Tonya Frazier, age 14, of Marion, Ohio, for her question:
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BELGIAN CONGO?
The Republic of Zaire is a country in Central Africa that used to be known as the Belgian Congo. It became independent in 1960 and for a time was called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, in 1971 the nation's name was changed to Zaire.
Early Congolese history is still largely unknown, but certain records indicate European exploration of the region started in the 15th century. The Portuguese had some contact with the kingdom of the Kongo starting in 1482.
The growing interest in Africa as a source of wealth was stimulated by reports of explorers, notably the Anglo American journalist Henry Stanley, who visited the interior of the Congo in 1877. As a result of a conference with Stanley, King Leopold II of the Belgians organized the International Association of the Congo in 1878. Stanley was engaged to return to the territory in order to set up trading stations and establish friendly relations with the native chiefs. The explorer founded Leopoldville (now Kinshasa).
Conflicting claims advanced by various nations, notably Portugal and France, to territorial rights in the Congo region led to the convening in 1884 of the Berlin Conference. It established the Congo Free State and placed it under the sovereignty of King Leopold II.
The Belgian parliament in 1908 voted to annex the Congo Free State, making it a colony that became known as the Belgian Congo.
By 1959 the Belgian government announced a schedule for elections, which were to inaugurate self rule. The independent Republic of the Congo was proclaimed in 1960.
Mineral deposits constitute the principal source of wealth of Zaire today. The republic is the largest producer of cobalt and industrial diamonds in the world, but copper usually is the most valuable exported mineral. Other minerals produced in significant quantities including uranium, tin, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tungsten and cadmium. There's also oil.
Agriculture is also important in Zaire. In the 1960s improved techniques raised palm oil production, quadrupled the yield of rubber and cacao, increased the production of coffee and corn more than fivefold and greatly increased the yield of rice, cassava, cotton and bananas.
Zairean industry, which is fairly well developed, is dominated by the processing of mineral products. Other manufacturers include shoes, textiles and processed food.
Copper is Zaire's principal export, typically accounting for more than one third of the total yearly export revenues. Other leading eY^^r±p include cobalt, diamonds and coffee. Their principal trading partners are Belgium, Angola, the United States and France.
More than 85 percent of Zairean children between the ages of six and 11 attend primary school. Secondary schools, neglected by the Belgians, tripled in number between 1958 and 1963.
More than 400 languages are spoken in Zaire. French is the official language as well as the principal business and social language. Four African languages are also widely spoken: Swahili, Kikongo, Thiluba and Lingala.