Central African History and Culture

Most of the early history was based on the Kongo Kingdom. The Kongo Kingdom is located near the mouth of the Congo River. The Kongo people established trade routes to western and eastern Africa. They grew rich from trading animal skins, shells, slaves, and ivory. When Europeans came, they wanted forest products, ivory, and other resources. They used ivory for fine furniture, jewelry, and statues. Some kingdoms got richer from trading, but usually in the end all of them weakened. Most of the that Central Africa speaks is French, Portuguese, or English. The 3 main religions are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism.