KONGO, kong'go, or CONGO, The, once an independent state in central Africa (1882); a Belgian colony, 1907. It is bounded northwest and north by French Kongo and British East Africa, the dividing line being partly the Kongo itself and its tributary, the Ubangi; on the east it is bounded by British East Africa, German East Africa, Lake Tan ganyika and British Central Africa; on the south by the Portuguese and British territories. It reaches the Atlantic at the mouth of the Kongo by a narrow neck of land. The terri tory has an area of 913,127 square miles, and is divided into 22 administrative districts, each of the districts being under a commissioner. In 1913 there were 350 posts and stations. The estimated revenue for 1914 was f1,218,050 and the expenditures £2,077,440. The public debt in 1912 stood at f1,149,888. The northeastern portion of the state, forming fully one-third of the whole, is mostly under dense and almost impenetrable forest, but the remainder largely consists of arable land of considerable fertility. Among the cultivated plants are maize, millet, manioc, tobacco, coffee, sugar-cane, hemp, bananas, etc., and most of the fruits and vege tables of Europe have been found to thrive ex cellently. The wild animals include the ele phant, hippopotamus, crocodile, buffalo, ante lopes of various kinds, the chimpanzee, soko, etc. The imports consist mostly of woven goods, spirits, tobacco and firearms, and the ex ports ivory, rubber, ground-nuts, palm-oil, gum-copal, wax, etc. The climate is very unhealthful to white men owing to the combination of great heat with a very moist atmosphere, but in a few of the more elevated spots it is much better. There are two rainy seasons, namely, October-December and Febru ary-May, the latter being much the wetter, and between these intervene the two dry seasons. There are not as yet many good roads in the state, but there are thousands of miles of navigable rivers. The Kongo is navigable from the sea up to Matadi, and again for 1,200 miles between Stanley Pool and Stanley Falls, but the portion between Matadi and the Pool is obstructed by cataracts. In 1913 there were 1,039 miles of railway. The Great Lakes Rail way, completed in 1915, links up the Upper Kongo with the German railway from Dar-es Salaam to Udjidji. The colony is also linked up, via Elizabethville, with the Cape-to-Cairo Railway. In 1912 the tonnage entered at the ports was 1,044,864 tons. The bulk of the in habitants are of Bantu stock, but in the extreme north the proper negro type is found, and in some of the eastern parts of the state Arabs and other ethnical groups occur. Large num
bers of the inhabitants are cannibals of the most pronounced type, and the vast majority are heathens.
After Stanley had proved the identity of the Lualaba with the Kongo, a Comite d'Etudes du Haut Kongo was formed under the auspices of Leopold II, king of the Belgians, and in 1879 this body commissioned Stanley to return to the Kongo region with a view to preparing for the development of its resources. He estab lished his first station at Vivi, and afterward founded others at Isangila, Manyanga, Leopold ville, Equatorville, Stanley Falls and elsewhere, several of these being connected by good roads. In 1884 the African International Association replaced the committee, and in the following year it secured the foundation of the Kongo Free State and the recognition of its independ ence by the Congress of Berlin. Trade and navigation on the Kongo and all the rivers, lakes and canals connected with it were de clared absolutely free, and the suppression of the slave-trade was provided for. Leopold II was made sovereign, and Brussels was named as the seat of the government. In 1889 Leo pold bequeathed his sovereign rights to Bel gium. In 1890 the territories of the state were declared inalienable, and in that year also the right was reserved to Belgium of annexing it after 10 years. This convention expired on 3 June 1903, when the Belgian government de cided to abandon the project of annexation, allowing the option to expire, the reasons given being popular onoosition and the attitude of Great Britain. Scandals connected with the administration, especially in regard to the treat ment of the natives, aroused in 1904 and 1905 world-wide interest, commissions of inquiry were appointed and remedies introduced. Un der treaty of 28 Nov. 1907 cession of the terri tories was made to Belgium. The central gov ernment, located at Brussels, comprises the king of the Belgians as sovereign, and a secre tary of state, etc. At Boma there is a gover nor-general, under whom of course there are numerous officials. There is an army of native Africans, having an effective strength of about 18,000, commanded by European officers. Be sides Boma, the capital, the chief stations are Banana, Matadi, Vivi, Isangila, Manyanga, Leopoldville, Mswata, Kwamouth, Bolobo. Lu bolela, Equatorville, Bolombo, Stanley Falls, Nyangwe, Yambuya, Basoko, Benabendi, etc. Pop. estimated at 15,000.000; in 1912 there were 5,465 Europeans, including 3,307 Belgians.