Democratic Republic of the Congo

30 Pages 7562 Words

In this paper I will first give a detailed history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Followed by a philosophical analysis of my chosen country. I plan to rap up my report with some related economic information. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC) is a nation located in central Africa along the Congo River. The earliest inhabitants of this region are believed to have been pygmies as many as 2000 years ago. They settled mostly in stateless communities in the rain forest. In 1482 Portuguese navigator Diogo Cam claimed the mouth of the Congo and surrounding areas as Portuguese territory. By 1491Portuguese missionaries and craftsmen were moved in to introduce Christianity to the native people. They built many church with the attempt to change the beliefs and customs of South African people.
Towards the end of the 16th century this Portuguese territory was a significant supplier to the Atlantic slave trade. Watching neiboring communities being raided by Portuguese slave traders caused much unrest amongst the people of the Congo Basin. This combined with fequent invasions by eastern warriors caused Portugal abandoned this area in 1596. A little more than 300 years would elapse before another serious European expedition would be undertaken. Centuries elapsed before another serious European expedition to the region was undertaken. Even with the threat of Europeans gone Arabs performed many South African slave raids. By the end of the 18th century an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 slaves were taken each year to Zanzibar (an Arab controlled region in East Africa) and to the Middle East.

In 1884 the Berlin West African Conference took place. This conference was attended by many European nations arguing over the rights to various sections in Africa. Slavery was outlawed and a consensus was reached on who owned what land. This region was first united as a free state by Belgian king Leopold I in 1885. This region was ca...