The Congo basin is a vast area of land in Africa which straddles the Equator. Its
historical records begin with the 'discovery of the Congo River by the Potugese'.(Nelson
1994:2) This land was inhabited long before European arrival, the Mongo and other indigenous people of this area already lived in this area. This essay will delineate the short term and lasting effects of European Imperialism in the Congo basin in regard mostly to the Mongo.
To evaluate the changes which took place with the arrival of Europeans, first one must
learn about the Mongo prior to colonization. The Mongo lived in the segmentary lineage model.
They were arranged in small-scale villages, with kinship and seniority being large social
determinants. These were not the only factors involved, personal achievement played a very
important role in the Mongo. …
