001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 1 AFGHANISTAN ISRAEL ARGENTINA ITALY AUSTRALIA JAMAICA AUSTRIA JAPAN BAHRAIN KAZAKHSTAN BANGLADESH KENYA BERMUDA KUWAIT BOLIVIA MEXICO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA THE NETHERLANDS BRAZIL NEW ZEALAND CANADA NIGERIA CHILE NORTH KOREA CHINA NORWAY COSTA RICA PAKISTAN CROATIA PERU CUBA THE PHILIPPINES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF PORTUGAL THE CONGO PUERTO RICO EGYPT RUSSIA ENGLAND SAUDI ARABIA ETHIOPIA SCOTLAND FRANCE SENEGAL REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA SOUTH AFRICA GERMANY SOUTH KOREA GHANA SPAIN GREECE SWEDEN GUATEMALA TAIWAN ICELAND THAILAND INDIA TURKEY INDONESIA UKRAINE IRAN UZBEKISTAN IRAQ VENEZUELA IRELAND VIETNAM 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 2 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 3 Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph R. Oppong and Tania Woodruff Series Editor Charles F. Gritzner South Dakota State University 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 4 Frontispiece:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Cover: A village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic ofthe Congo Copyright © 2007 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved.No part ofthis book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,including photocopying,recording,or by any information storage or retrieval systems,without permission in writing from the publisher.For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint ofInfobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 ISBN-10:0-7910-9249-6 ISBN-13:978-0-7910-9249-1 Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Oppong,Joseph R. Democratic Republic ofthe Congo / Joseph R.Oppong and Tania Woodruff. p.cm.—(Modern world nations) Includes bibliographical references and index. Audience:Grades 9-12. ISBN 0-7910-9249-6 (hardcover) 1.Congo (Democratic Republic)—Juvenile literature.I.Woodruff,Tania.II. Title.III.Series. DT644.067 2007 967.51—dc22 2006032008 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses,associations,institutions,or sales promotions.Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Series and cover design by Takeshi Takahashi Printed in the United States ofAmerica Bang Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links,Web addresses,and Internet search terms were checked and verified to be correct at the time ofpublication.Because ofthe dynamic nature ofthe Web,some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 5 Table of Contents 1 Introducing the Democratic Republic of the Congo 8 2 Physical Landscapes 17 3 The Congo Through Time 32 4 People and Culture 45 5 Government and Economy 60 6 Living in the Congo Today 73 7 The Democratic Republic of the Congo Looks Ahead 83 Facts at a Glance 90 History at a Glance 93 Bibliography 95 Further Reading 96 Index 98 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 6 001-007_MWN-DR-CON_fm 9/6/07 4:13 PM Page 7 Democratic Republic of the Congo MWN_Congo_CH1 9/6/07 4:21 PM Page 8 1 Introducing the Democratic Republic of the Congo Imagine a country that is rich in valuable natural resources such as gold, diamonds, and oil. Much of its area is covered by dense forests and wildlife abounds. Africa’s second-longest river cas- cades down steep terrain, creating perhaps 20 percent of the entire world’s hydroelectric potential. It has varied terrain, ranging from broad basins to spectacular snowcapped mountains.The country has a long human history and is home to a variety of peoples.It is a fas- cinating land of striking natural beauty and diverse cultures. Yet despite these many apparent advantages,this huge and heav- ily populated country is very poor. In fact, it is one of the world’s poorest countries. Its per-capita income and gross national product 8 MWN_Congo_CH1 9/6/07 4:21 PM Page 9 Introducing the Democratic Republic of the Congo 9 Much of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is covered by the world’s second-largest rain forest (after South America’s Amazon). Pictured here is the lush Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, which was established in 1993 to preserve more than 1,622 square miles (4,200 square kilometers) of this unique habitat. both rank at or near the very bottom among nations. Few places in the world can come close to matching the day-to-day conditions experienced by most ofthis country’s residents.The Human Development Index, a ranking of countries using a number of factors that measure human well-being, ranks this country close to the bottom ofthe list.It is often suggested that the country is on a “life-support system”; that it struggles to