Religion of the Drc Significance of Family in Africa
Republic of Congo
Orientation
Identification. The Kongo Kingdom was one of the corking early empires in central Africa. That kingdom is the source of the official proper noun of the Republic of Congo.
Location and Geography. The landareais 132,046 square miles (approximately 342,000 square kilometers). The equator passes through the country, which has ane hundred miles (161 kilometers) of coastline on the Atlantic Bounding main. The nation borders the Angola enclave of Cabinda, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Commonwealth of the Congo, and Gabon.
The four major topographic regions are a coastal manifestly that reaches forty miles into the interior, a fertile valley in the southward-central area, a central plateau between the Congo and Ogooue rivers, and the north Congo Basin. About of the country is covered by dense tropical forest. The climate is humid and hot, with heavy rainfall.
The Congo River forms the eastern and southern borders and is one of the about of import natural resources. The local peoples have long used the river for food, transportation, and electricity. The river flows between Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brazzaville, the uppercase and largest city of the Republic of the congo.
Demography. The population was estimated at ii.viii million in 2000. Nearly threescore percent of the people live in urban areas, especially Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. Some other 12 per centum live along the chief railway between those cities. The remainder of the population resides in isolated rural areas.
Linguistic Affiliation. French is the official language and is used in governmental activities. Lingala and Monokutuba are usually spoken trade languages. Over sixty local languages and dialects are spoken, the most widely used of which are Kikongo, Sangha, and Bateke. A talking pulsate language developed in the villages as a grade of long-distance advice. Specific beats are broadcast for marriages, deaths, births, and other data.
Symbolism. For the residents, the mythology of the region is tied closely to the mystical powers of animals. Families accept a specific animal spirit to represent them and oft raise totem poles to signify this outcome.
History and Ethnic Relations
Emergence of the Nation. The first inhabitants are believed to have been forest dwellers such as the Teke. Other ethnic groups joined them to form the three kingdoms that ruled the surface area before the arrival of Europeans: the Kongo, Loango, and Teke. The mouth of the Congo River was the base of operations for the Kongo Kingdom which encountered the Portuguese in 1484. Trading contracts gave the Congolese textiles, jewelry, and manufactured goods in return for ivory, copper, and slaves. Western instruction and Christianity were introduced into the region at that fourth dimension.
The Portuguese did not venture into the interior but bought appurtenances and slaves through African brokers on the coast. When the slave merchandise diminished because of depopulation, the Portuguese bought slaves from other tribes. Fighting betwixt the tribes weakened them as a group, including the Kongo. This increased the power of the Europeans and strengthened the slave trade. This situation continued until the European powers outlawed slavery in the late 1800s.
The Teke Kingdom of the interior signed a treaty with the French in 1883 that gave the French land in return for protection. Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Democracy of Congo
oversaw French interests. A minor settlement along the Congo River was renamed Brazzaville and became the capital of the area now called the Middle Congo.
Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Chad were combined with Middle Congo to go French Equatorial Africa in 1910. French citizenship was granted to local residents in 1946. In 1956, the Democracy of Congo and the other 3 countries became autonomous members of the French Customs.
National Identity. Internal self-government was achieved in 1958 equally a stage in a series of reforms that started in the mid-1940s. In 1960, the Republic of Congo became an independent nation. The new nation maintained its ties with the French community both economically and politically.
Ethnic Relations. In that location are fifteen main ethnic groups and seventy-v subgroups. The largest ethnic groups are the Bakongo (48 percentage of the population), the Sangha (20 percent), the Teke (17 percentage), and the M'Bochi (12 percent). The Teke group suffers from widespread discrimination from all the other ethnic groups in Fundamental Africa because they are unorganized wood dwellers with little political ability.
Urbanism,Compages, and the Use of Space
The Commonwealth of Congo is i of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with nigh two-thirds of the population living in the urban conglomeration from Brazzaville to Pointe Moiré. Urban houses are fabricated of concrete, oftentimes with a small garden attached. Villages are arranged with one large dirt street in the middle and many smaller streets running perpendicular to it. Many houses are built of mud brick with thatched or metal roofs. Cooking takes identify in the forepart of the firm, along with social interaction.
Food and Economy
Food in Daily Life. The rain forest soil is non nutrient-rich; less than three percent of the country is cultivated for nutrient production. Meat is expensive because it has to be hunted or imported. For this reason, little meat is eaten. Bananas, pineapples, taro, peanuts, manioc, cassava, rice, and bread are the staples.
Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Nutrient taboos depend on the tribe and village. If a family has a totem, it cannot eat that animal, which is considered a spiritual protector. At major festivals, meat, usually chicken, is eaten. Plum vino and beer are consumed at these times.
Basic Economy. Agriculture, industry, and services dominate the economy. The most important products are lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds, and particularly oil.
Land Tenure and Property. Under communist rule, the government was the possessor of all commercial property. After the civil state of war, privatization was decreed. Almost ninety percentage of homes are now owned past individuals or families.
Commercial Activities. Minor agricultural products and light manufactured appurtenances are sold in informal street markets.
Major Industries. The major industry is petroleum extraction. Cement kilning, forestry, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, and cigarette making besides are important industries.
Trade. The largest consign partner is the United States, followed past Belgium and Luxembourg, Taiwan, and China. Oil deemed for 50 percent of the gross national product in 1997. Imported items include manufactured goods, capital equipment, petroleum products, structure materials, and food. These items are imported from France, Italy, the The states and the Britain. The country is deeply in debt.
Social Stratification
Classes and Castes. Under communism, urban and educated people had jobs and could make more money than rural people, who had a lifestyle closer to that of the ethnic tribes. Bigotry against the pygmies, known equally Teke, Aka, or forest dwellers, is widespread. They are turned abroad from hospitals, receive lower pay, and are non represented in the government.
Symbols of Social Stratification. Considering of communism and local social customs, few people have accumulated personal wealth. General indicators of prosperity are education, large houses, and coin.
Political Life
Government. A transitional government has ruled since 1997, when President Denis Sassou-Nguesso forcefully took over the regime with the aid of Angolan troops. He defeated Pascal Lissouba, who had won the 1992 elections, the first democratic election in twenty-eight years. Under Lissouba, the authorities had experienced accusations of mismanagement and conflict with other political parties that led to a civil war.
When Sassou-Nguesso regained ability, he replaced the constitution of 1992 with the Fundamental Act. This act gave the president the power to appoint all the members of the government and military machine officers, serve equally commander in main, and direct the policy of the government. Thus, the act created a highly centralized government with the president as the head of land and head of government. The legislative and judicial branches currently be in a weakened form.
From 1965 to 1990, a Marxist form of government was in place.
Leadership and Political Officials. Fubert Youlou became the showtime president in 1960. Inside three years, he was forced to resign because of military and economic pressures. Socialist forces gained force, and the authorities nationalized
Koto men with painted faces. At that place are fifteen master ethnic groups and lxx-five subgroups.
economic interests under the 2nd president, Alphonse Massamba-Debat, who was forced out by a military coup in 1968. Major Marien Ngouabi then took over the leadership, establishing a one-party state and a people's democracy. In 1977, he was assassinated.
After a short period of military dominion, Colonel Joachim Yhomby-Opango was appointed president. He found former president Massamba-Debat and others guilty of planning Ngouabi'south bump-off. Less then two years after Yhomby-Opango became president, his own political party forced him from office.
The presidency was then conferred on Colonel Denis Sassou-Naguesso. One-time president Yhomby-Opango was tried for treason and stripped of possessions and ability. Sassou-Naguesso served until 1992, when Lissouba was elected. Later on the civil war, in which Lissouba lost to Sassou-Naguesso, high-level officials, including Lissouba and former Prime Minister Kolelas, left the country, fearing a war-crimes trial.
Social Problems and Command. Ceremonious war and political instability have caused large-calibration violence. The rebels were generally from the south, and nationalist forces came from the n and from neighboring countries. Both national and rebel forces committed summary executions and rapes. Civilians were bedevilled of being rebels and executed without a trial. Many soldiers on both sides were undisciplined, and mob violence was mutual. Electricity and the infrastructure were disrupted during the civil war, causing water and food shortages, disease, and displacement that involved almost a third of the population.
Military Activity. The military includes trained and untrained soldiers. The bachelor force consists of 641,543 males, about half of whom are fit for service.
Social Welfare and Change Programs
Internal strife placed international organizations in the pb role in revealing government and human rights abuses. The country began receiving economic and social aid earlier it became officially independent. International economic help ended with the onset of the civil war, but local and international humanitarian groups continued to operate.
Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Associations
The regime has allowed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to operate in some areas. This has given the NGOs considerable power. Among the 40 major organizations agile in the land are the United nations, Medecins sans Frontieres, the United nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Monetary Fund, UNESCO, and the World Health Arrangement. The country is a member of the Organization of African Unity, the Economical Commission for Africa, and the Primal African Customs and Economic Marriage and an associate member of the European Commission.
Gender Roles and Statuses
Division of Labor by Gender. Co-ordinate to the Central Act, discrimination based on race or sex is illegal, and equal pay for equal work is mandated. In the workplace, women are underrepresented. This forces them into the breezy sector, where no rules are enforced. Employment benefits are therefore negligible. It is estimated that 51 percent of women are economically agile, compared to 84 per centum of men. Women accounted for 39 percent of economically active persons in 1990.
Women typically are responsible for labor in and around the house; this includes planting, harvesting,
A group of women and soldiers during a 1980 visit past Pope John Paul II to Brazzaville, Congo. Roughly 50 percentage of Congo natives exercise Christianity.
food preparation, water fetching, minor housework, and kid rearing. Men in rural areas hunt; those in urban areas are the family unit money earners.
The Relative Status of Women and Men. Women are underrepresented in politics and the college levels of the government. In rural areas, women are often discouraged from attaining paid employment and education at the high school level. They are instead encouraged to focus on family and child-rearing activities. This gives them limited power in social dealings with men, who typically are better educated and have more money. Nongovernmental organizations such every bit the Ministry of Public Service and the Promotion of Women take started authorities initiatives to improve the status of women.
Wedlock,Family, and Kinship
Spousal relationship. Traditionally, family unit members arranged marriages. Today, this is less common, especially in the cities. A practice that dates back to aboriginal times is the dot, or brideprice. Once price has been set between the 2 families, the groom must pay it to the wife'southward family unit. The dot is often very high.
Later the matrimony, a ritual is performed to demonstrate the virginity of the bride. The morning after the wedding night, women from both sides of the family get to the couple's bed. Questions are asked about the wedding dark, and the presence of blood provides show of virginity. If virginity is not proved, the marriage tin be annulled and the groom can ask for the return of the brideprice.
After a divorce the man tin enquire for his brideprice back. Because near women tin can not repay it, divorce is mostly a male person option. Polygyny is allowed, merely polyandry is illegal. Adultery is illegal just for women.
Domestic Unit. The concept of the nuclear family does not utilize in much of the land. The family unit includes many relatives, such as grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces. The average woman bears five children, although in rural areas the number is often twice that high.
Inheritance. The Legal Code states that xxx percentage of a husband's manor must go to his widow. Very often this code is non adhered to, and a surviving wife may not get any of her husband'due south assets.
Kin Groups. Many of the ethnic groups, including the Bakongo, are matrilineal. The oldest uncle on
A group of women belongings papal flags and wooden crosses on the streets of Congo.
the mother'due south side is considered the most important male and sometimes has more influence over a child's life than does the father. This uncle tin be responsible for the child'south instruction, employment, and marriage pick. Cousins on the mother's side are considered siblings. The family is responsible for sick, handicapped, and elderly members. Any care that is needed is distributed throughout the unabridged family system.
Socialization
Infant Intendance. The babe mortality rate is high, and for this reason women tend to bear many children. Intendance of infants is largely a female responsibility, though forest dwellers tend to share parental duties.
Child Rearing and Instruction. For decades, Brazzaville was the majuscule of education in Central Africa. A mostly urban population and the need for ceremonious servants in a Marxist gild fueled the system. The education was of such high quality that neighboring countries sent students to study in the secondary schools and the university. The civil war caused a decline in funding for schools and a subsequent decline in enrollment. Adult literacy is are around seventy pct, i of the highest levels in sub-Saharan Africa. In that location are many rural schools.
Higher Educational activity. Marien Ngouabi University is the chief center for higher education and one time had an enrollment of ten thousand students. Parts of the school were destroyed during the civil war and families that can beget it ship their children abroad.
Etiquette
The Congolese take great pride in their appearance and manner of dress. Regardless of financial condition, it is common to wear clean and pressed handmade garments. There is a sure formality in social interactions in both urban and rural areas. An enquiry must be made nigh one's health and family to indicate the required level of respect. Older people are shown respect through physical gestures, and agreement with them is considered more important than frankness.
Religion
Religious Beliefs. There is no official state religion; the Fundamental Act mandates liberty of organized religion. About 50 percent of the people are Christian. 40-eight per centum of the people adhere to native religions and the remaining 2 percent are Muslim. Varying combinations of Christianity and animism have developed. In some rural areas, Christian missionaries have had little success in converting the forest dwellers.
Before the coming of Christianity, all the native religions were animist. The monotheistic religion of Nzambi is widely expert among the Bakongo. In this tradition, Nzambi created the world later a great sickness, vomiting first the lord's day, then the stars, animals, and people. Later on the creation, he went to alive with the ancestral spirits. It is believed that family members bring together the ancestral world after death to protect the living. In cases of wrongful or violent expiry, they roam until retribution has occurred. Medicine and organized religion are often indistinguishable in the native religions.
Medicine and Wellness Intendance
In 1996, life expectancy was forty-ix years for men and fifty-three years for women. AIDS afflicted 100,000 residents in 1997. The civil war and the fiscal crunch have hindered anti-AIDS programs and worsened public health. Sixty percent of the people have access to rubber water and immunization, but only 9 percent accept admission to sanitary services.
Secular Celebration
The major holidays are Christmas, New Year's, Easter, All Saints Day, National Reconciliation Day (10 June), Tree Day (6 March), and Independence Day (15 August).
Arts and Humanities
Literature. Storytelling is function of the cultural tradition. Since the introduction of written language, novels, plays, and poems take go more popular.
Performance Arts. The Congolese are known for their singing. Songs fill the air during the performance of chores and recently have been recorded. Rumba and other forms of music are played with native and Western instruments.
The State of the Physical and Social Sciences
The civil state of war has had a deleterious effect on the sciences and education.
Bibliography
Gall, Tim, ed. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, 2000.
Fegley, Randall. The Congo.
Rajewski, Brain, ed. Countries of the World, 1998.
Schmittroth, Linda, ed. Statistical Record of Women Worldwide, 1995.
Stewart, Gary. Rumba on the River.
Thompson, Virginia and Richard Adloff. Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of Congo, 1984.
U.South. Department of Land. Country Reports on Man Rights Practices.
U.Due south. Department of Land, Primal Intelligence Agency. CIA World Factbook, 2000.
—D AVID M ATUSKEY
Source: https://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Republic-of-Congo.html
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