Congolese+Culture





=Congolese Culture =

Like many African countries, the borders of the Congo were established by colonial powers. There are around 250 languages spoken in the country and about the same number of ethnic groups. But there are four main population groups:


 * The Pygmies,** the earliest inhabitants of the Congo, are hunter-gatherers who live in the forests. They live by trading meat hunted in the forest with their farming neighbors in exchange for agricultural products. They are becoming absorbed into non-pygmy society, and adopting their languages and customs.
 * The Bantu,** arrived in the Congo between 2000 BC and 500 AD. They are by far the largest group, and the majority live as farmers. They are present in almost every part of the country, and their languages make up three of the five officially-recognized languages. These three languages are Kikongo, Lilanga, and Tshiluba. Kikongo is spoken by the Kongo people in the far west of the country.
 * East Africans** brought in the fourth of the official languages, Kingwana, (the fifth language, French, is the official language of government, a result of Congo's colonial relationship with Belgium). The East Africans are related to the Bantus mentioned above, but tend to differ in their way of life, in that they practice herding as well as farming. They came from the various countries to the east of Congo:Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania, bringing with them many of the ethnic rivalries that have brought up recent conflicts
 * The Hamites**, who originally come from Darfur in southern Sudan and Ethiopia, are cattle raisers. They include the Tutsi, possibly the tallest people in the world. Often mixing with the Eastern Africans, the Hamites are found in the east and north east of the country, and generally have a more warlike culture than other Congolese groups.

The Bantu................................... The Hamites...........................The Pygmies...........................East Africans

= = =Random Bits of Congolese Culture= -In urban areas, men and women shake hands, smile, and greet each other verbally. Some rural women greet men by clapping their hands a few times and bowing slightly. Children are expected to greet each adult with a handshake or a kiss on the cheek. -Objects are passed with the right hand or both hands. -Meals are usually eaten with the fingers of the right hand only. Only the eldest can distribute meat with both hands to those eating the meal. -The family is the most important focus in a person's life. -Large extended families are the norm in Congo. -Casual dating occurs only among the wealthy in large urban areas. Otherwise, if two young people meet the desire to date the boy and his family seek permission of the girl's family for him to see her (partly arranged by parents). -Foods include cassava, rice, potatoes, bananas, yams, beans, corn, fish, peanuts, and various fruits and vegetables. Common fruits include mangoes, oranges, pawpaws, and coconuts. Sugar cane also is grown in Congo. Malnutrition and staruation affect up to 10 percent of the nation's children. -Soccer is the most popular sport. Rural Congolese enjoy gatherings that consist of dancing, and drum music. -Congo's holidays include New Year's Day(January 1), the Commemoration of the Martyrs of Independence(January 4), Easter, Labor Day(May 1), Independence Day(June 30), Parents Day(August 1), Veterans Day(November 17), and Christmas. -Most people live in small villages and farm. People purchase daily goods from open-air markets and small shops. Kinshasa economy was destroyed under Mabutu and working in the informal street economy.