Visual Geography Series®: Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo

Photos [downloadable for reports]

Maps & Flag [downloadable for reports]

Links

The Land

Democratic Republic of the Congo (CIA World Factbook) - Find up-to-date population figures and other statistics.
Weather (CNN.com) - Get the current weather conditions for Kinshasa and other cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Wildlife Direct Blogs (Wildlife Direct) - This site links to Congo park rangers’ blogs, which offer fascinating glimpses of day-to-day life in Congo’s wildlife reserves.

History and Government

Belgian Parliamentary Committee’s Conclusion (Belgian Parliament) - Report of the findings of the Belgian legislative committee into the murder of Prime Minister Lumumba in 1961
Congo Expedition 1909–1915 (American Museum of Natural History) - Examine the documents and artifacts of twentieth-century expeditions to the Congo, including hundreds of photos, paintings, maps, and audio and video recordings.
Congo Kinshasa (The Democratic Republic of Congo Permanent Mission to the UN) - Read current news in English and French, explore examples of art and music, and follow Congo’s work with the United Nations.
Lumumba’s Last Letter (Africa Within) - This is the full text of Lumumba’s last letter, written to his wife shortly before his assassination in January 1961.

The People

Congo, Dem. Rep. of (Population Reference Bureau [PRB]) - Find information about the population of Congo, and use the Datafinder to get more details about population trends.
Explore the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Pages) - Take virtual tours of Kinshasa and Bandundu, view an online art exhibition, and take the Congo Quiz to test your knowledge.
Honorata’s Story (Women for Women International) - This page tells the story of Honorata, who survived capture at the hands of a rebel army in eastern Congo and went on to rebuild her life.
Languages of Democratic Republic of Congo (Ethnologue) - Learn about the more than two hundred languages spoken in Congo, and view maps of where they are found.
Youth in Crisis: Coming of Age in the 21st Century (IRIN In Depth) - The article looks at the lives of Congolese children who lost years of their childhood to being part of a militia group.

Cultural Life

Amba Bongo (AmbaBongo.com) - Read poems and view pictures by the Congolese writer.
Bodys Isek Kingelez (Culturebase.net) - View some of artist Bodys Isek Kingelez’s fantastic architectural models on this site. The site also hosts works by other Congolese artists.
Chéri Samba: Interview (Time Out London) - Time Out, a London news magazine, interviewed Samba, one of Congo’s best-known artists.
Congo (Congo Stamps) - Look at pictures of Congolese postage stamps from 1886 to the present.
Congo (DRC) (National Geographic World Music) - Listen to samples of Congolese music, and learn about the country’s musical traditions.
Frederick K. Yamusangie (Welcome) - The is the home page of Congolese author Yamusangie, who lives in the United Kingdom. Links lead to short stories and the first two chapters of his book Full Circle (2003), about a Congolese boy.
Mancala Web v2.0 (Brian Casey) - Play the African game of Mancala online.

The Economy

Congo Press (DR-Congo Diplomatic Corps) - Lists Congo newspapers
Currency Converter (xe.com) - Convert U.S. dollars to Congo francs.
Go Congo (Go Congo Tour Operator) - Go Congo Tour Operators offer information and links about trips to Congo for adventurous travelers on this site.

For More Information

Congo (Kinshasa) )(U.S. Department of State) - This website provides a general profile of Congo’s geography, people, government and politics, and economy, produced by the U.S. Department of State.
Congo (New York Times) - Read the latest articles about the Democratic Republic of Congo from the New York Times.
Country Profile: Congo (BBC News) - Find up-to-date headlines, colorful maps, a timeline, and an overview, and watch video news clips.
Democratic Republic of Congo (Lonely Planet) - Learn about sights and customs of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and read about current travel conditions.
Democratic Republic of Congo Page (Africa Studies Center) - This site provides links to a wide variety of online resources about Congo. Topics include diamonds, human rights, languages, and much more.
Zaire (former) (Country Studies-Federal Research Division, Library of Congress) - This thorough study of Congo includes extensive coverage of its history up to 1993 (when it was still Zaire).

Teacher Resources

African Studies Center: K–12 Guide Information (University of Pennsylvania) - This page collects information and lesson plans about Africa.
Calling on Congo (New York Times Daily Lesson Plan) - Lesson plan on postelection violence in the DRC and the role of the national media (grades 6–8, 9–12)
Human Impacts in the African Rain Forest: What Can We Do? (National Geographic Xpeditions) - Lesson plan exploring human impact on the African rain forest (grades 9–12)
"Lumo": Addressing Sexual Violence in War (PBS) - This point-of-view lesson plan from PBS uses a short film to teach about the human rights crisis in Congo (grades 9–12).
Mixing Up the Melting Pot (New York Times Daily Lesson Plan) - Lesson plan indigenous cultures and how they do and do not integrate into modern society (grades 6–8, 9–12)
Teaching about Africa (Stanford University) - Offers a variety of K–12 lesson plans about Africa.

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