Central Africa includes the wettest parts of the rain
forest belt in both Congos and Gabon. Southern Congo, southern
Angola and Zambia are part of the southern Savannah area.
Chad and Central African Republic are included here for convenience
though perhaps they are more characteristic of West than of Central
Southern Congo (Kinshasa) and all the lands to the south and
east are part of Bantu speaking Africa - the most widespread
family of languages in Africa. This was the area most unknown
to Europeans until the 19th century. Only with such journeys
as those of David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley in the
1860s did they become known.
All these countries have been rather unsuccessful since independence
and either have become dictatorships or have suffered civil wars.
Zambia has had no civil war but a one party regime (until 1992)
has caused a decline in investment and a rise of debt sufficient
to impoverish the country. Congo-Kinshasa has suffered more from
corruption and war
than any other state on earth. Mobutu could have been nominated
for the worldwide Bad Government prize (current holder Robert
The whole area was important for western industry as a source
of minerals. It is now important for China's industry, and Chinese
influence is replacing western interests throughout the area.
For example, the Congo government has signed an agreement with
China that amounts to the sale of the whole infrustructure to
China in return for China's free access to the minerals - copper,
zinc and diamonds. The railway built by China between Zambia
and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has been taken back by a Chinese