history, Africa in Diaspora

The Congo has certainly seen its share of adversity.  First marked by French Colonization, the Congo has since been through a transition to independence then most recently to a market based economy.  Politics after the independence were incredibly unstable, and it seemed every turn the Congo made lead to the government being more radical.  The slave trade in the 1500's was detrimental to the Congo's people, as the demand for slaves was so high.  Entire populations were diminished, and depopulation occurred across the entire Congo.  This was such a shame to the culture, as the Congo stood as a centerpiece of the African Diaspora.  Cultural diffusion was abundant due to the center location of the Congo in Africa, so the coming together of cultures, languages, traditions, and ways of life began to form a culturally diverse society.  Slavery took its toll, as it was estimated about 350,000 people were taken from the region.
Since then, the Congo has gone through political disputes, debates over the harvesting of oil, and uprisings and rebellions.  Today, the Congo has recently had a an election and a new constitution set in place.  The most recent election took place in 2009, as one of five candidates will be selected to serve for the seven year term.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107427.html

http://www.africaguide.com/country/congo/