Transcript Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pan African Movement
Pan Af-ri-can Move-ment
-ment (the act of, state of, or result)
- Pan = all, whole, all-inclusive
Colonialism led to the Pan African Movement.
political and social movement that sought
to unite black Africans across the globe
Partitioning
Par-ti-tion-ing
-partit (to divide)
-tion (act, result, or state of)
Europe was responsible for partitioning Africa
in the 1850s.
splitting a country into two or more
separate states
Before…
After…
Gold
Gold
(no prefixes or suffixes)
Gold is one of the most valuable resources in
the world.
South Africa is believed to produce 40
percent of the world’s gold. This,
along with diamonds, has been very
helpful for South Africa’s economic
development.
Uranium
U-ra-ni-um
(no prefixes or suffixes)
Uranium is the element necessary to create a
nuclear reaction.
an element that is an essential part of
nuclear weapons, but it is also very
useful in peaceful uses. Africa produces
about 20 percent of the world’s
uranium.
Democratic Republic
of the Congo
Flag
• Blue represents peace
and hope
• Red the blood of the
country's martyrs
• Yellow the country's
wealth and prosperity
• Star symbolizes unity
and the brilliant future
for the country
Map
Capital is
Kinshasa
History
• Congo was a Belgian colony until 1960
• When the country gained independence,
many Belgians left
• Few teachers, doctors, and other professionals
were left in the former colony
• Various ethnic groups fought each other for
power
Mobutu
• A military leader named Joseph Mobutu came
to power in 1965
• He ruled as a dictator
• He changed the name of the country to Zaire –
a name that was traditionally African rather
than European
• He also changed his name to Mobutu Sese
Seko
• During his rule, the government took over
foreign-owned industries
• Most farmers suffered, and government and
business leaders were corrupt
• While the economy collapsed, Mobutu
became one of the richest men in the world
and used violence against people who
challenged him
• In 1997, after a civil war, a new government
took over
• The new government named the country the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Government
• Type of government – Republic
Executive Branch
• Chief of State: President Joseph Kabila
• Head of government: Prime Minister Adolphe
Muzito
• Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the
president
Legislative Branch
• Bicameral legislature consists of a Senate and
a National Assembly
Judicial Branch
• Constitutional Court, Appeals Court, plus civil
and military courts and tribunals
Religious & Ethnic Groups
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Roman Catholic 50%
Protestant 20%
Kimbanguist 10%
Muslim 10%
Other 10%
• Over 200 African ethnic
groups of which the
majority are Bantu
• The four largest tribes Mongo, Luba, Kongo ,
and the MangbetuAzande make up about
45% of the population
Language
• French (official)
• Lingala
• Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili)
Economy
• DRC is a treasure chest of minerals that could
bring wealth to the country
• However, civil war, bad government, and
crime have scared many foreign businesses
away.
• Most people in DRC are poor
• They usually live in rural areas where they
must farm and trade for food (Traditional)
Major Industry
• Mining (diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt,
coltan, zinc, tin)
• Consumer products (including textiles)
• Cement
• Commercial ship repair
• Coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, fruits;
wood products
Natural Resources
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Cobalt
Copper
Niobium
Tantalum
Petroleum
Industrial and gem
diamonds
• Gold
• Silver
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Zinc
Manganese
Tin
Uranium
Coal
Hydropower
Timber
Arable land: 2.86%
Geography
• Straddles equator
• Has narrow strip of land that controls the
lower Congo River and is only outlet to South
Atlantic Ocean
• Dense tropical rain forest in central river basin
and eastern highlands
Climate
• Tropical
• Hot and humid in equatorial river basin
• Cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler
and wetter in eastern highlands
• North of Equator - wet season (April to
October), dry season (December to February)
• Opposite seasons south of the Equator
Environmental Issues
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Periodic droughts in south
Congo River floods (seasonal)
Active volcanoes in the Great Rift Valley
Poaching threatens wildlife populations
Water pollution
Deforestation
Mining of minerals causing environmental
damage
• Literacy Rate
– Total 67.2%
– Male 80.9%
– Female 54.1%
• GDP
– $300 per capita
• Below Poverty Level
– N/A
• Life Expectancy
– Total 54.7
– Male 52.9
– Female 56.6
• Population
70,916,439
note: estimates for this
country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS
Directions
• In Textbook, Read silently pages 258-261
• We will use this info tomorrow
• Read AR