The Congo: The Green Heart of Africa & the Garden of Eden?
- calmandstrong
- Jun 18
- 11 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Video courtesy of Scenic Relaxation, via YouTube
The history of the Congo, like many regions of Africa stretch back millennia before the advent of written records. For instance, long before written words, the Congo Basin was inhabited by diverse groups of hunter-gathers. These early peoples of the Congo date back to at least 10,000 years ago, and left behind traces of their existence in the form of ancient tools, pottery fragments, and rock art. In the heart of the Congo Basin, the Great Congo River is a mighty watercourse, that has long been the lifeblood of Central Africa. The river served as a vital conduit for trade, communication and cultural exchange, giving rise to flourishing trading empires.
The Congo River flowed majestically and served as a lifeline for growing communities. Stretching over 4,700 kilometers (2,920 miles), the Congo River is one of the world’s largest by discharge volume. Its vast watershed, known as the Congo Basin, encompasses an area larger than Western Europe. This immense network of waterways weaves through dense rainforests, sprawling savannas, and diverse ecosystems, making it both a formidable natural barrier and a strategic corridor. The river, with its many networks of tributaries, offered not only sustenance through fishing but also facilitated trade and communication among distant settlements. The riverbanks became hubs of human activity, where cultures intermingled, and ideas were exchanged. The river’s role in shaping the destiny of Central Africa dates to ancient times, because indigenous communities settled along its banks and recognized the river’s significance, using it for transportation, fishing, and as a source of fresh water. As societies evolved, so did their utilization of the Congo River.
Its immense basin covers an area of approximately 4 million square kilometers (1.5 million miles), making the Congo River the second largest in the world after the Amazon River in South America. The Congo River’s network of tributaries is extensive, forming a hydrological lifeline for Central Africa.
The Beautiful Cities and Landscapes of the Congo
Image I (Top Left): The Congo city of Bukavu
Image II (Top Right): The Majestic Congo River
Image III (Middle): Countryside and Villages of the Congo
Image IV (Bottom Left); The Landscape of the Congo: The Congo city of Pointe-Noire
Image V (Bottom Right): Epic Congo, Lake Kivu
All images courtesy of Scenic Relaxation, via YouTube
The landscape of the Congo is ancient, and the Congo Basin’s lush rainforests is teemed with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It was home to an astonishing array of wildlife, from majestic elephants and elusive leopards to colorful birds and countless species of primates. The forests provided not only sustenance but also served as sources of spiritual inspiration, with many indigenous societies attributing a deep significance to the natural world around them. The region’s linguistic diversity is a testament to the complex history of its people, with hundreds of languages spoken, each with its own distinct identity. Oral traditions played a crucial role in preserving the history, myths, and customs of the ancient Congo. Griots, storytellers, and elders passed down knowledge from one generation to another through vivid narratives and songs. These oral traditions provided insight into the spiritual beliefs, social structures, and cultural practices of the early inhabitants of the Congo.
In the depths of time, long before the Congo Basin bore witness to the rise of wealthy and powerful kingdoms and empires, like the Kongo (Congo) Empire, which was one of the most illustrious in Central Africa, the Luba and Lunda Empires, the kingdom of Kuba, etc. As time advanced, these indigenous cultures evolved and diversified. The Congo Basin’s vast expanse, coupled with its geographic diversity, allowed for the emergence of regional distinctive groups. Each group developed its own unique customs, languages, and traditions, often shaped by their interactions with the environment. The Pygmies, a group of indigenous peoples have inhabited the Congo Basin for thousands of years. They are believed to be one of the most ancient human populations in the region. The Pygmies’ deep connection to the forests is reflected in their nomadic lifestyle, which revolves around hunting, gathering, and foraging for sustenance.
In contrast to the Pygmies, other indigenous groups in the Congo Basin, such as the Bantu-speaking peoples, practiced agriculture and established settled communities. The Bantu migrations, which began around 2000 BCE, brought new languages, technologies, and social systems to the region. These migrants marked a significant turning point in the Congo’s cultural landscape.
The Rise of Ancient Kongo
“But these were human beings! I told myself, these men of the Great Congo, this land that was said to be so fabulous.” - Congolese Activist Andrée Blouin, author of My country, Africa: Autobiography of the black pasionaria
The Kongo Empire stood as a testament to the resilience and sophistication of the ancient Kongo. For example, its origins can be traced back to the 14th century, when a series of small chiefdoms in the region merged into a unified kingdom and became a powerful empire under the visionary leadership of its first ruler, Lukeni lua Nimi. The Kongo Empire is a beacon of African civilization, and stands as a testament to the cultural, political, and economic achievements of ancient Central Africa. The Kongo was nestled in the fertile heart of the Congo Basin, and this illustrious empire flourished between the 14th and 19th centuries, leaving an indelible mark in the history of Central Africa.
The Kongo’s rise to prominence was fueled by its strategic location along the Congo River, which served as a vital artery for trade and communication. The capital of the Kongo Empire was Mbanza Kongo (present-day São Salvador), and the kingdom became a thriving hub where diverse cultures converged. It was here where commerce thrived, facilitated by the river’s navigability and the Kongo's abundant resources. The Kongo Empire was prosperous, carrying on external trade by both land and rivers with states farther north, east and west. An abundance and variety of agricultural products were grown in the Kongo, like crops such as bananas, cauliflower, coconuts, cola, citrus fruits, plantains, rice, watermelons, yams, and many others. Other grains were imported as far north as Egypt by an overland route.
The King of Kongo
The Kongo Empire wasn’t the only wealthy and prosperous country in Central Africa. The Luba Kingdom, located in the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) thrived between the 15th and 19th centuries. Its success was built on a complex system of governance, characterized by a king, council of elders, and tribute-based economy. In the southeastern regions, the Lunda Empire emerged as a dominant force. The Lunda Empire was a warrior society with vast territories under its control. The Lunda people established a network of trade routes that extended deep into the African continent.
According to Dr. Chancellor Williams, author of The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race From 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D., there is no people in African history who used the concept of kinship ties more effectively that the Lunda people in their remarkable expansion of their empire. Even more remarkable than their territorial expansion was the Lunda’s idea of a nation as one big brotherhood. Instead of first attempting to outright conquer and annex states by force, they would first approach independent states and seek to demonstrate from oral history that all of them were merely segments of a common lineage, which means they were all family members, brothers and sisters. It appears that most of the states the Lunda people approached believed in the principle of a common ancestry and became members of the Lunda Empire. Some states, however, required more facts before being convinced, and those states who were not convinced or preferred to remain separate and be independent were generally conquered and given a lower status in the nation than those who voluntarily united with them.
To the east was the Kuba Kingdom, which was known for its intricate artistry, because the Kuba people created beautiful sculptures, textiles, and pottery. The Kuba king, known as Nyim, presided over a society where artistic expression and craftsmanship were highly esteemed.
“Shyaam I (i.e., Shyaam The Great) was one of the greatest leaders that the Black race ever produced and, considering the conditions and circumstances of his time, I think he was the greatest. He became king of Kuba in 1630, and during the relatively short period of ten years he set in motion an economic revolution that transformed the nation and gave it a new forward direction. He was not only far ahead of his own time in perceiving that economic development was the only way to restore the ancient greatness of the Blacks, but he is still ahead of the whole Black world today (as late as 1974) in the revival of economic activities on all possible fronts.” – Dr. Chancellor Williams, author of The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race From 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.
In the north, along with the Kongo Empire was the kingdom of Bangala, which left marks on the region’s history. The Bangala people were situated along the upper reaches of the Congo River, exerted influence through control of trade and river navigation.
The Congo in Africa (Southwest and Central Africa)
On the authority of Dr. Chancellor Williams, the kingdom of Kuba was a small state in the Congo, and it was the same size as the European country of Belgium. When some European nations decided to “Scramble for Africa,” Belgium, for example, eventually conquered, colonized and exploited the Congo of its rich minerals and resources, and the Congo is 10 times larger than Belgium.
According to Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan, author of New Dimensions in African History: From the Nile Valley to the New World: Science, Invention & Technology, with Dr. John Henrik Clarke, the Congo territory is many times the size of the Netherlands and Belgium combined.
Image courtesy of michal812, via Art.com
King Leopold II of Belgium used the anti-slavery excuse to introduce into the Congo forced labor and modern slavery. So many Congolese people were killed and maimed by King Leopold II’s officials and police that this earned European disapproval, even amid the general pattern of European colonial outrages throughout the whole African continent. In the Congo alone, King Leopold II made at least $20 million from rubber and ivory.
“You are talking about holocaust and you forget the Congo where twenty-five million African souls were murdered during the triangular trade (i.e., Transatlantic slave trade) and another fifteen million were lost when African women found it revolting to give birth to a child under slave ship’s barbarity, and so threw their children in the Atlantic Ocean to the sharks. It was a better fate than the slave ship and the slave plantation awaiting them (in the Americas and Europe).” - Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan, author of New Dimensions in African History From the Nile Valley to the New World: Science, Invention & Technology, with Dr. John Henrik Clarke
When the Congo finally gained its independence from the tyranny of King Leopold II and Belgium, the damage had already been done, due to the Congo being thoroughly exploited by Belgium because the Belgium government left Central Africa with a huge fortune.
Peace and Respect for the Congolese and other African ethnic groups or tribes from Southwest and Central Africa
The Congo has immense natural resources, such as copper, cobalt, diamonds, uranium and more. The discovery of copper deposits in the Katanga region, which is where the city of Lubumbashi is in the DRC spurred rapid industrialization and urban growth. Lubumbashi, which is in the southeastern corner of the DRC is also a thriving center of mining and commerce and is the second largest city in the DRC that stands as a testament to the country’s vast mineral wealth and economic potential. Lubumbashi’s importance as a mining center continued after independence, and the city’s proximity to valuable mineral deposits and its well-established infrastructure made it a natural choice for mining companies operating in the region. Today, Lubumbashi is often referred to as the “Copper Capital” due to its pivotal role in the global copper industry. The city is also home to numerous companies, both domestic and international, that extract and process copper and cobalt. These minerals and essential components in various industries, like electronics, automotive, and construction, makes them highly sought after in the global market.
Image II (Top Right): Congolese Woman. Image courtesy of Aj, via Pinterest
Image III (Bottom Left): Congolese Man. Image courtesy of Prince Elinio, via Pinterest
Image IV (Bottom Right): Boyoma Falls, Kinshasa, Democratic of Republic of the Congo. Image courtesy of Therese Nelson, via Pinterest
The Congo, with is vast territory, rich natural resources, and complex social-cultural fabric, has played a pivotal role not only within its own borders but also on the broader stage of African history and geopolitics. The Congo has also been a crucible of historical forces, a nexus of regional conflicts, and a symbol of the aspirations and challenges faced by Africa as a whole. The natural beauty of the DRC, like the city of Goma in the eastern part of the DRC displays lush rainforests and towering peaks of the majestic Virunga Mountains, which is a chain of volcanoes that form part of the East African Rift system, and the mighty Congo River continue to inspire awe and wonder. Also, the legacy of leaders like Patrice Lumumba and the enduring influence of Congolese music and culture serve as reminders of the DRC’s contributions to the broader African and global cultural mosaic. The DRC’s mineral wealth has been both a source of opportunity and conflict, shaping the economic destinies of nations near and far.
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teamcongo.rdc. Congo, despite its perceived appearance of poverty, is actually a country extremely rich in natural resources (such as cobalt, coltan, gold, copper, and diamonds). However, these resources are massively plundered by Rwanda backed by Western countries, often for the benefit of foreign multinational corporations and global economic powers, without the generated wealth truly benefiting the Congolese population. Congo is not poor in terms of resources or economic potential, but the structures of exploitation, corruption, armed conflicts, and the absence of fair wealth redistribution keep the majority of its population in poverty. The problem lies in systemic injustice and abusive exploitation, rather than a lack of wealth. teamcongo.rdc. Instagram. April 23, 2025. June 16, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DIyn009tByT/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D
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