What culture is Congo?

Culture is most evident in the well-preserved tribal and ethnic traditions of the Congolese, as well as in the music they play, infused with French, Arab and African roots. The people follow a variety of religious beliefs, but a majority of the population is either Catholic or Protestant.

Who brought Christianity to the Congo?

Christianity. Christianity was brought to DRC from Europe, mainly Belgium. The writer Jens Bjørneboe wrote in “Frihetens Øyeblikk” (Moments of Freedom) that “The Belgians worked hard with missionary activities among the black. After a few years the population in Congo was reduced from more than 30 million to only 8.

What is the lifestyle of the people of Congo?

Broadly speaking, there are four main population groups: Pygmies, the earliest inhabitants of the Congo, are generally hunter-gatherers. Expert in the ways of the forest, where they have resided for thousands of years, they live by trading meat with their taller farming neighbors in exchange for agricultural products.

Which religion was first in Africa?

Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was still alive (he died in 632). Thus both religions have been on the continent of Africa for over 1,300 years.

How did Africa convert to Christianity?

Christianity first arrived in North Africa, in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. The Christian communities in North Africa were among the earliest in the world. Legend has it that Christianity was brought from Jerusalem to Alexandria on the Egyptian coast by Mark, one of the four evangelists, in 60 AD.

What was the religion of Africa before Christianity?

Polytheism was widespreaded in most of ancient African and other regions of the world, before the introduction of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. An exception was the short-lived monotheistic religion created by Pharaoh Akhenaten, who made it mandatory to pray to his personal god Aton (see Atenism).

Does Congo speak English?

Description. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken. The official language is French. Four indigenous languages have the status of national language: Kituba (called “Kikongo”), Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba.

How do people in Congo greet each other?

A proper greeting is to shake hands with the right hand. To show respect of social status people hold their right forearm with their left hand while shaking hands. Men often share a touching of the sides of their foreheads, first right than left. Holding hands between people of the same sex is a sign of friendship.