The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a history of European colonization and exploitation of its resources. It gained independence in 1960 and speaks French and several native languages. The country has a tropical climate and abundant natural resources but much of its potential remains untapped due to lack of infrastructure and an ongoing education crisis. Over half of children experience delays in starting school or do not attend due to poverty, child labor, and other factors. The document proposes seeking international aid or trade deals to generate funds for improving the education system.

1. The Democratic
Republic of the Congo
By Marianne Feng
3-16-13
Period 1

2. History and Language
 The languages that the Democratic Republic of the Congo speak
is French, Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, and Tshiluba.
 Thousand of years ago, the Bantu people migrated from the
western of Africa to the Central of Africa.
 The Portuguese arrived in the late 1400s
 In the late 1800s, an European, named Leopold II of Belgium
took over the Congo region for it’s rich resources.
 Leopold II enslaved the people living there and took the land.
 Belgium took the Congo from Leopold II and made it thgeirs. On
1908, it was known as the Belgium Congo.
 In 1960, the Congo gained independence and was known as the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.

3. Geography
 The middle part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is
tropical climate meaning it is hot and humid.
 The north of this country is cooler, wetter, and drier.
 Lots of natural resources are cobalt, copper, tantalum, tin, timber,
coal, uranium, and much more.
 It has multiple lakes but, they are mostly full of water disease
from the war.
 There are a small amount of large cities.
 Most of the people are into agriculture.

4. Problem
 The main problem I’m focusing on is the Democratic Republic of
the Congo’s education system.
 More than half of children start school late. It says three times
more children are out of school.
 The reasons for this is because of the children's’ parents low
education, kids forced to hard in the mining industry or the
agriculture industry, or early marriages.
 There are also not enough schools and teachers for the students.
 Because of the lack of schools and teachers we have low
education.
 The Congo sadly cannot help because they do not have the
money.

5. Solution
 My solution for this education problem is to get more money or
seek out help from other countries.
 Our solution for this problem will be getting help from Yemen.
 A trade treaty was made by Yemen. The trade was that Yemen
gives us oil and men to build railroads to transport goods. While
The Congo will give diamonds.
 The oil will give us money and the men will give us more chances
to transport are items for trade.