BAGIRMI, RABAH ZOBEIR, and WADAI.) Development and Administration.—France had thus pos session of a very large territory, rich in resources, but with a very sparse (and decreasing) population of, for the most part, a very primitive type. The seaboard served only the Gabun, for the es carpment of the inner plateau shut off the inland river systems, and in fact most of the country was almost cut off from the world's markets. The Gabun made fair progress and had a large timber trade. But with the acquisition of part of the Congo basin French expectations ran high ; Brazzaville was founded and made the seat of government and de Brazza himself, as commissioner general, took charge of affairs. In 1888 the Gabun and the newly acquired territories were officially declared to be one "colony" under the style of Congo f rancais. The country in 1904 was divided into four parts, corresponding to geographical and ethno logical differences ; the northern divisions, Ubangi-Shari and Chad, were for years under military rule, but by 1920 all had attained the status of colonies. The first commissioner-general under the scheme put in force in 1904 was Emile Gentil, the explorer of the Shari and Chad. In 1905 de Brazza was sent out from France to investigate charges of cruelty and maladministration brought against officials of the colony, several of which proved well found ed. De Brazza died at Dakar when on his way home. Gentil, who was free from any personal blame, devoted the next two years to the reorganization of the finances of the country and the develop ment of its commerce, resigning his post in Feb. 1908. He was succeeded by M. Merlin, whose title was changed (June 1908) to that of governor-general. In 1910 the name of the country was, appropriately, changed to l'A f rique Equatoriale f rancaise or A.E.F.
With a view to rapid development the Government had by 1899 granted very large land concessions to French citizens, after the manner of Leopold II. in the Congo State, and with similar results. The system worked to the detriment of the natives and of non concessionnaire traders and, as de Brazza's 1905 mission showed, led to abuses. Reforms followed and M. Merlin and his succes sors devoted their energies mainly to improving the condition of the natives, witchcraft-ridden and ravaged by many diseases, including sleeping sickness, dysentery and leprosy. (There were 52,000 lepers in the country in in 6o of the whole pop ulation.) The employment of large numbers of natives as porters, a necessary but wasteful proceeding, kept them from land work, and the local authorities repeatedly asked for funds for transport purposes. But the French parliament was hard to move and slow to grant funds, so that A.E.F. came to be regarded as the Cinder ella of the colonies. And it was made to suffer for French projects elsewhere. To obtain German consent for a free hand for France in Morocco two large areas of the Middle Congo colony were in 1911 added to the German Cameroons colony; these areas stretch ing south, tongue-like, to the Congo and Ubangi rivers respect ively. However, as the result of the World War, these "tongues" were restored to France. The building of a railway to connect the Congo at Brazzaville (Stanley Pool) with the Atlantic was at. length begun in 1921, and this work was completed in 193o. At the same time a new harbour, Pointe Noire (near Loango), was built to serve the railway.
The governor-general has control over the whole country: For administrative purposes the separate colonies are under lieutenant governors, the governor-general himself being lieutenant-governor of the Middle Congo colony. The Gabun colony includes the Gabun estuary and most of the coast-line, together with the basin of the Ogowe river. The inland frontier is so drawn that no part of the Gabun is within the Congo free-trade zone. The Mid dle Congo colony, which has access to the sea at Pointe Noire, extends inland to the easterly bend of the Ubangi river. There is a general budget for the whole country ; each colony has also a separate budget and administrative autonomy. The legislative power is in the French chambers only. There is a judicial service independent of the executive. Educational facilities are deficient ; while there are Government schools, teaching is done mainly by missionaries, Roman Catholic and Protestant. The converts to Christianity are comparatively few, but the mission aries, who care for the body as well as the soul of the people, exer cise a considerable and beneficent influence.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—Fernand Rouget, L'Expansion coloniale au Congo Bibliography.—Fernand Rouget, L'Expansion coloniale au Congo franc= (1906), a valuable monograph, with bibliography and maps. For history, see also J. Ancel, "Etude historique. La formation de la colonie du Congo francais, 1843-82," containing an annotated bibliog raphy, in Bull. Com. l'L f rique f rancaise, vol. xii. (1902) ; G. Bruel, L'A f rique Equatoriale Francaise (1918) and C. Guy, "L'Avenir de l'A.E.F." in L'A f rique Franoaise (Jan. 1926) . Annual reports are issued by the French Colonial office. (F. R. C.)