Congo, Belgian¶

Area

Africa

The former Belgian Congo was once the mighty Kongo empire. Unfortunately, Portugal and other European countries saw the empire as a bountiful source for slaves. So many were taken that the Kongo was severely weakened and eventually collapsed by the late sixteenth century. However, the name carried on for over two centuries before the area was divided between Portugal, Belgium, and France. King Leopold II of Belgium made the area into a privately owned kingdom in the late ninteenth century. Leo's reign was a basic terror state, with millions being killed (estimates from 3 to 21 million people died). International outrage over Leo's atrocious reign lead to the area being annexed by Belgium in 1908 as the "Belgian Congo." Unfortunately, things didn't improve much for the Congolese. Belgium showed no respect for native culture, instead imposing Christian and Western values, with no hint of democractic ways. The Belgian Congo came to an end in 1960, and from there the country went straight to its next horrible crisis.

Belgian Congo on Wikipedia