Belgian Congo

former Belgian colony corresponding to the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo

Belgian Congo was a Belgian colony in central Africa. It was formed in 1908. The government of Belgium took over the previously separate kingdom of Belgium's monarch Léopold II; the Congo Free State. Today it is called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It existed between Léopold II's formal transfer of his personal control to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.[5]

Colony of the Belgian Congo
  • Congo belge (in French)
  • Belgisch-Congo (in Dutch)
1908–1960
Coat of arms of Belgian Congo
Coat of arms
Motto: Travail et Progrès
"Work and Progress"
Anthem: National Anthem of Belgium
The Belgian Congo (dark green) shown alongside Ruanda-Urundi (light green), 1935
The Belgian Congo (dark green) shown alongside Ruanda-Urundi (light green), 1935
StatusColony of Belgium
CapitalBoma (1908–1926)
Léopoldville (1926–1960)
4°19′S 15°19′E / 4.317°S 15.317°E / -4.317; 15.317
Common languages
Religion
Catholicism (de facto)[4]
King 
• 1908–1909
Leopold II
• 1909–1934
Albert I
• 1934–1951
Leopold III
• 1951–1960
Baudouin I
Governor-General 
• 1908–1912
Théophile Wahis (first)
• 1958–1960
Hendrik Cornelis (last)
History 
• Annexed by Belgium
15 November 1908
30 June 1960
Area
19602,344,858 km2 (905,355 sq mi)
Population
• 1960
16,610,000
CurrencyBelgian Congo franc
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Congo Free State
Republic of the Congo
Today part of DR Congo

References

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  1. "Self-Access Centre Database". resources.clie.ucl.ac.uk.
  2. (in French) République démocratique du Congo Archived 27 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Laval University, Canada
  3. (in Dutch) Vlamingen en Afrikanen—Vlamingen in Centraal Afrika Archived 11 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Faculteit Sociale Wetenschappen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
  4. Kasongo, Michael (1998). History of the Methodist Church in the Central Congo. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761808824.
  5. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja (2002). The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History. Zed Books. ISBN 1842770535.

Other websites

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