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Belgian CongoAbout the Belgian Congo.
When Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 nobody could have imagined that this small country would have its own African colony only a number of years later. The second king of the Belgians, Leopold II however set his mind on acquiring a colony. In 1877 the American Henry M.Stanley went out to explore the region of Africa, later to be known as the Belgian Congo. The first years this new colony was the personal property of Leopold II and its was called "Congo Free State". Only in 1908 it became known as Belgian Congo and thus an official Belgian colony. Actually there were (and still are) two Congos: Belgian Congo (capital Leopoldville) and French Congo (capital Brazzaville). Later the Belgians acquired another colony called "Ruanda-Urundi", now known as the two independent countries Ruanda and Burundi. Important cities in the colonial Congo were: Leopoldville, Stanleyville, Elisabethville and Jadotville. The Belgian Congo was rich in minerals, diamonds, uranium, timber and rubber. Many large international companies operated there. It became (and still is) the most important country of Central Africa. In 1960 the Congo became independent, but the country still has strong linguistic, political, economical, social and cultural ties with its former coloniser.
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