1. CENTRAL AFRICA

2. Climate
Tropical rainforest & savanna

3. Religion
Mostly Christian
A picture of Christ from Cameroon

4. Congo River is a highway for trade & travel
Lake Tanganyika Longest freshwater lake in the world; 2nd deepest; found in Dem. Rep. of the Congo
Congo River is a highway for trade & travel
The Congo provides lots of hydroelectric power in Dem. Rep. of Congo

5. Products/industries
Diamonds, oil, cocoa, lumber

6. Central Africa has a wide variety of ethnic groups.
One of the most interesting groups is the Pygmies.
Pygmies are hunter-gatherers that live in the rainforests that rarely grow over 5’ in height.
They are known for their ability to hunt with poisoned arrows and blowguns.

7. Diseases that threaten Africa
Malaria & Yellow Fever
These diseases are transmitted by mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and nausea, and if untreated can lead to coma and death.
Combating these illnesses requires draining swamps and drying up areas of standing water where mosquitoes breed
Approximately 90% of all cases of malaria worldwide occur in Africa, accounting for 24% of all child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.

8. Sleeping Sickness
This disease is transmitted by the tse tse fly It causes your body to become weak and drowsy and eventually fall into a coma. Untreated, the victim will eventually die of heart failure.

9. AIDS Destroys the immune system Each day, 6,000 Africans die from AIDS
That’s around 2 million a year

10. Ebola
A virus that causes severe bleeding, organ failure, and can lead to death.
Has been a growing threat throughout Central Africa since its discovery in 1976

11. Dem. Rep of Congo
Controlled by Belgium in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s
Known as the Belgian Congo, the people were treated like slaves
Eventually became independent in 1960, but suffered for 30 years under a dictator named Mobutu Sese Seko
The country fell into civil war after Mobutu was overthrown.
The Congo War ( ) devastated the country.
5.4 million people have died (the deadliest war since World War II)
Despite the signing of peace accords in 2003, fighting continues in the east of the country.
This war is part of why almost half of the people in the DRC are younger than 15!