how much money did belgium make from the congo

The early 1980s saw the country facing a difficult period of structural adjustment caused by declining demand for its traditional products, deteriorating economic performance, and neglected structural reform. Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. Today in History. In 1930, the ACLVB-CGSLB adopted its current name.[27]. Gain a global perspective on the US and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 He was assassinated by his political opponents in Katanga in January 1961 with the help of Belgian and US secret services. Until his death in 1909, Leopold II never set . The United States established diplomatic relations with the DRC in 1960, following its independence from Belgium. Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country by area in Africa and has approximately 70 million citizens. Unemployment in Wallonia is mainly structural, while in Flanders it is cyclical. Antwerp is also known for diamond cutting and dealing. Updates? It is Europe's largest port for RoRo traffic[32] and natural gas. Belgiums involvement in the political assassination was concealed until a commission of enquiry, launched by the Belgian parliament in 1999, found Belgium partially responsible for Lumumbas death. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, other European countries did not want the Congo River region. Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. The first major step Belgium took . Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP. African stakeholders were not involved in the negotiations. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As a possession of Belgium, the Congo Free State became known as the Belgian Congo. The second stage is that it is absolutely necessary that children are taught the reality of what happened in Congo. Economic growth rose from 2% in 1984 to a peak of 4% in 1989. Marchal, the Belgian scholar, estimates that Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in todays dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. [20], With 65% of the workers belonging to a union, Belgium is a country with one of the highest percentages of trade union membership. In my opinion, we should call this what it was - genocide. Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. Interior Flanders is devoted to grazing. More than in any other of the European colonial powers, one man was responsible for Belgium's grip on a vast chunk of central Africa: Leopold II. In 2008, the per capita income (PPP) was $37,500. Even the district largely rebuilt with European Union offices is dominated by an imperial Arc de Triomphe - a rival to the one in Paris. The government was forced to borrow heavily from abroad to finance foreign trade (i.e., importing of foreign goods) and to sustain its generous social welfare system. From 1885 to 1908, Belgian King Leopold II took control of the Congo. By the 1960s the easily extractable coal reserves were exhausted, and most of the regions mines were closed. Up close, though, Kinshasa's pretensions were unravelling. Leopold's army mutilated or killed any African who didn't produce enough of these coveted, profitable resources. The official Belgian attitude was paternalism: Africans were to be cared for and trained as if they were children. We have to teach this at school so the kids will have a different vision and will start looking at the Congolese differently. The doors are often closed to us. * In 2020, Belgiums current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the suffering and humiliation inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule. Severed hands became the infamous symbol of the colonial state where officials brutally maimed those failing to deliver harvest quotas. Lige is also a very important logistic center: the city possesses the third largest river port in Europe, directly connected to Antwerp, Rotterdam and Germany via the Meuse river and the Albert Canal. King Leopold sent the explorer Henry Morton Stanley to the region. My children feel Belgian, but I am split. Or build hospitals, or a proper railway network. cookies Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. Government Spending in Belgium averaged 18630.83 EUR Million from 1980 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 27582.00 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a record low of 9857.00 EUR Million in the first quarter of 1980. It was the first time a reigning monarch of Belgium expressed such regret, although he stopped short of formally apologising. Many Congolese people here are academics, with high qualifications from universities in Belgium. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. It is accessed by the GhentTerneuzen Canal, which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt. Following independence, the country saw a mix of unrest, rebellion, secession movements, a long dictatorship, armed conflict, and foreign . The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. The Belgian government renamed the region the "Belgian Congo." Farms, with their closed courts, range in size from 75 to 250 acres (30 to 100 hectares). By the 1950s, many African countries embraced anti-colonialism, nationalism, equality, and opportunity under the Pan-Africanism movement. In our Congolese community we have doctors, engineers, political scientists, psychologists. His rules weren't about working for a fair wage - oh no, this was forced labour, where the workers were treated like slaves. Millions are now refugees. * As international condemnation grew, the Belgian state took Congo over in 1908. Quiz, Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. The economies, political systems, and social welfare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi have been enormously affected by the greedy ambitions of King Leopold II of Belgium. When these children pass by the royal palace, they have to know, to understand that Congolese gave their blood for that. Belgium imports raw materials and semi-finished goods that are further processed and re-exported. Refineries, located principally in the Antwerp area, process crude petroleum. In the late 1950s, when France and the United Kingdom worked with their colonies to prepare for independence, Belgium still portrayed the Congo as an idyllic land of parent-child relationships between Europeans and Africans. In 2002, then prime minister Guy Verhofstadt apologised on for Belgian involvement. Consequently, as German interest rates rose after 1990, Belgian rates have increased and contributed to a decline in the economic growth rate. The different current economic situations prove this historically generated discrepancy for which there must be a compensation. This does not count the enormous amount of money paid by Belgium to purchase Free State from Leopold which was also roughly the same amount of money in today's dollars. The port houses, among others, big companies like ArcelorMittal, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parts, Honda, and Stora Enso. Since then, DRC has experienced corruption, inflation, and several regime changes. * Belgium is yet to return thousands of Congolese art works including statues, elephant ivory masks, manuscripts and musical instruments looted by Belgian and other European collectors, scientists and explorers during the colonial era. Belgian Congo, French Congo Belge, former colony (coextensive with the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Africa, ruled by Belgium from 1908 until 1960. From then on, he was the private ruler of the tat Indpendant du Congo (Congo Free State), which was 80 times the size of his Kingdom of Belgium. Belgium has struggled to come to terms with its colonial past and its government has never expressed regret the same way King Philippe has done although in 2020 a Congo committee was established in the wake of the global anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. Leopolds reign over the Congo Free State, however, has become infamous for its brutality. The years of terror broke down traditional communities and created a long-lasting pattern of plunder. With his leopardskin hat and his throne, the old manipulator still looked the part, but in a country the size of western Europe he was losing control. Previously, he was based in Paris as Energy Correspondent. Historically, Belgiums national prosperity was mainly dependent on the countrys role as a fabricator and processor of imported raw materials and on the subsequent export of finished goods. On the one hand, Belgium wanted to maintain ties with the former colony for geopolitical and economic reasons. It is the first time that a Belgian . The Belgian Government encourages new foreign investment as a means to promote employment. Definition and Examples. Maybe burnt down your village. The photo was taken in 1904 at a missionary outpost in Baringa, in what was then called the Congo Free State. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. When Belgium emerged from World War II with its industrial infrastructure relatively undamaged thanks to the Galopin doctrine, the stage was set for a period of rapid development, particularly in Flanders. And we have never heard a word of apology from the Belgian government. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Brussels' GDP per capita is much higher than either region, although this is in many ways artificial, as many of those that work in the Brussels-Capital Region live in Flanders or Wallonia. Events Leading to the Scramble for Africa, Congo Free State Rubber Regime Atrocities, The Dutch Empire: Three Centuries on Five Continents, What Is Colonialism? Due to industrialization, objects such as tires were now required in mass in Europe; thus, the African natives were forced to produce ivory and rubber. It is dishonest on the part of Belgium, or those who run Belgium, not to recognise that if we have these buildings in Belgium today, if we have enough wealth in Belgium today, it is all thanks to Congo. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Inflation under 5% is in green. Corrections? Simply because their skin colour doesn't fit. In the past, Lige was one of the most important steel-making centres in Europe. Eighty percent of the crop is exported.[35]. There will be, in my humble opinion, a little respect that will become entrenched in people's heads. There is a Congo flavour in music and food and Congo exiles can be found plotting in Brussels' bars and hotels - some still referring to their homeland by its former name, Zaire. He quickly disregarded all of his Berlin Conference guidelines and began to economically exploit the region's land and inhabitants. Because political associations were prohibited at the time, reformers organized into cultural clubs such as Abako, a Bakongo association formed in 1950. The Belgian authorities are, as a rule, anti-protectionist and try to maintain a hospitable and open trade and investment climate. Only a small percentage of the countrys active population engages in agriculture, and agricultural activity has continued to shrink, both in employment and in its contribution to the GDP. The older, traditional industries of Wallonia, particularly steel industry, began to lose their competitive edge during this period, but the general growth of world prosperity masked this deterioration until the 1973 and 1979 oil price shocks and resultant shifts in international demand sent the economy into a period of prolonged recession. The Belgian Government reacted to the 1973 and 1979 oil price hikes by hiring the redundant work force into the public sector and subsidizing industries like coal, steel, textiles, glass, and shipbuilding, which had lost their international competitive edge. The government and the king have so far only formulated a regret. Leopold - as king of a small, newly-formed European country - told his advisers that Belgium must have an empire and by 1885, he had one. The following table shows the main economic indicators in 19802021 (with IMF staff estimates in 20222027). The harvesting of mussels is also an important industry in Belgium, with the mollusks being a popular menu item in restaurants throughout the country. 11 Buildings That Reveal Belgiums History, Which Country Is Larger By Population? Belgium was the first European country to join the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. Belgium was, of course, the colonial power in Congo until 1960, and links between the two countries remain strong. Belgium's trade advantages are derived from its central geographic location and a highly skilled, multilingual, and productive work force. Despite being the second-largest country in Africa, with an approximate area of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 sq mi), and being endowed with rich natural resources, the DRC is the second-poorest country in the world. This problem is addressed through elaborate water-transfer systems involving canals, storage basins, and pipelines. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. Or else they'll say that you're overqualified, even when you're saying that you just want the job, because you have to feed your wife and kids. Lige has also been an important centre for gunsmithing since the Middle ages and the arms industry is still strong with the headquarters of FN Herstal. (2021, July 30). These smaller unions tend to specialize in one profession or economic sector. The Belgians believed that the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda was racially superior to the Hutu ethnic group because the Tutsis had more "European" features. With limited education about Belgium's rule in Congo, there is little awareness of the brutality of its colonial past in the broader society. Belgium could fix the electricity system, for instance. And that was how he viewed the raw materials and the people of the Congo - as a prize to be consumed. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. Then, King Leopold II came to power in 1865 and believed that colonies would greatly enhance Belgium's wealth and prestige. Much of the success of Brussels is based on the high educational skills of its workforce. The broad debate alone can only be conducted in Belgian society alongside Congolese actors. Many slag heaps still surround the city. Richard, Katherine Schulz. The Legacy of Belgium's 19th and 20th Century African Colonies. Queen of the Congo. It must negotiate politically on an equal footing with its former colonies. But once again, the money to pay for this symbol of grandeur was squeezed from the Congo. 11 Votes) King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium created the Congo Free State in 1885 as part of a professed desire to bring civilization and modernity to Africans. The goal was to make negotiations on restitution possible. But people should ask themselves where all this fortune comes from? In 199293, the Belgian economy suffered the worst recession since World War II, with the real GDP declining 1.7% in 1993. You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. Except for its coal, which is no longer economical to exploit, Belgium has few natural resources other than fertile soils. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The biggest union with around 1.7million members is the Christian democrat Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (ACV-CSC) which was founded in 1904. Richard, Katherine Schulz. However, many countries and . The Congo is a massive country, the size of Western Europe. Theres a dark history between Belgium and the DRC that started in the 19th century. Your email address will not be published. Needless to say, Caroline profited greatly from the King's attention, earning her the nickname "Queen of the Congo.". More information about the Democratic Republic of the Congo is available on the . The economy of Belgium is varied and cannot be understood without taking the regional differences into account. About 80% of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU member states. "Belgium Colonialism." The planted forests of the Ardennes and the Kempenland support Belgiums relatively small forest-products industry. The country has been a member of a variety of supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. King Leopold and his European rivals created the conditions for chaos in Congo a century ago, the most the former colonial powers will do now is withdraw their nationals and stand well back. Nobody tells you that openly so instead they say: "I'm sorry, sir, but you don't fit". Since the first official census by the Belgian authorities in 1924 put the population at about 10 million, it means that the King Leopold and the Belgian administration in the colony were responsible for the deaths of around 10 million Congolese. From then on, he was the private ruler of the tat Indpendant du Congo (Congo Free State), which was 80 times the size of his Kingdom of Belgium. After international protests, Leopold II sold the private colony to the Belgian state in 1908. Two of Brussels' most elegant thoroughfares, Avenue Louise and Avenue Terveuren were laid out with money raised from Belgium's adventures in the Congo basin, and many of the city's most grandiose buildings were funded from the proceeds of rubber, timber and ivory. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease . The last Belgian union worth mentioning is the very small, but highly active anarchist union called the Vrije Bond. Case study: The Democratic Republic of Congo. It will never replace the millions who were killed, but it will be something. By 1992 mining had ceased there and in the countrys other major coal-mining area, in the Kempenland (Limburg province) in northeastern Belgium. [20] About three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. The country achieved independence 52 years later, in 1960. Ten experts were tasked with discussing several issues, including possible financial reparations and a stronger anchoring of Belgian colonial history in education curricula and society. Belgiums fishing industry is relatively small; almost all fish are consumed within the country. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Is this a racist country? Firstly, Mobutu repeatedly pointed out Belgiums moral responsibility to the country resulting from colonial rule, especially in crisis situations. Growth of the forest industry after World War II has been aided by mechanization, allowing Belgium to reduce its reliance on imported timber. Young men in combat trousers stood by the roadside selling looted goods - tennis rackets, a toilet bowl, a fish tank. It's because of him that the Congolese were slaughtered, that children had their hands and feet cut off. By the early 21st century, Belgium had diversified its sources of social-security funding and succeeded in balancing its budget. Imagine how it would feel if they made a statue of him, and you had to walk past it every day. Among other criteria spelled out under the Maastricht treaty, the Belgian Government had to attain a budget deficit of no greater than 3% of GDP by the end of 1997; Belgium achieved this, with a total budget deficit in 2001 (just prior to implementation of the Euro) that amounted to 0.2% of GDP. Large plantations (growing cotton, oil palms, coffee, cacao, and rubber) and livestock farms were developed. Sixty years after Congo gained its independence, the Belgian king has expressed his "deepest regrets" for the suffering his nation caused as a colonial power. The corridor between Antwerp and Brussels also has emerged as a major manufacturing zone, eclipsing the older industrial concentration in the Sambre-Meuse valley. The Belgian economy also is inextricably tied to that of Europe. They did not have much contact with Europe, but in the 1400s and 1500s one of the kingdoms had contact with Portuguese explorers. Belgian Congo, French Congo Belge, former colony (coextensive with the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Africa, ruled by Belgium from 1908 until 1960. The economy of Belgium is a highly developed mixed economy. When the Belgian King Leopold II acquired the Congo Free State during the Scramble for Africa in 1885, he claimed he was establishing the colony for humanitarian and scientific purposes, but in reality, its sole aim was profit, as much as possible, as fast as possible. I think I would have to say yes. Given this high percentage, it seeks to diversify and expand trade opportunities with non-EU countries. In Brussels, Leopold left his mark in stone - in monuments and buildings. The ABVV-FGTB in its current form dates back to 1945. Belgium's accumulated public debt remains high at 99% of 2009 GDP. The country has been a member of a variety of supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. It is also the main hub and the headquarters of TNT Airways. Private European and American corporations invested heavily in the Belgian Congo after World War I. The third shift is King Philippes letter to President Felix Tshisekedi on 30 June 2020, the anniversary of Congolese independence. The Free State's concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. The third major multi-sector union in Belgium is the liberal (classical liberal) union General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (ACLVB-CGSLB) which is relatively small in comparison to the first two with a little under 290 thousand members. Marchal, the Belgian scholar, estimates that Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars ) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. A new passenger terminal was opened in 2005. How much money did King Leopold make from the Congo? The same report also demonstrates an increase in the global financial average this year. The Belgian foreign minister broke the news that Mr Kabila had been shot, and the prime minister was quick to announce he would be sending troops to the region, although not to DR Congo itself. Many European countries wanted to colonize distant parts of the world in order to exploit the resources and "civilize" the inhabitants of these less-developed countries. The national unemployment figures mask considerable differences between Flanders and Wallonia. Mr Mobutu held it together while there were assets to spread around, but his successor Laurent Kabila had a more torrid time right from the start. university The lace made in Belgium has been internationally renowned for centuries. And in March 2022, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced the return of 84,000 Congolese artefacts. Stanley's expeditions opened up the Congo for exploitation by . Millions have died from war, famine, or disease. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim traders of enslaved people out of the region. Forage crops, barley, oats, potatoes, and even wheat are grown everywhere, but especially in the southeast. Why? This sham was supposedly a scientific and philanthropic organization which would greatly improve the lives of native Africans by converting them to Christianity, ending the trade of enslaved people, and introducing European health and educational systems. Imagine if there was a man who slaughtered your family, but he was rich and gave money to the city. The scandal which eventually shamed the Belgian Government to bring to an end Leopold's 20 years of despoiling the Congo was the discovery that his agents had been using forced labour to harvest rubber - a highly sought-after commodity at the time. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, . According to a 2007 survey, nine of the 23 richest Belgian families could trace their fortunes to colonial Congo. Lige Science Park south east of the city, near the University of Lige campus, houses spin-offs and high technology businesses. These buildings were paid for by King Leopold II. There is also a small Flemish nationalist union that exists only in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, called the Vlaamse Solidaire Vakbond. Moreover, Belgium has a number of important manufacturers of machine tools and specialized plastics. [37], Media related to Economy of Belgium at Wikimedia Commons, Parts of this article (those related to Outdated statistics) need to be. Reparations are also an important issue. In southeast Congo, the Belgians discovered large ore deposits and exported copper, tropical wood, cotton, cocoa and coffee to Europe. For the last three years, six countries and at least three rebel groups have been at war, squabbling over Congo's remaining mineral wealth, diamonds and oil. Millions of Congolese are said to have been killed or worked to death . Unemployment has remained consistently more than twice as high in Wallonia than in Flanders, and even more in Brussels, during most of the last 20 years (2012: Flanders: 4.55%; Wallonia: 10.12% and Brussels: 17.47%[28]). The richest countries following are Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of Belgium's GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of Belgium's GDP.[20]. "I sense a lot of nervousness in Belgium regarding a formal apology as Congo might use it to demand financial reparations", Nadia Nsayi, a political scientist who specialises in Congo, told Reuters. Regionally, Flanders has attracted a disproportionate share of investment, but the national government has offered subsidies and incentives to encourage investment within Wallonia. organisation Nonetheless, most traditional industrial sectors are represented in the economy, including steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and machinery fabrication. [22] GDP growth in 2009 was negative at 1.5%. Joseph Conrad set his popular novel Heart of Darkness in the Congo Free State and described European abuses.

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