prime Minister)—but conflict between them
 * So Mobutu took over, named himself president, changed name to Republic of Zaire 1971
 * 1996, anti-Mobutu (because he tormented his people) uprising led by Laurent Kabila with help from Rwanda
 * 1997, Mobutu fled, Kabila head of state, name change
 * Kabila, Marxist ideas—corruption, authoritarianism, human rights abuses
 * Former allies of Uganda and Rwanda turned against him, he was assassinated (2nd Congo War)
 * Son, Joseph took over
 * 1998-2007: 5.4 million people died
 * = ECONOMIC  =
 * ** Type of System  **
 * ** Technology, Industry  **
 * ** Trade, Commerce  **
 * ** Capital/Money  **
 * ** Types of Businesses **
 * Main econ source = copper (one of world’s leading producer)
 * Mixture of agriculture, petroleum extraction
 * (Chevron, Exxon Mobil)
 * Development of large-scale agriculture hindered by war   ||
 * == RELIGIOUS  ==
 * ** Holy Books  **
 * ** Beliefs, Teachings  **
 * ** Conversion  **
 * ** Sin/Salvation  **
 * ** Deities **
 * Beliefs: creator spirit, diviners, nature spirits, essential life-force, prayers to ancestors   ||
 * == SOCIAL  ==
 * ** Family  **
 * ** Gender Relations  **
 * ** Social Classes  **
 * ** Inequalities  **
 * ** Life Styles **
 * Although poor, is independent country
 * 250 languages, four major groups of people:
 * Pygmies (hunter-gatherers), Bantus (largest, farmers), East Africans (herding and farming), Pastoral cattle raisers (Tutsis)   ||
 * == INTELLECTUAL, artS  ==
 * ** Art, Music  **
 * ** Writing, Literature  **
 * ** Philosophy  **
 * ** Math & Science  **
 * ** Education **
 * Sculptures of power figures, culture’s ancestors   ||
 * == NEAR: GEOGRAPHY  ==
 * ** Location  **
 * ** Physical   **
 * ** Movement  **
 * ** Human/Environment  **
 * ** Region **
 * Mostly tropical rain forest
 * Source of timber
 * Plateaus/mountains
 * Congo (Zaire) River   ||

** NOTES: ** In 1950s, Belgians (who had been given country after King Leopold II’s of Belgium’s harsh rule agreed to give over political power to the people i.e. Kasavuu and Lumumba)
 * First Congo War: anti-Mobutu rebellion led by Kabila
 * Second Congo War: assassination of Kabila, “War of Africa”