Congo Free State facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Congo Free State
État indépendant du Congo
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| 1885–1908 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms
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Motto: French: Travail et progrès
(Work and Progress) |
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Anthem: "Towards the Future"
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| Status | Personal union with the Kingdom of Belgium | ||||||||
| Capital | Boma | ||||||||
| Common languages | French (de facto official), more than 200 indigenous languages |
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| Government | Absolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Ruler and owner | |||||||||
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• 1885-1908
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Leopold II of Belgium | ||||||||
| Governor-general | |||||||||
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• 1885–1886
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Francis Walter de Winton (first) | ||||||||
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• 1900-1908
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Théophile Wahis (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | New Imperialism | ||||||||
| July 1 1885 | |||||||||
| November 15 1908 | |||||||||
| Currency | Congolese franc | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | CG | ||||||||
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The Congo Free State (French: État indépendant du Congo) was a large area in Central Africa. It was privately owned by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Leopold convinced the international community that he was involved in humanitarian work. He attracted scientific and humanitarian backing for the International African Association (French: Association internationale africaine), which he formed during a Brussels Geographic Conference of geographic societies, explorers, and leaders he hosted in 1876. Leopold used the Association and the defunct "Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo" (French: Comité d'études du Haut-Congo) as a way to claim most of the Congo Basin. Leopold created the International Association of the Congo (French: Association internationale du Congo) as a new organization. The entity was officially recognized by the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 and various governments. On May 29, 1885, the king named his new colony the Congo Free State (French: État indépendant du Congo)
Images for kids
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Leopold II, King of the Belgians and de facto owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908
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Henry Morton Stanley, whose exploration of the Congo region at Leopold's invitation led to the establishment of the Congo Free State under personal sovereignty
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Cartoon depicting Leopold II and other imperial powers at Berlin conference 1884
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Map of the Congo Free State in 1892
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Steamboat in the Congo Free State, 1899
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'La revue' of the Force Publique, Boma, capital city of the Congo Free State, 1899
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The concessions and the Domaine de la Couronne. The infamous A.B.I.R. company is shown in dark red.
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Francis Dhanis, ca. 1900
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Clearing tropical forests ate away at profit margins. However, ample plots of cleared land were already available. Above, a Congolese farming village (Baringa, Equateur) is emptied and leveled to make way for a rubber plantation.
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Congolese labourers tapping rubber near Lusambo in Kasai.
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A typical Force Publique regiment, circa 1900
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Cartoon by British caricaturist 'Francis Carruthers Gould' depicting King Leopold II, and the Congo Free State.
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E.D. Morel
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Proclamation from Inspector-general Ghislain to the population of the Congo, announcing the annexation of the territory by Belgium in 1908
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Equestrian statue of Leopold II at the Regent place in Brussels, Belgium
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The Monument to General Storms in Brussels daubed in red paint, symbol of the blood of the Congolese people.
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Congolese people working at the port of Leopoldville
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Construction of a railroad by Congolese workers
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Melting latex of rubber in the forest of Lusambo
See also
In Spanish: Estado Libre del Congo para niños
