#27. The Republic of Congo

"On this day the sun rises. And our Congo stands resplendent". Host for the deepest river and second largest rainforest in the world! Home to the famous Pygmy Tribe. More than half of population living in the cities! Also known as Congo - Brazzaville, the country is the only place where you can find the Bonobo. This species of chimpanzee is considered to be the closest relative to human beings.

Congo as a whole is sparsely inhabited, with more than half of its population living in the cities. The most populous city is the capital, Brazzaville, which is located in the southeastern corner of the country. The head of government is Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso.

Congo is bounded to the northwest by Cameroon, to the north by the Central African Republic, to the east and south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southwest by the Angolan exclave of Cabinda, and to the west by Gabon. South of its border with Gabon, the country also has a 100-mile- (160-km-) long coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.

The Congo River is the deepest river (220 m) in the world. It is also the second largest river in the world by discharge (41,000 cubic metres per second!). The river flows between the countries – Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congo basin rainforest is the second largest rainforest in the world. Around 70% of the country is covered by rainforest. The forest extends to the countries of Gaboo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Central African Republic.

The Republic of Congo is home to the famous Pygmy Tribe. This indigenous tribe lives in the Congo rainforest. The people of this tribe are small of stature. The average Pygmy man is around 4ft 10in tall, whilst the average woman is around 4ft 1in tall! They are mostly forest dwellers who still practice hunting and gathering for their livelihood. Based on this, I am interested in the roots of the national identity through the national flag.

Brief history of the national flag

The Republic of the Congo is one of the few African countries that had a flag even before any European influence or colonization. The history of Congo flags dates back to the 17th century to the first flag ever used in the region. The first flag flown in the area that was to become the Republic of Congo was a plain white field with large red X as a symbol of the Kingdom of Kongo,(shown below).

From 1550 the western part of Congo was called the Kingdom of Loango and adopted a flag that featured a plain blue field with a white hand and seven five-pointed yellow stars, (shown below).

However, this flag was no longer flown when France took over the Congo. The French colonized the areas in 1880s and the French blue-white-red vertical Tricolor was adopted. The French authorities forbade the Congo from having its own colonial flag in order to prevent the local populace from feeling too nationalistic and starting a revolt, (shown below).

In 1910 the area became part of French Equatorial Africa and the flag remained unchanged. There is said to be a second flag of French Congo that was used that was a green-yellow horizontal bicolour that featured the French flag in the top left hand corner, (shown below).

When the Congo was declared an autonomous republic within the French community the flag was changed to the modern green and red bicolour separated with a diagonal yellow band, (shown below).

In 1969 a new flag was adopted to reflect the country's Marxist government. A plain red field with golden hammer and hoe, green laurel and gold five-pointed star at the top left was chosen, (shown below).

A new democratic government in1991 saw the name and the flag of The Republic of Congo reinstated. The three colors used on the flag are connected to the Pan-African movement, enabling the people of the Republic of Congo to stand in solidarity with the rest of Africa. However, the colors also partially have specific meaning, (shown below).

Meaning of the flag parameters

The Republic of the Congo’s national flag is composed of a yellow band that runs diagonally from the bottom hoist side corner to the top right corner, with a green upper triangle and a red lower triangle. It is also the only African flag with the Pan-Africanist colors in a diagonal pattern.

The country’s agriculture and woods are both represented in the green portion of the flag.

The yellow stripe symbolizes the noblest qualities and love of friendship of the Congolese people. When the flag was created, no particular symbolic meaning was given to the red portion of the flag.

The red color is associated with blood to symbolize the struggle of independence.

The National Anthem for Congo-Brazzaville

I__On this day the sun rises.

And our Congo stands resplendent.

A long night is ended,

A great happiness has come.

Let us all, with wild joyfulness, sing

The song of freedom.

Arise, Congolese, proud every man,

Proclaim the unity of our nation.

Let us forget what divides us.

And become more united than ever.

Let us live our motto:

Unity, work, progress.

Let us live our motto:

Unity, work, progress.

II__From the forest to the bush,

From the bush to the ocean,

One people, one soul,

One heart, ardent and proud.

Let us all fight, every one of us,

For our black country.

III__And if we have to die,

What does it really matter? Our children

Everywhere will be able to say how

Triumph comes through battle,

And in the smallest village

Sing beneath our three colours.

______________________________

The national anthem Republic Congo was adopted in 1959. It was written by Georges Kibanghi and Jacques Tondra and composed by Jean Royer and Joseph Spadilière.

National Motto: Unity, Work, Progress!

The Ubuntu spirit at peak!

This is one of the countries I find interesting. How did they have a flag way long before political interruptions? And the differences in understanding national identities among the people.

A secret must have been well hosted in their hearts. A strong definition of identity while I am still in this discovery knowing that for sure, just a few years ago I had no idea of my highlight in self definition. 

I would want to hear more from the Kingdom of Congo people and what the flag meant for them. One thing I love about Africa is that: the power and connection of the people and what they uphold is magical. 

Refs: flagmakers.co.uk, hymne-national.com, Britannica.com, onhisowntrip.com.

©Girl of the African Soil.