Conga
Congo is the third largest country in the continent of Africa. The country is located in the central part of Africa and is regionally and economically affiliated to the African Union. It is bordered on the North by Sudan and Republic of Central Africa, on the East by Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda, South by Angola and Zambia and on the West by Republic of Congo and Atlantic Ocean. The country was declared independent from the Belgian rule on 30th of June 1960.
Democratic Republic of Congo has diverse ethnic groups and different lifestyles throughout the country. After the country’s colonization, independence war and the Congo wars there have been several changes in the traditional lifestyles of the people. However the culture and customs of the country has retained much of its individuality. A notable feature of Congo music is the birth of soukous that is a blend of meringue and Cuban Ruma. The major religion of the country is Christianity and minor religions include Islam and others follow syncretic beliefs.
Though Congo is endowed with a number of natural resources, the economy of the country has declined since the middle of the 1980’s. The recent wars in the country has increased external debt and reduced the revenue of the government. The conflict has impacted the basic problems of the people like corruption, legal framework, mismanagement of economic policies and inflation. Things have improved since the lateer part of 2002 when a large number of invading troops withdrew from the positions in the country. Since then a number of World Bank and International Monetary Fund missions have helped the government to develop better policies for the development of the country.
