THE LAND OF DENSE FORESTS-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (ZAIRE)
INTRODUCTION
The area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is called the land of dense forests. This area covers the northern part of the South America, Central part of Africa and the islands of south-east Asia. The climate of this region is hot and wet throughout the year. This type of climate is called the equatorial climate. The temperature is very high and sun rays fall directly on these region throughout the year. Here rains fall in thunder-showers every afternoon. The forests are so dense that light and air hardly pass through the tress and bushes.
Equatorial forests are found in three main areas:
1. The Basin of River Amazon in South America.
2. The Basin of River Congo in Africa.
3. The New Guinea Coast, West Indies Andamans, Southern Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and East Indies in Asia.
In this chapter we will learn about Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), which is the land of dense forests.
National Name: Republique Democratique du Congo
Capital: Kinshasa
Total Area: 2,345,410 sq. km.
Major Cities: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbujimayi, Kolwezi and Kisangani.
Population (2006 est.): 59,319,660
Languages: French (official), Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba.
Economy:
Natural Resources: Cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, diamonds, gold, silver, coal, tin, manganese, uranium.
Chief Exports: Diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt.
Chief Imports: Food stuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels.
Industries: Mining, Mineral processing, consumer products, cement, commercial ship repair.
Agriculture:: Coffee, sugarcane, palm oil, rubber, tea, cassava, bananas, root crops, fruits.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Location
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, is the third largest country on the African continent. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south and the Congo and Gabon on the west.
The river Congo (formerly Zaire), the fifth longest river in the world, flows through the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This river is joined by a number of tributaries which have created low lying area. This area is called Congo Basin. The territory also straddles the Equator, with one-third to the north and two-third to the south.
HISTORY
Formerly the Belgium colony of the Belgium Congo, the country's post-independence name was the Republic of the Congo until August 1, 1964. When its name was changed to Democratic Republic of the Congo (to distinguish it from the neighbouring country of the same name). On October 27, 1971, the President Mobutu Sese Seko renamed the country Zaire, meaning 'the river that swallows all rivers'. Following Mobutu's overthrow in 1997, the country was renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
CLIMATE
The Climate of this region is hot and wet throughout the year because it gets direct rays of the sun. In morning it is hot and humid. By noon, dark clouds can be seen in the sky and by afternoon there is a heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunder and lightening. the annual rainfall is more than 200 centimeters. the days and nights are almost of equal duration. Thus, the weather condition remain more or less the same throughout the year.
NATURAL VEGETATION
Nearly half of the country is covered with lush green thick forests called the Equatorial forests. The trees in this forest are very tall. Bright sunshine and plenty of rainfall make natural vegetation grown very fast.
There is a thick undergrowth of plants, bushes and vines which become tangled. The forests are so thick that it is not possible for a person to pass through them. These forests remain green throughout the year and are known as Evergreen forests.
At some places, these forests are so thick that even the rays of the sun cannot pass through them. That is why they are often called 'the heart of darkness'. Among the trees that grow in these forests are mahogany, ebony, bamboo, rubber, oil palm etc. These trees are very useful as they provide raw material for many industries.
WILD LIFE
The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great bio-diversity including many rare and endemic species, including both species of chimpanzee, the common chimpanzee and the bonobo, mountain gorilla, okapi and white rhino, Antelopes, rhinoceros, tigers, lions, leopards, hippopotamus and zebras are also found here. The elephants of these forests are bigger than the Indian elephants.
The forests are inhabited by a large number of colourful birds, and butterflies such as hornbill, goldcoast, flying squirrel and screeching parrots. Tse-Tse fly found here is a harmful insect which causes a deadly disease called the sleeping sickness. A large number of reptiles, poisonous snakes and crocodiles are also found here. Because of its large variety of wild animals, Democratic Republic of the Congo is often called a 'gigantic zoo'.
LIFE OF THE PEOPLE
Most of the people here are black Africans. They live in tribal groups. They speak variety of languages. Of these, people speaking the Bantu language form the biggest group. The Bantus constitute two-third of the total population. Most of the people here live in small villages. About two third of the country's population live in rural areas and the rest in urban areas. Kinshasa, the country's largest city and the capital has about 7 million people.
Because of hot and humid climate, people generally do not wear many clothes. They are quite tall and tough. They have dark complexion and short curly hair. Far away from the villages and in the thickest parts of forests live a primitive tribe known as Pygmies. They are dark in complexion and very short, about 1.5 metres in height. They live in huts made of branches and leaves. There way of life is suited to live in the forests. They are excellent hunters. They hunt animals with bows and arrows. They do not live permanently at one place. They wander from place to place in search of food. They depend mainly on honey, fruits, berries, meat and nuts from the forest.
Urban people speak French, English and Bantus. Villagers and tribal people also speak local languages like Swahili, Lingala, Khiluba, Kikango and many other dialects.
The main occupations of the people are agriculture and mining. cassava, a special vegetable is grown here. The roots of Cassava are used to make tapioca. Rice, Banana, coconut, groundnut, coffee, cocoa, rubber, cotton, tea and sugarcane are other chief crops grown here.
People here are fond of dance and music. The dance to the beats of loud drums. Their marriages and religious ceremonies are accompanied with folk dances and songs.
MINERAL RESOURCES
The country is very rich in minerals. It is one of the largest producers of cobalt, industrial diamonds and copper in the world. Other minerals found here are tin, zinc, manganese, uranium and sodium. Most of these minerals are found in the southern province of Katanga where big mining companies have been set up. The country is rich in water resources too. There is a vast potential for the development of hydro-electric power. The Inga Dam on the river Congo produces water power on a large scale. It supplies some of the water power to the neighbouring countries too.
INDUSTRIES
The main industries are textiles, chemicals, paper, soap, cement and cigarettes. These industries are located mostly in big cities like Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Matadi. Matadi is the biggest port and railway terminal.
TRANSPORTATION
The means of transport are developing fastly. Cities have been connected by railways and roads. The country also has a well-developed air transport system. Kinshasa and other major cities are well connected with many countries in Europe and Africa by air services. But the river Congo and its tributaries still remain the chief means of transport of this vast region because building roads in the forests is very difficult. Boats and steamers ply on the rivers. But due to occurrance of waterfalls like the Livingstone falls, navigation in rivers is not very smooth. Kinshasa is the most important river port. Matadi is the important shifting terminal.
IMPORTANT CITIES
(1) Kinshasa: Kinshasa is the capital of the country. It is situated on the southern bank of the Congo river. The population of this city is about 2.5 million. The city has a modern international airport.
(2) Matadi: It is the chief port of the country. This city has many small-scale industrial units manufacturing cigarettes, beverages, soft drinks and vegetable oil.
(3) Bakavu: It is an important tourist place. Bakavu is famous for its beautiful natural Kivu lake.
You can get answer by reading this for below questions:
1. Where is Democratic Republic of the Congo located?
2. What are the main features of the climate of Democratic Republic of the Congo?
3. Name four animals and birds found in the forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
4. Who are Pygmies? Where and how they live?
5. Name the main industries of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
6. Name some important crops grown in the country.
7. Why is Democratic Republic of the Congo called the heart of darkness?
0 Comments