TOGO: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I can remember in elementary school studying about the countries in Africa, and several of the class clowns joked at the mispronunciation of Togo: “I’ll have one country To Go, please.” This rectangle sliver of a country in Western Africa is one of the smaller countries on the continent. But its diverse culture has come to outweigh its tragic past.

The name Togo is from the Ewé language, one of the dominant languages of this area. It’s been translated to mean “land where the lagoons lie.” I’m not sure how you get all of that meaning out of one small word, but A+ for efficiency.

Togo is located in Western Africa, surrounded by Benin to the east; Burkina Faso to the north; Ghana to the west; and the Bight of Benin (part of the Gulf of Guinea) to the south. The country is divided into five regions from south to north: Maritime, Plateaux, Centrale, Kara, and Savanes. The south has sandy beaches and lagoons, and as you move farther north, you’ll find woodland plateaux and more hills in the central part of the country. The northern regions are characterized by rolling savannas, hence its name. It’s generally pretty tropical and dry, with the exception of two rainy seasons. There are several national parks and protected areas (not to mention the 400-km long Mono River), but humans seem to keep destroying the life-giving forests. [Shakes fist at humans.]

Gnassingbé Eyadéma

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of definitive ancient history for this area. Archaeologists have found evidence that the ancient people had created and used pottery and had also developed ways to process iron. Quite a few tribes had moved through this area and many of them made Togo their home. The Mina and Gun tribes moved in from the east while the Ewé tribe migrated in from the west, primarily setting up their communities along the coastal areas. Then the Portuguese arrived in the latter part of the 1400s and changed their lives forever. Their promotion of the slave trade along this area of West Africa for nearly 200 years prompted the apt and unfortunate name of The Slave Coast. It wasn’t just the Portuguese who were in on this: the British, Dutch, and French also thought stealing people for profit was cool. In 1884, Germany took on the country as a protectorate and called the area Togoland. The locals were forced to mainly work in agriculture (cotton, cocoa, and coffee) and pay high taxes to them. Even though they put in some modern infrastructure (like railways and ports), it was more or less at the backbreaking hard work of the locals. During WWI, both Britain and France invaded and laid claim to the land, eventually breaking it apart and ruling over certain regions. The western part went to Britain, which eventually became part of Ghana during the 1950s. The eastern part went to France, which became an autonomous region in 1959 and gained independence from France the next year. As Togo started its first years on its own and held their first elections, it wasn’t without its problems and coups. Gnassingbé Eyadéma took over in 1967 after a bloodless coup and remained in power until his death in 2005. His 38-year rule was among some of Africa’s longest running heads of state. His son Faure Gnassingbé then took over right after his father’s death, and since then there have been multiple fights over the legitimacy of elections.

The coastal city of Lomé is Togo’s capital and largest city. With about 1.5 million people, Lomé is also their chief port, center for government, and commerce. Not only is it on the coast, but it’s also right on the border with Ghana. The city is a typical African city with several universities, large market for an array of goods, transportation hub, sports venues, cultural centers and museums as well as restaurants and entertainment.

Although Togo is a small country, they have some natural resources they depend on. Togo has quite sizable phosphate deposits, and they also depend quite a bit on their agricultural exports like coffee, cocoa beans, cotton, peanuts (groundnuts), maize, millet, cassava, and rice (mainly jasmine rice). Because of political and economic instability, they are still one of the least developed countries. Unreliable electricity, for example, is something that makes it hard to run a factory, or any other industry for that matter.

This anaconda's spine worn as a necklace is one of the many voodoo/animism trinkets worn for a variety of reasons. The place you can buy all these trinkets are found at a fetish market, which sounds... kinky.

In Togo, the top religion is traditional animism, practiced by nearly one-third of the population. Oftentimes, they practice animism along with another religion, mainly Christianity or Islam. Roman Catholics are the largest denomination of Christianity but there are also a smaller number of Protestant and other Christian  denominations in Togo, too. Sunni is the dominant form of Islam practiced here.

Although there are 39 languages spoken in Togo, there is only one official language: French. Two indigenous languages have been given national language status because they’re the most widely spoken: Ewé and Kabiyé. Ewé is part of the Niger-Congo language family and included in a group of related languages called Gbe. It’s typically spoken in Togo and Ghana. Kabiyé is part of the Eastern Gurunsi Gur language family and generally spoken in Togo, Ghana, and Benin.

Togo has one main similarity with my home state of Indiana. We both have limestone mining that’s helped with local and regional employment. Most of their limestone mining is from the Tabligbo basin and produces about 1.3 million tons of limestone. Although the country has some promising fields, they still remain fairly poor with inadequate resources. But one thing for sure is that I have found some seemingly tasty recipes.

Up next: art and literature

NIGER: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

When I was a kid, I didn’t know how to pronounce the name of this country. In fact, I was a little apprehensive to say it aloud since it looked close to an offensive word. But later on, I learned that it’s pronounced with the French pronunciation (nee-ZHER, not NYE-jer), and that it’s definitely not the same place as Nigeria.

 

Niger is named after the Niger River. In a local language, it was called Ni Ger (River Ger). It’s a common misconception (that I also believed) that Niger was named after the Latin name niger, the word for black in reference to the black skin of the people who lived there. (What a Eurocentric way of thinking.) And because its name is close to that of Nigeria, I also learned the differences between the adjective form: Nigerien refers to people and things from Niger; Nigerian refers to people and things from Nigeria.

This landlocked country is located in West Africa. It’s bordered by Algeria and Libya to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, and Mali to the west. Located between the Sahara in the north and the Sub-Saharan regions in the south, it’s the sixth largest country by area in Africa and 22^nd in the world. The Niger River cuts through the far southwestern corner of the country and through the capital city of Niamey. Its desert area is hot and dry with sand dunes and desert plains while the areas around the river basin experience a tropical climate.

Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago, Niger wasn’t covered with desert. These areas were covered in fertile grasslands perfect for raising cattle and growing crops. But the Sahara Desert started creeping its way farther south about 7000 years ago. By about the 5^th century BC, this area became part of the crossroads between African migration from the northwest and trans-African trade routes with Arab traders. This also brought along the introduction of Islam. Parts of Niger were included as part of several empires throughout the centuries: Songhai, Hausa, Mali, and Kanem-Bornu. During the 19^th century, French explorers finally made their way to the lands of Niger. As they made their way across, they laid claim to the land and people based on European standards without a thought to the people who actually lived there. And the Nigeriens were not having it. Many revolted against the colonialism, but by 1922, they stopped resisting (as much) and became a French colony. In 1958, Niger became an autonomous state within the French community but gained its independence two years later. However, it started its independence as a one-party state and then spent most of the next 35 years toggling between military coups and a political stability.

The capital and largest city is Niamey (pronounced nya-MAY if you go with the French pronunciation, although many American English speakers pronounce it NEE-uh-may). The city was originally a small town and didn’t rise to prominence until the French decided to house a colonial post that eventually grew into its capital in 1926. Although it’s not centrally located, it’s the center of almost everything in the country: government, commerce, education, media, and transportation. There are several universities, museums, sports venues, markets, and many mosques.

Most people in Niger depend on subsistence farming and livestock as their main means of income. Agriculture is one of Niger’s primary economic drivers. However, desertification and droughts have had negative impacts on their crops in the past. The country also has some of the world’s largest deposits of uranium, but declines in demand has led to a weakened economy. On the upside of things, oil was discovered in the Tenere Desert back in the 1970s, but they never really had any serious production because some exploration tests showed there wasn’t enough to pursue. That idea was overturned a few years ago, and Niger produced its first barrels of oil back in 2011. Even so, Niger often depends on financial assistance and foreign aid from other countries. 

Nearly 80% of Nigeriens are Muslim while the remaining 20% consist of a smaller Christian population. Of the Muslims in Niger, the majority are Sunni. There is a certain amount of crossover with indigenous animism, as is found in many countries in Africa. And actually the country has established a constitutional separation of church and state.

The official language of Niger is French, left over from its colonial days. As a multi-lingual country, French is often used as a lingua franca as well. It’s the official language of the government and is spoken as a second language for many of its residents who were fortunate enough to continue their education abroad. Niger has also declared ten national languages: Arabic, Buduma, Hausa, Kanuri, Tassawaq, Tebu, Tamasheq, Zarma/Songhai, Gourmanchéma, and Fulfulde.

Despite its arid landscape, the country has quite a biodiversity. Animals like the cheetah, a variety of gazelle, the oryz, West African lion, elephant, antelopes, and buffaloes are found throughout the country. The Niger River itself is home to 20 species of fish that aren’t found any place else on earth except in the Niger River. There have even been dinosaur bones found hidden away in areas uncovered in the Sahara Desert. I’ve already found my recipes for this country, and I’m looking forward to finding out what else is hidden away in this country.

Up next: art and literature

HAITI: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Four years ago almost to the day, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the area around the city of Léogâne, about 18 miles west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. This city of around 90,000 people had about 80-90% of its buildings damaged during the earthquake. Damage and destruction spread all over Haiti and was also felt in neighboring Dominican Republic (on the other side of the island). An estimated 100,000–160,000 people lost their lives (although government estimates were practically doubled). Because there are practically no building codes in Haiti, many homes collapsed under the shifting of the earthquake or its 52 aftershocks. People lived in shanty towns or refugee camps for weeks and months even, or they tried to cross the border into the Dominican Republic. The oppressive heat was a fiend to those who tried to bury the massive number of deceased. On top of it all, a cholera outbreak ran rampant from lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation. It was a horrible time for Haitians and the rest of the world as we numbingly watched on.

The name Haiti is the French form of the Taíno word Ayiti, meaning “land of high mountains.” In French, it’s spelled Haïti, indicating that the first i is pronounced: ah-EE-tee. In English, we drop the umlaut and pronounce it as a two-syllable word: HAY-tee.

Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. It shares the island with the Dominican Republic. The Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas lie directly north, Cuba lies to the northwest, Jamaica to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east.  If you travel directly south for quite a distance, you will most likely hit the Colombian shores. Haiti has a tropical climate and is subject to hurricanes as well as earthquakes. Deforestation and desertification is also a problem in Haiti.

The Taíno Indians were the original inhabitants on the island and other nearby islands. Christopher Columbus and his crew landed here in December 1492 and subsequently brought with them European diseases that the Taíno had no natural immunity against, such as smallpox, and killed off most of them. However, later on the French laid claim to the island as well and they fought over it; the French received the western third of the island in the treaty. African slaves were brought to Haiti to work in the sugar cane fields, and the brutality they received was no secret. They were given some rights later on, and many were freed, but many of these slaves and freed blacks who still had very little fought back not only against the Spanish and the British who were there, but also the French government and the colonists. In the end, the slaves persevered in this revolution and gained their own independence in 1804. This kind of revolt made the US very nervous, wondering if its own slaves would attempt the same thing. In fact, the US along with many other nations didn’t even recognize Haiti’s independence until after the US Civil War several decades later. I found it interesting that in 1824, over 6000 slaves from the US were given the opportunity to go to Haiti, but they found “the conditions too harsh,” so they came back. Wow, really? Makes you wonder how harsh it had to be in Haiti that coming back to US during the slavery years was preferable. Haiti had some periods of civil unrest and also felt the impact of having a lot of debt during the first part of the 20^th century. In fact there were over 70 dictators in Haiti’s first 109 years of existence. However, it later became a tourist destination starting in the 1950s, and many famous writers, musicians, actors, and dignitaries vacationed in Haiti. By the end of the 1980s into early 1990s, Haiti underwent a couple of coups with another coup in 2004. 

Reminds me of photos of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince, a city of about 2.4 million people in the metro area.  Situated on the Gulf of Gonâve, this city is the center of government, although many of the governmental buildings were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. The city houses several universities, hospitals, and is an important port city.

Sugar cane field

Haiti relies on its agricultural exports such as mangos, papayas, cacao, coffee, spinach, watercress, corn, bananas, and sugar cane. They also rely on its tourism industry, albeit it comes with travel advisories depending on where travelers go. Because Haiti still has a shortage of skilled labor and high numbers of unemployed and underemployed, the country depends on foreign aid; it’s still the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  Haiti’s infrastructure is moderate at best, even in the cities. The 2010 earthquake took out a lot of their roads, electrical grid, communications, etc. Much of it has been restored since then, but there are still many areas that have intermittent access to electricity and Internet access.

Haiti has two official languages: French and Haitian Creole. French is used for official government business as well as the medium for education. Haiti is also one of two countries in the Americas where French is an official language (Canada being the other).  Haitian Creole, a French-based Creole, is actually related to Louisiana Creole in the US; not only is Haitian Creole (or Kreyòl) based on French, but it also utilizes a lot of words and grammar from Spanish, Portuguese, Taíno, and West African languages.

Most Haitians lay claim to either Catholicism or Protestantism. However, native vodou (voodoo) is also intertwined with Christian religions as well. You’ll find this practice of mixing indigenous belief systems with Christianity or Islam in many West African countries as well. Ex-priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide established Voodoo as a state religion along with Catholicism. There are also a number of other religions brought into Haiti, such as Islam, Bahá’í, Judaism, and Buddhism.

Looking past its poorness, it’s rich in culture and things I find interesting. Gourds are so important to Haitians that their currency is named after them: currently, $1USD = 46 Haitian gourdes. Carnival and New Year’s Day are two of the largest celebrations of the year for most Haitians and incorporates a lot of music and dance and voodoo traditions. The Citadel (Citadelle Laferrière) in the northern end of Haiti is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere and considered one of the Eighth Wonders of the World. A lot of work needs to be done in Haiti: rivers are polluted leaving many people without clean water, causing a myriad of health problems and diseases; only a little more than half the people are literate, even less so for girls; girls only attend an average of two years of school; sanitation conditions are barely adequate in places; there are only about 8 doctors per 100,000 people; violence toward women is often not dealt with as a problem; child labor is also not necessarily dealt with as a problem. There are many people and organizations doing their part, but there is still much work to be done. But despite these conditions, the people still are able to have some fun at times, make music, dance, paint, play soccer, enjoy what they do have, and share a good meal with friends and family as well.

Up next: art and literature

GUINEA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Guinea has recently made the news in a big way. It was one of three countries (along with Sierra Leone and Liberia) that were hit hard with the Ebola epidemic this year.  Although the situation seems to be fluctuating, the CDC in the US still lists these three countries under a Code Red Travel Advisory (as of last month). This outbreak actually started in Guinea and spread to the neighboring countries. So far, it’s estimated over 1500 people have died in Guinea alone from this horrible disease.

The name Guinea came from the Portuguese who were patrolling and exploring (and claiming) lands around West Africa during the 1500s. The Portuguese called this area Guiné, referring to the lands inhabited by the Guineus south of the Senegal River, as opposed to the people living in the lands north of the Senegal River who were called Moors or Azenegues.

The country of Guinea is in West Africa, surrounded by the countries of Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d’Ivoire to the southeast, Liberia and Sierra Leone to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country is made up of four distinct regions: the Basse-Coté lowlands, the mountainous Fatou-Djallon (this area tends to be cooler, and these mountains are the source of the Niger River, the Gambia River, and the Senegal River), the Sahelian Haute-Guinea (the largest region of the country), and the jungle-laden Forested Region of the southeast. 

This area was controlled by many different empires in its early history: the Ghana Empire, followed by the Sosso Kingdom, and then the Mandinka Mali Empire, followed by the most successful one, the Songhai Empire who eventually fell to the Moroccans, but it ended up splitting into many smaller kingdoms. Then the Europeans arrived, and this area was eventually divided up between different countries to handle: the French (Guinea), the British (Sierra Leone) and the Portuguese (Guinea-Bissau) and Liberia (which was founded by freed slaves from the United States). Guinea remained under French rule from around 1898 to 1958 (known as French Guinea during that time) when they declared their independence and set Sékou Touré as Guinea’s first president.  Guinea was the first African country to break from French rule. They eventually broke ties with France and aligned themselves with Russia and China.  The political situation in Guinea was periods of one coup after another with delayed elections and general civil unrest. Even as recent as 2010, Guinea was experiencing coups, and large protests in the streets took place just last year.

The capital of Guinea is Conakry, a city on the island of Tombo, but the population has grown so much, the city has spilled over onto the Kaloum Peninsula on the mainland. It’s the largest city in the country, and it’s estimated that nearly two million people live here – roughly a quarter of the population.  Conakry suffers from problems with its infrastructure: power shortages and cuts in water have angered many of the residents, resulting in protests and public outrage. However, the city is home to several hospitals, universities, parks, museums, and open-air markets that are popular to visit.

Guinea’s economy is mostly dependent on its bauxite mining. When bauxite is refined, it becomes alumina, which is then smelted into aluminum.  They also have a large reserve of high-grade iron ore as well as an unestimated source of uranium.  Guinea has contracts with Russian, Ukrainian, Australian mining companies (Rio Tinto, an Australian mining company, also has a contract with a Chinese mining company. Rio Tinto just made the news a couple weeks ago in the US because Congress just signed a deal giving sacred Native American land over to Rio Tinto to mine as it pleases. It’s a horrible move; I’ll be interested to watch this story develop, but it’ll most likely not be reported on ever again.) Guinea also has sizable diamond (most are 90% gem quality) and gold mining ventures as well. There has been some oil drilling exploration in Guinea in recent years, but infrastructure problems in the country tends to plague both domestic life and business in Guinea.

The vast majority of Guineans are Muslim (about 85%). Of those, the majority are Sunni, with influences of Sufism and Ahmadiyya. A small number of Christians are also found in the country, mostly Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are also a small number of Baha’i, Hindus, and Buddhists in Guinea as well. Like other West African countries, there are many people who practice indigenous beliefs as well as either Islam or Christianity.

The official language in Guinea is French, which is used in the government and in education.  However, because Guinea is a multi-ethnic country, there are many local languages spoken in the home. Fula (also called Pular), Malinké (also called Maninka), Susu, Kissi, Kpelle (called Guerzé in French), and Toma are some of the most common indigenous languages spoken in Guinea and have been given a national language status.

Guinea has many interesting things about it. But I can’t help but asking this one question: what about Guinea pigs? I found out they are neither pigs nor from Guinea. They’re actually rodents from the Andes in South America, and there are a few theories about where the Guinea part came from (one theory is that these animals arrived in Europe via Guinea, and Europeans assumed they came from Guinea). Guinea has a rich musical history but one of the lowest literacy rates in Africa. Guinea’s cuisine is similar to many others in the region, and a couple of the recipes I chose are some that I’ve made similar dishes already, but these are with a Guinean flair. They were good the first time, and I’m sure these will be good as well.

Up next: art and literature

GABON: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I know close to nothing about this country. This is, of course, with the minor exception of where it’s located.  And I admit that with utter embarrassment. But that’s because unless something earth-shatteringly huge happens, the US mainstream media doesn’t talk about it. But in my research – which is still giving me slight troubles when it comes to finding a bread recipe – I’ve found a lot of really cool things about Gabon.

The name Gabon comes from the Portuguese word gabão, which means “cloak.” It was named because of the shape of an estuary of the Komo River near Libreville.

This West African country is bordered by Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north, Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The island country of São Tomé e Principe lies about 188 miles to the east. It’s also one of the few countries that the equator passes through.

Gabon is 85% covered by rainforests. It also has coastal plains, mountains, and savannas, allowing for a considerable variety of flora and fauna. Gabon also has many karst regions (a karst is a type of landscape where there is a lot of limestone, dolomite, and/or gypsum that slowly has deteriorated over time, leaving it exposed). These karst regions created cave systems, many of which haven’t been explored yet. Gabon’s climate is partly the reason it is also home to 777 species of birds and 80% of Africa’s gorilla population.

The French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (the namesake of the city of Brazzaville) was the first European to explore what is now known as Gabon. Before this, the earliest people here were the Pygmies, followed by the Bantu as they moved through this area.  De Brazza founded the town Franceville, and later ran the place as its governor when France officially occupied the area around 1885. It wasn’t until 1910 when it became one of the five territories of what was called French Equatorial Africa (along with Chad, what is now Central African Republic, what is now the Republic of the Congo, and what is now part of Cameroon). All of these areas gained their independence in 1960, electing their first president the following year: Léon M’ba. He essentially shut down the media and made demonstrations and freedom of expression illegal. He died six years later, and his vice president Omar Bongo Ondimba succeeding him. He changed the political scene in Gabon, initiating critical changes in Gabon that led them to an array of reforms. He eventually was elected for six straight terms until his death in 2009 from a cardiac arrest. His son Ali Bongo Ondimba took his place a few months later.

The capital and largest city in Gabon, Libreville, lies on the northwestern coast of the country. The name, which is French for “Freetown,” was in reference to a Brazilian slave ship that was captured by the French Navy in 1849, and the slaves were subsequently freed. With a population of a little less than 800,000 people (about the size of Charlotte, North Carolina, US), it is home to the Omar Bongo University, many parks, museums, shopping, and entertainment. Libreville wasn’t declared the capital of Gabon until 1993.

Almost 70% of Gabon’s economy is based on oil. This makes Gabon one of the countries with the highest GDP in Africa. However, there is such income inequality, that much of this oil money hardly trickles down to the actual people; about a third of the people live in poverty. The top 20% of the people own 90% of the wealth. Before the discovery of oil, Gabon was known for is logging industry, as well as their manganese mining (mostly for uses in stainless steel and other alloy applications – the US nickel coin contains manganese). Libreville is home to many shipbuilding industries, as well as the exportation of raw materials (mostly wood, rubber, and cocoa).

The majority of Gabonese people claim to be Christian, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. Other religions include Islam, animism, atheism, and Bwiti (a spiritual practice by the Babongo, Mitsogo, and Fang peoples; it uses elements of animism and ancestor worship, and worshipers often chew on a type of tree bark that give them “visions” as part of ceremonies and rites). Like other African countries, many people will practice their indigenous believes alongside either Christianity or Islam.

"You cross the equator" -- check out this girl's blog. It's pretty cool: http://bindertales.travellerspoint.com/

Gabon has nearly forty different ethnic groups, and there are as many different Bantu languages spoken. The most widely spoken of these languages include Fang, Mbere, and Sira (or Eshira). Gabon uses the colonial language French as the official language and lingua franca. French is used in government and official documents and as the language of instruction in schools. English is one of the most popular foreign languages studied in schools.

One interesting thing I read about Gabon is that women are encouraged to have children before marriage. Once a woman is married and has kids, those kids then belong to the man. So, if they were to separate, she will lose those children that were born after they were married, but she will get to keep the children born prior to marriage. It’s an interesting take on the marriage and kids debate. I’m not quite sure what to think about it yet. I’m finding this to be an interesting country. Like those uncharted caves, I’m hoping to delve into Gabon and discover something new.

Up next: holidays and celebrations

FRANCE: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Ah, France. It’s the land of wine and lovers, the land for culinary experiences and artistic expressions. France has been in the forefront of art, politics, music, literature, military, and the sciences since the days of antiquity.  And now, I have finally arrived at France in my blog, something I’ve been waiting for for a long time. Several years ago, I had this fascination with France. I was trying to learn French (which would come in handy if I actually studied more) and planning vacations I would never take. (My bank account barely allows me to go to the international aisle at the grocery store these days.)

The name “France” is attributed to the Latin word francia, which means “land of the Franks.” Where the name Frank came from is somewhat more up for debate. Some historians believe it’s derived from a Proto-Germanic word for javelin or lance (their throwing axe was called a francisca). Others believe it possibly came from an ancient Germanic language word for free (meaning not a slave).

The country of France lies in Western Europe, surrounded by the countries of Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Andorra. It also includes the island of Corsica, which is just north of the Italian island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. There are also several overseas regions that are also counted as part of France: French Guiana in South America, the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, Réunion (east of the African island country of Madagascar), and Mayotte (part of the Comoros Islands chain, northwest of Madagascar). The French mainland runs the gamut on climate and land changes: from warm Mediterranean beaches to the snowy mountainous peaks of the French Alps.

Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in France.

The earliest peoples in France were hunter-gatherer types. Cave drawings, such as the ones in Lascaux, clearly depict this nomadic life and are famous for being one of the best preserved cave drawings. Later, Ionian Greeks founded a colony near present-day Marseilles around 660 BC making this is the oldest city in France. At this same time, Gallic Celts were landing on the opposite side of the country.  This area eventually became to be known as Gaul. Gaul became a prosperous country but fought many times with the Romans, eventually defeating them and remaining a threat for several centuries. By the third century, Gaul had divided into several smaller kingdoms: Germanic territories, Celtic territories, Roman territories. They renamed themselves Francia, and it would take a while for them to fully unite as a country with a unifying language. Charlemagne took much of the responsibility for uniting many of these kingdoms together and building a vast empire that spanned across much of Western and Central Europe. France became a Catholic country, and feudalism took hold around this time as well. From the 9^th Century through the end of the 18^th Century, France went through a period of many wars and many kings (I won’t bother you with this long laborious history of all the kings of France – the world would end before I was finished. In short, there were no less than 36,000 guys named King Louis, and they all had issues). And of course, there was the famous Napoleon Bonaparte – everyone’s favorite short guy, who apparently was actually 5’6”, which is still taller than me by six inches – one of France’s most notorious Emperors. France was invaded by Nazi Germany at the beginning of WWII, and the Allies landed in 1944. The latter part of the 20^th century brought on more conflict in French Indochina and in Algeria, as well as revolts in mainland France.

Eiffel tower at night.

Paris is one of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas with over 12 million people, and the capital of France. Paris is the center for art, music, literature, politics, aspiring chefs, and fashionistas alike. Dotted with some of the world’s most iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame de Paris, and the Arc de Triomphe, its cityscape makes for many great photo ops. Paris is known as the City of Lights: a moniker perhaps from the Age of Enlightenment, but perhaps more likely stemming from the early 1800s when Paris was one of the first European cities to install gas street lights.

The Louvre Museum, the world's most visited museum.

France is one of the leading economies in Europe, relying heavily upon insurance, banking, and investing as well as nuclear technologies. France also has large areas of highly fertile lands, allowing for their illusive wine industry.  They are quite famous for their champagne, Bordeaux wines, rosé wines, Burgundy wines, and cognac. France is home to several successful auto manufacturers: Renault, Peugeot, and Citroën.  Tourism is also important to the French economy. France is the number one tourist destination in the world. It has 37 World Heritage sites and 200 Remarkable Gardens, as well as other popular destinations such as the French Riviera, Disneyland Paris, and the Cannes Film Festival.

French Riviera

The official language is French, which has a status as being a global language.  Besides French, there are eight regional minority languages spoken in the French mainland, including Alsatian, Breton, and Occitan. If you count the overseas regions, there are 69 minority languages.

While originally a strong Catholic country, today France is far more secular, highly embracing the separation of church and state. Catholicism is still considered a majority religion, although statistics show only 5% attend Mass once a week or more (2006). A large number (between 27-31%) of Frenchmen and -women identify themselves as agnostic or atheist as well as a sizable number of Muslims.

France is a quirky country. And because it’s such a popular country, there is a plethora of information and facts about France. Here are some of my favorites I haven’t already mentioned: Paris has only one stop sign (it says “Arrêt”). You can receive a medal for raising good kids, and you can also marry a dead person. Twenty percent of French people have experienced depression, which is probably why there is a lot of wine. French toast is not French (named after a guy named French who forgot the apostrophe – this is the exact same reason why German chocolate isn’t German), and neither are French fries (French refers to the cut of the potato. By the way, the term Freedom Fries really gets my goat. I hate that term because it’s out of ignorance.) It’s home to the Tour de France, the French Open, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race. There’s a Victor Hugo Street in every town and city of France (Come on, who doesn’t love Les Misérables and Hunchback of Notre Dame?) A “French kiss” in France is called a tongue kiss or a soul kiss. There are over 400 different kinds of cheese produced in France. And that brings me to French cooking – I have had such a difficult time narrowing down what I’m going to make, but I think I may have it now, thanks to Julia Child. I just need to go on a wild goose chase for some French cheese.  So, here we go.

Up next: holidays and celebrations

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Years ago, I was working in a middle school in what was called the Resource Department (or what we called Special Ed when I was in school).  These kids were mostly learning disability kids who were in general classrooms, and my job was to sit in various classes and help these kids stay on task and re-explain things to them.  One social studies project was to do some basic research on African countries. One of my girls stood in front of the class and read her first sentence: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most dangerous countries in the world.” And then she paused. At first I thought it was for dramatic purposes, but I think it was just nerves.  But what this girl (whose name I can’t remember now) will never know is how profound an opening statement is. Of course, I’m not quite sure this 7^th grader knew the magnanimity that statement holds when she said it.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a large country in central Africa, surrounded by Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and Angola’s exclave Cabinda. The Congo River is a major river that runs through this country, also lending its name to the name of the country.  It also shares part of Lake Tanganyika (bordered with Tanzania) and a small portion – about 17 miles – of the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the country.  Straddling the equator, it’s the third largest country in Africa (after Angola and Sudan).

The earliest residents were thought to have been part of the Bantu migration. One of the first highlights is the Upemba culture (later to become the Luba Empire and then the Kingdom of Lunda).  The area they were established was rich in ores, so the development of copper and iron (as well as their part in the ivory trade) were key to their success. It helped them to have a strong economy and gave them a lot of wealth. Other empires such as the Kongo Empire and the Kuba Federation would have major impacts prior to and during the early days of European involvement. In the late 1870s, the Belgians took over and renamed this area as Congo Free State. It wasn’t such a good time: many Congolese died from disease and torture by the Belgians in their efforts to create a thriving rubber industry in concordance with the new automobile industry.  If you’ve read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (I did a few years ago), it’s set in Congo Free State.  In 1908, the Belgians officially called it a colony, renaming it Belgian Congo. This move was met with a lot of international disapproval. By the time the 1960s rolled around, Belgian Congo (like many other African countries at this time) started looking towards independence.  After some upheaval after independence was granted and a shift in leadership, it rested with Joseph Mobutu who named it Democratic Republic of the Congo. It later changed to Republic of Zaïre in 1971 (which is how I learned it growing up). Mobutu was against communism yet created a one-party system and maintained a system of embezzlement and corruption that lasted decades. In 1997, the name was changed back to Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the country had suffered two civil wars and several conflicts since the late 1990s.  These have been some of the deadliest fighting in history; a study in 2009 estimated around 45,000 are dying every month (upwards of 5.5 million so far), and a new study estimates that 400,000 women and girls are raped every year as a result of the prevailing sexual violence.

The capital city is Kinshasa, the city across the Congo River from the capital city of Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville. However, there isn’t a bridge built yet to connect the two – people use a ferry to get across. These two capital cities are the closest capital cities in the world (outside of Rome and Vatican City). While under Belgian control, it was known as Léopoldville, but when Mabutu took control, there was a large movement to “Africanize” the names of the cities, so it was changed to Kinshasa (named after an old fishing village that was located near the current site).  Kinshasa, incidentally, is the second largest French-speaking cities in the world, after Paris.  It’s also attributed as being the site of the earliest documented HIV-1 strain in 1959. 

Like nearby Angola and other African countries, the DR Congo is quite wealthy if you look at its raw mineral quantities. However, because the country suffers from so much corruption, it’s not able to mine it effectively. They have more than 30% of the world’s diamond reserves and more than 70% of the world’s coltan (used for making tantalum capacitors in electronic products).  They’re also the largest producer of cobalt and a large producer of copper as well as some other minor minerals.  Because of the civil wars and internal conflicts, many foreign companies have pulled their business operations out of the DR Congo until it becomes safer and its economy more stable. 

About 80-90% of the population consider themselves as followers of Christianity.  A smaller number of Congolese follow Islam (about 10% or so).  There is even a small number of people are members of the Baha’i faith, which was banned for a time during the 1970s and 1980s.  There are those, as in many other areas of Africa, who embody both animism and other indigenous religious ideologies with the mainstream religions.  However, many of the mainstream religious people condemn such practices and are especially harsh in dealing with things such as witchcraft, etc. 

French is the official language used in the DRC, thanks to the Belgians. It’s also used as a lingua franca in areas where there are people from different ethnic groups working together.  Of the 242 languages that are actually spoken by citizens of this country, only four have any special status: Kikongo (Kituba), Lingala, Tshiluba, and Swahili.  Dutch was also spoken during the colonial period since many Belgians also speak Dutch, but it’s not used much anymore, if any.

The country has a lot of areas in need of improvement.  Much of this is a direct result of the corruption at the top. Less than half of the country has access to clean water (only 27% in rural areas), and less than a quarter of the population has functional sanitation. They have a very high chance of contracting infectious diseases (including both airborne and waterborne), and their life expectancy is only 54 years old, but they average only 1 doctor per 10,000 people.  Only 2 out of 3 Congolese are literate (in any language). 71% of the population lives below the poverty line.  On the plus side, they’re the 7^th least obese country in the world.

Despite its dire situation, there are some cool things about this country.  For instance, they have a small space program believe it or not. Bonobos and eastern lowland gorillas are only found here as well. It’s said that locals (and probably more in rural areas) don’t take too kindly to taking pictures of people – they think when you take a picture of someone, you’re actually stealing their soul. I always find that even in the poorest of countries, there is always silver lining somewhere. When I tell people I’m on the DRC now, I either get blank stares or looks of pity like I just told them I buried my favorite cat. But I’m convinced it has much more to offer than being caught up in its horrific statistics regarding war and corruption. And after I found my recipes, I’m determined there is more out there.

Up next: holidays and celebrations