Belgian Congo Rubber Trade

état indépendant du congo.

Belgian congo rubber trade.

Kongo vrijstaat was a large state in central africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by leopold ii not by the government of belgium of which he was the constitutional monarch leopold was able to procure the region by convincing other eurasian states at the berlin. It was established by the belgian parliament to replace the previous privately owned congo free state after international outrage over abuses there brought pressure for supervision and accountability. The abir congo company founded as the anglo belgian india rubber company exploited natural rubber in the congo free state the private property of king leopold ii of belgium.

The congo free state also known as the independent state of the congo french. By 1902 the price of rubber had risen 15 times in eight years and it constituted 80 per cent of the exports of the congo free state as leopold had dubbed it. The company was founded with british and belgian capital and was based in belgium. The scheme was a huge success.

His genocidal exploitation of the territory particularly the rubber trade caused many deaths and much suffering. Belgian congo french congo belge former colony coextensive with the present day democratic republic of the congo in africa ruled by belgium from 1908 until 1960.