26 | The Lion King
Country Focus
recent major Congolese exports,
although Congo was excluded from
the Kimberley Process in 2004 amid
allegations that most of its diamond
exports were in fact being smuggled
out of the neighbouring Democratic
Republic of Congo; it was re-admitted
to the group in 2007.
The Republic of the Congo also
has large untapped base metal,
gold, iron and phosphate deposits.
Petroleum and mining are the major
export industries, followed by forestry
and commercial agriculture. Light
manufacturing (mostly shoes), sugar
processing, and assembly industries
assumed greater importance in the
1980s. These activities, however,
employed only a small fraction of the
labour force, most of which worked
in agriculture and the non-salaried
informal urban economy.
Cultural life
Pre-colonial artistic expression
emphasized ceremonial music, dance,
sculpture, and oral literature. Christianity
and colonialism had a great impact
on these art forms. The carving of ritual
objects became commercialized, and
music and dance altered as a result of
the introduction of Western instruments
and musical styles.
In the 1980s, the Brazzaville region,
along with Kinshasa, across the river
in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, became a vital centre for
the production of contemporary
African music, known as Congolese
music or rumba. The genre, which
mixes traditional African rhythms and
instruments with those borrowed from
other cultures, enjoys widespread
popularity throughout Africa as well as
around the world.
Holidays observed in Congo include
those celebrated by Christians around
the world, such as Good Friday, Easter,
and Christmas. Labour Day and
Independence Day are observed on
May 1 and August 15, respectively.
There are a number of libraries in
Brazzaville, including the national
library. The Marien Ngouabi Museum in
Brazzaville has an excellent collection
of indigenous masks from groups
throughout the Congo River basin,
particularly those of the Kongo people,
who trace their ancestry back to the
Kongo kingdom that ruled parts of both
modern-day Congo and Angola.
Pointe-Noire (Black
Point) is the second
largest city in the
Congo. The area near
Pointe-Noire, called
‘Wild Coast’ offers
some lovely beaches.
It is also amajor
tourist destination.
Photo: Flickr/FredR
