Learning About The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Our most recent country unit study took us to the tropical country known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo! In this post I share some interesting information to share with your kids, activity and craft ideas, links to recipes, and lots of links to other resources for teaching your kids or students about the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

You can grab a free printable activity pack to go along with your study here: Democratic Republic of the Congo Activity Pack

Basic Information

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (not to be confused with the Republic of the Congo) is a country in central Africa. Large portions of the country are covered in dense tropical rainforest. The climate is hot and tropical in most regions.

Capital: Kinshasa

Population: 89.5 million

Size: 905,400 square miles

Currency: Congolese franc

National Animal: okapi

National Anthem: Debout Congolais

Flag:

Famous Places and Landmarks

Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano in the eastern part of the Congo. Its most recent eruption began in May of 2021 and is still ongoing.

The Congo Rainforest or the Central African Rainforest as it is sometimes called is the second largest rainforest in the world. It covers over 680,000 square miles. The Congo Rainforest is known for its high biodiversity. It is home to more than 600 species of trees and more than 10,000 animal species including elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, leopards, hippos, and lions.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a large wildlife reserve located in the Congo River Basin. It is home to an estimated 5,000 wild okapi, several threatened primate species, and lots of birds.

Recipes

We didn't get around to doing any Congolese cooking projects, but here are a couple recipes that you could try:

Congo Chicken Moambe (stew)

Fumbwa (wild spinach stew)

Caakiri

Crafts and Activities

Learn About Gorillas and Learn How to Draw One

There are two species of gorilla- the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla. Each has 2 subspecies. All are considered endangered and at risk of extiction.

Gorillas mainly eat leaves and shoots, and will sometimes eat snails, ants, and bark as well.

Gorillas live in family groups that consist of one dominant male, several females, and their young offspring.

Learn more about gorillas with these resources:

-10 Great Gorilla Facts from National Geographic Kids

-Gorilla from Ducksters

-Amazing Animals- Gorilla video from Nat Geo Kids

-Largest Gorilla Found in the Congo video from Brave Wilderness

After you learn a little about gorillas, try drawing one with one of the tutorials below:

-How to draw a Gorilla! (YouTube video)

-How to Draw a Gorilla (step by step picture tutorial)

Congolese Mask Activity

Many African tribes use masks for ceremonies and other rituals. The masks often symbolize spirits or animals.

Look at some pictures of traditional Congolese masks and then try making your own African style mask! Here are a few resources with good pictures and more information:

-Kifwebe Mask

-Congolese Mask (Luba)

Or a quick Google Images search will give you lots of results.

To make a mask like the ones we made in the photo below, you will need:

-brown or black construction paper

-oil pastels

-scissors

-a hole punch

-yarn

Start by tracing a large circle onto your piece of construction paper. We traced a large bowl.

Cut out eye holes about a third of the way down from the top and cut a mouth hole about a third of the way up from the bottom.

Add a nose and other details with the oil pastels. Many traditional Congolese masks have stripes or striations, so we tried a few with stripes. We also saw a few more colorful masks during our research so you could also go that direction. Get creative and have fun with it!

When your finished, punch a hole about midway down on each side and thread through some yarn so that you can tie your mask in place on your face.

Additional Resources

-Geography for Kids- The Democratic Republic of the Congo from Ducksters

-Congo River Facts

-Animals of the Congo Basin

-Geography Now! Congo

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out the other posts in my Learning About the Countries of the World Series!

And don't forget to grab a free printable Democratic Republic of the Congo Activity Pack!

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