Urbanization and Ethnic Diversity in Congo

What is the Congo

Congo’s population is estimated at 4.04 million, over half of which live in the two major cities of Brazzaville and Pointe- Noire. In this area since the 20th century three fourth of the population lives in urban areas, making the Congo one of Africa’s most urbanized countries. Almost all Congolese are Bantu, a name that refers to the people living in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. The Bantu originated from Nigeria and Cameroon and migrated to Southern Africa 2,000 years ago. In present day Congo, non-Bantu tribes account for only 3% of the population. The Bantu include 74 peoples belonging to different ethnic groups such as the Kongo, the Teke, the Mbochi and the Sangha.

The Bakongo live in the south from Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire on the Atlantic coast. The Bakongo include the Lari around Brazzaville, the Vili near Pointe-Noire, the Yombe in the Mayombe Range, the Babembe, the Basoundi, the Bakamba and of course the Bakongo, after the powerful Kings of

Kongo. The Mbochi, another major ethnic group includes the Mbochi, Kouyou, Makoua, Bonga, Bobangi, Moye, Ngare and Mboko. They live in the north of the Plateaux department and in the Cuvette and Western Cuvette departments around Boundji, Owando, M’Bomo, Etoumbi, M’Bama, Mossaka, Oyo, Makoua and along navigable rivers such as Kouyou, Alima, Sangha and Likouala, that are gifted with well stocked fish. The Mbochi raise poultry, sheep and goats and catch fish in the rivers. They are also famous for being farmers and grow coffee, cocoa, tobacco and rice.

The republic of the Congo
Religion
Though Christianity is widespread in the Republic of Congo, traditional religions are still alive and quite widespread. Traditional religions are practiced by 2.2% of the Congolese population. These traditional religions believe in a main creator of all things a supreme God and who is accessible to human beings after death. Traditional religions also account for a wide array of intermediaries such as spirits or ancestors, who are worshiped to obtain advice, healing, and good harvests.
Christianity is well established in the Republic of Congo. Around 50% of the Congolese population is
Catholic while 40% of the population is Protestant. In the 1980's, countless other Christian factions emerged and have been allowed to operate freely. Many Catholic institutions such as the Seminary of Brazzaville , scout troops and sports organizations have been sponsored by the Archdiocese of Brazzaville. While Christianity is the main religion in the Republic of Congo, Islam also holds a seat in the religion of the country with 1.3% of the population identifying themselves as Muslims. Most of the Muslims living in the Republic of Congo are descendants of West African immigrants. It is common to see mosques in major cities of the Republic of Congo where Muslims can worship freely.

Catholics in the Congo

Food in the Congo
Typical Congolese meals consist of a starchy food with sauce or stew.

Maize and cornmeal flour, cassava flour and other cereals are the main staples supplemented by tropical fruits like pineapples and plantains, vegetables, beef, fish, pork and goat meat. The Congo River and the other rivers and lakes are an endless source of freshwater fish and shrimps that go into wonderfully spicy dishes made with locally grown hot peppers. These basic foods are served mostly as a thick stew or porridge, flavoured with a spicy sauce containing palm oil. Bush-meat specialties include smoked monkey, smoked antelope and grilled crocodile. Other traditional foods include pounded sesame or squash seeds, shish kebabs and plantain dough. Caterpillars, grubs, termites and roasted crickets are considered delicacies, as is "Saka-madesu” a combination of stewed manioc leaves and beans cooked in a palm oil sauce. Some of the favorite local drinks made in Congo are "lunguila" or sugar cane wine and palm

wine.

Congo dish rice black beans and plantains

Traditions and values of the family
Traditional values and family and tribal ties lie at the very center of Congolese life. There are a level respect shown to people that are higher in the social hierarchy , they are showered with gifts and praise. The society is male-oriented and male dominated with the decision making in the hands of men while the actual work in the fields and the housework is left to the women. Even in the organized areas, women earn lower wages than the men do for similar jobs. For that matter, women do not even have the right to open bank accounts, acquire passports, rent or sell property or get a job without the husband’s permission.
The many different ethnic groups have their own traditional beliefs central to most is the core belief in the close relation between people and nature. Nature has a soul of its own and those who practice this form of this is called animism also believe in the existence of a supreme being called “Nzambe’a mphunngu”. Priests and prophets and serve as conduits between the believers and the Supreme God and between the living and the dead and make connections through sacrifices and prayers. Shamans or medicine men are integral to all the tribes, they tell fortunes, provide advice and protection from evil spirits, and make protective fetishes usually in the shape of a person or an animal.

Congo Family
Music of the Congo
Congo has a long tradition of myths and traditional knowledge expressed through storytelling, music, drama and dance, though the each ethnic group has its own legends and tales, all share certain characteristics. Following World War II, a different genre of literature developed, written in French, local Bantu languages and Flemish. Two of the country's best-known writers are V.Y. Mudimbe and Antoine Roger Bolamba, a poet and sociologist who specializes in the study of traditional knowledge and myths. In the rural areas, music serves a social purpose and is performed by traditional bards or balladeers called ‘Griots’ who double up as historians and genealogists. The musical instruments commonly used by them are made from calabashes and gourds and include drums, flutes from millet stalks, animal horns and stringed instruments. Soukous’ is the more upbeat and contemporary music of the cities. This particular style is a blend of Cuban rumba, American jazz and rock traditions as well as strains of European polkas and marches, gospel songs and sailor's ballads.

Musical culture of the Congo