In 199293, the Belgian economy suffered the worst recession since World War II, with the real GDP declining 1.7% in 1993. The third major multi-sector union in Belgium is the liberal (classical liberal) union General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (ACLVB-CGSLB) which is relatively small in comparison to the first two with a little under 290 thousand members. However, shortly after independence, there was a falling out between the independent government and Western powers, primarily the US and Belgium. Belgiums fishing industry is relatively small; almost all fish are consumed within the country. ThoughtCo. Belgium helped prop up a dictator named Joseph Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko who ruled from 1965 to . Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim traders of enslaved people out of the region. $578 billion (nominal, 2021 est.). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sixty years after Congo gained its independence, the Belgian king has expressed his "deepest regrets" for the suffering his nation caused as a colonial power. Imagine if there was a man who slaughtered your family, but he was rich and gave money to the city. The country has been a member of a variety of supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. Getty Images. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month. and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Bate Felix is the Bureau Chief for the West and Central Africa, managing news operations in the bureau covering the 23 countries in the region from Cape Verde to the Democratic Republic of Congo, except Nigeria. From 1885 to 1908, Belgian King Leopold II took control of the Congo. This colonial racism continued in everyday life until the middle of the 20th century. On the one hand, Belgium wanted to maintain ties with the former colony for geopolitical and economic reasons. Economic growth rose from 2% in 1984 to a peak of 4% in 1989. Most farms in the far northmaritime Flanders and the lower Schelderange in size from 25 to 75 acres (10 to 30 hectares), some of which are under pasture, while the remainder are cultivated, with wheat and sugar beets again the dominant crops. The different current economic situations prove this historically generated discrepancy for which there must be a compensation. In our Congolese community we have doctors, engineers, political scientists, psychologists. The current countries of Rwanda and Burundi were once colonized by the Germans, who named the region Ruanda-Urundi. Theres a dark history between Belgium and the DRC that started in the 19th century. European adventurers experienced great difficulty in exploring and colonizing the Congo River Basin, due to the region's tropical climate, disease, and the resistance of the natives. How much money did King Leopold make from the Congo? Government Spending in Belgium averaged 18630.83 EUR Million from 1980 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 27582.00 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a record low of 9857.00 EUR Million in the first quarter of 1980. After only two months in power, Lumumba was deposed in September 1960. Although some of that money was used for Leopolds little projects and settling debts, much of it went directly to his pocket as well. 30, 2021, thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364. Belgium's riches came at the cost of so much pain in the Congo - so much suffering and misery. In the early 1890s, Leopolds private African army, the Force Publique (Public Force), drove the powerful Muslim slave traders out of the Congo. A new passenger terminal was opened in 2005. Cities were divided into white and black neighbourhoods. It is Europe's largest port for RoRo traffic[32] and natural gas. Richard, Katherine Schulz. Against this grim backdrop, in 1982, Prime Minister Martens' center-right coalition government formulated an economic recovery program to promote export-led growth by enhancing the competitiveness of Belgium's export industries through an 8.5% devaluation. DRC was known as Zaire from 1971-1997. personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to He named the region the "Congo Free State.". After independence in 1960 it was renamed Zaire and is now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Previously, he was based in Paris as Energy Correspondent. Now we need that - a recognition that something terrible happened . Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. He acquired millions of square kilometers of central African land for Belgium. Being the de facto European capital, its economy is massively service-oriented. These efforts were moderately successful, but they left Belgium with one of the largest budget deficits in relation to gross national product in Europe. No, but it would be the first step. African stakeholders were not involved in the negotiations. On the same day, then Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilms also expressed her regret regarding Belgiums colonial past. As a possession of Belgium, the Congo Free State became known as the Belgian Congo. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Nonetheless, most traditional industrial sectors are represented in the economy, including steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and machinery fabrication. The southern region continues a difficult transition out of sunset industries (mainly coal and steel), while sunrise industries (chemicals, high-tech, and services) dominate in Flanders. [36] Charleroi is also known for its publishing industry with Dupuis, one of the main publishers of Franco-Belgian comics, located in Marcinelle. It culminated in the Berlin Conference. Although reasonably plentiful, existing water supplies incur heavy demands from industrial and domestic consumers. Corrections? He gave her tons of money, land, jewels, and even made her a baroness. Belgian-Congolese diplomatic relations were characterised by ups and downs during Mobutus reign. It is dishonest on the part of Belgium, or those who run Belgium, not to recognise that if we have these buildings in Belgium today, if we have enough wealth in Belgium today, it is all thanks to Congo. Joseph Kasavubu was elected the first president, with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister. Attracted by the EU 1992 single-market program, many foreign firms and lawyers have settled in Brussels since 1989. Belgium was the first European country to join the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. It will never replace the millions who were killed, but it will be something. With the expansion of domestic and commercial needs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, increasing attention focused on problems of water quality and supply. But he profited enormously from the Congos raw materials. Before 1874. Although now a shadow of its former self, steel production and the manufacture of steel goods remain important. The first major step Belgium took in internationalizing its economy occurred when it became a charter member of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. Leopold promised that he would develop his private property to improve the lives of the native Africans. The coal in the Sambre-Meuse valley occurred in a narrow band across south-central Belgium from the French border through Mons, Charleroi, Namur, and Lige. Even the district largely rebuilt with European Union offices is dominated by an imperial Arc de Triomphe - a rival to the one in Paris. The country is yet to return to Congo a tooth, suspected to be the only remains of Lumumba, after his body was dug up by Belgian police in Congo and disposed of. This page provides . I have family there and I can't be indifferent to the suffering I see there. He turned the nation into a moneymaking machine by farming ivory and rubber and building a fortune on the labor of the people who lived there. In 2002, then prime minister Guy Verhofstadt apologised on for Belgian involvement. Roads, railroads, electric stations, and public buildings were constructed by forced labour. Moreover, water pollution is a serious problem. The early 1980s saw the country facing a difficult period of structural adjustment caused by declining demand for its traditional products, deteriorating economic performance, and neglected structural reform. On January 1, 1999, Belgium also became a charter member of the European Monetary Union, paving the way for the introduction of the euro, which became the countrys sole currency in 2002, replacing the Belgian franc. Some historians refer to this as a genocide. Lige has also been an important centre for gunsmithing since the Middle ages and the arms industry is still strong with the headquarters of FN Herstal. Belgium is the sixth richest country in the world: this has been confirmed in the recent edition of the Allianz Global Wealth Report 2016. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. 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 port of Ghent, in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. Metallurgy, steel, textiles, chemicals, glass, paper, and food processing are the dominant industries. The Free States concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. A rebellion broke out in several eastern districts in 1919 and was not suppressed until 1923. Each has helped shape the other. The first nationwide Congolese political party, the Congo National Movement, was launched in 1958 by Patrice Lumumba and other Congolese leaders. Leopold - as king of a small, newly-formed European country - told his advisers that Belgium must have an empire and by 1885, he had one. Leopold's cruel, greedy activities in the current Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi continue to affect the welfare of these countries today. Many European countries wanted to colonize distant parts of the world in order to exploit the resources and "civilize" the inhabitants of these less-developed countries. Two of Brussels' most elegant thoroughfares, Avenue Louise and Avenue Terveuren were laid out with money raised from Belgium's adventures in the Congo basin, and many of the city's most grandiose buildings were funded from the proceeds of rubber, timber and ivory. Mr Mobutu held it together while there were assets to spread around, but his successor Laurent Kabila had a more torrid time right from the start. A Belgian parliamentary investigation into the assassination in 1961 of Congo's independence hero Patrice Lumumba, the free country's first prime minister, concluded at the beginning of the 2000s that Belgium was "morally responsible" for his death. The second shift happened much later. He reaffirmed his profound regrets on Wednesday. 11 Buildings That Reveal Belgiums History, Which Country Is Larger By Population? We have to teach this at school so the kids will have a different vision and will start looking at the Congolese differently. The corridor between Antwerp and Brussels also has emerged as a major manufacturing zone, eclipsing the older industrial concentration in the Sambre-Meuse valley. However, many countries and . Millions have died from war, famine, or disease. The ABVV-FGTB in its current form dates back to 1945. From the far bank of the Zaire River, looking across Stanley Pool, Kinshasa seemed almost like a normal city, the glass of its tall tower blocks reflecting the evening sun. If youd like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial. Or else they'll say that you're overqualified, even when you're saying that you just want the job, because you have to feed your wife and kids. Anti-European religious groups were active by the 1920s, including Kimbanguism and the Negro Mission in the west and Kitawala in the southeast. The country achieved independence 52 years later, in 1960. The people of the Congo were forced to labor for valued resources, including rubber and ivory, to personally enrich Leopold. We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments. Mined since the 13th century, these coal reserves were instrumental in Belgiums industrialization during the 19th century. According to the EuCham ranking the richest European country is Luxembourg with USD 90,790 per capita. Millions died. Unemployment in Wallonia is mainly structural, while in Flanders it is cyclical. They too are now exhausted, but the refining of imported metallic ores remains an important component of Belgiums economy. Since the largest concentration of population is in the north, there is a marked regional disjunction between water supply and demand. Belgium has a free-enterprise economy, with the majority of the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the service sector. The economy of the region is now diversified, the most important centers are mechanical industries (aircraft engine and Spacecraft propulsion), space technology, information technology, biotechnology and also production of water, beer or chocolate. King Leopold II committed heinous . This sham was supposedly a scientific and philanthropic organization which would greatly improve the lives of native Africans by converting them to Christianity, ending the trade of enslaved people, and introducing European health and educational systems. Richard, Katherine Schulz. Hundreds of thousands of ethnographic objects - mainly looted objects, but also donations - were brought to Tervuren and are still stored in the museum today. The Belgian Government reacted to the 1973 and 1979 oil price hikes by hiring the redundant work force into the public sector and subsidizing industries like coal, steel, textiles, glass, and shipbuilding, which had lost their international competitive edge. The richest countries following are Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. Vlaams ABVV Socialistische vakbond in Vlaanderen Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond ABVV", "Le march du travail en chiffres absolus", "GDP per inhabitant in 2006 ranged from 25% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 336% in Inner London", "Taux de chmage stable (20,6%) mais augmentation du nombre de chercheurs d'emploi sur base annuelle", "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects", World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Belgium, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Economy_of_Belgium&oldid=1152252013, engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs, raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 02:53. Private European and American corporations invested heavily in the Belgian Congo after World War I. The commission is also to provide the basis for a reorientation of international relations with former colonial territories. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease . Charleroi is in the center of a vast coal basin, called Pays Noir. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of Belgium's GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of Belgium's GDP.[20]. Except for its coal, which is no longer economical to exploit, Belgium has few natural resources other than fertile soils. "Belgium Colonialism." My children feel Belgian, but I am split. Pixabay. Forced labour, corporal punishments, kidnapping, and slaughtering of rebellious villages were among other atrocities recorded during the period. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Your email address will not be published. The Congolese were only allowed to visit the restaurants, bars and cinemas of white Europeans with special permission. Estimates vary, but about half the Congolese population died from punishment and malnutrition. Belgian Congo, 1908-1960 . How much money did Belgium make from the Congo? In Brussels, Leopold left his mark in stone - in monuments and buildings. But in Congo his influence was much more malign. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Check if your 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. The Ghent University, the second largest university of Belgium by number of students, and a number of research oriented companies are situated in the central and southern part of the city. Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. [20], Foreign investment contributed significantly to Belgian economic growth in the 1960s. By the 1960s the easily extractable coal reserves were exhausted, and most of the regions mines were closed. read more. They had no role in legislation, but traditional rulers were used as agents to collect taxes and recruit labour; uncooperative rulers were deposed. After Germany's defeat in World War I, however, Ruanda-Urundi was made a protectorate of Belgium. Reparations are also an important issue. offers FT membership to read for free. * In 2020, Belgium's current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the "suffering and humiliation" inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule. In October 2021, the Belgian parliament set up a commission to deal with colonial injustice. Regionally, Flanders has attracted a disproportionate share of investment, but the national government has offered subsidies and incentives to encourage investment within Wallonia. Belgium's capital, Brussels, would have been a very different city without its Congo connection. A total of 4.99 million people make up Belgium's labor force. The mineral-rich province of Katanga was voluntarily separated from DRC from 1960-1963. Millions of Congolese are said to have been killed or worked to death . Then, King Leopold II came to power in 1865 and believed that colonies would greatly enhance Belgium's wealth and prestige. Joseph Conrad set his popular novel Heart of Darkness in the Congo Free State and described European abuses. Among other criteria spelled out under the Maastricht treaty, the Belgian Government had to attain a budget deficit of no greater than 3% of GDP by the end of 1997; Belgium achieved this, with a total budget deficit in 2001 (just prior to implementation of the Euro) that amounted to 0.2% of GDP. There are plenty of statues of Leopold II in this country and my opinion is that they belong in museums. King Leopold and his European rivals created the conditions for chaos in Congo a century ago, the most the former colonial powers will do now is withdraw their nationals and stand well back. The Congo has been utterly cursed by its natural wealth. Most streams rise in the Ardennes and flow northward; three-fourths of the countrys groundwater originates in the south. Despite being the second-largest country in Africa, with an approximate area of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 sq mi), and being endowed with rich natural resources, the DRC is the second-poorest country in the world. The colony in the Congo - the Congo Free State - was personal property for the Belgian king and there was little oversight over what happened there. His rules weren't about working for a fair wage - oh no, this was forced labour, where the workers were treated like slaves. In the early 1980s the government attempted to reduce the budget deficit; the debt-to-GDP ratio decreased as tighter monetary and fiscal policies were implemented by the central bank. When these children pass by the royal palace, they have to know, to understand that Congolese gave their blood for that. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. When I walk around Brussels, I see beautiful buildings, I see statues and monuments and all of them were paid for using money taken from Congo.Today Belgium is one of the richest countries in Europe, but all that money came from my country. Congolese societies, in contrast, were deprived of the potential to develop due to exploitation, slavery and genocide. Stones, principally specialty marbles, also are quarried. The older, traditional industries of Wallonia, particularly steel industry, began to lose their competitive edge during this period, but the general growth of world prosperity masked this deterioration until the 1973 and 1979 oil price shocks and resultant shifts in international demand sent the economy into a period of prolonged recession. Belgian per capita GDP ranks among the world's highest. Belgium was, of course, the colonial power in Congo until 1960, and links between the two countries remain strong. Intensive cultivation is confined to gardens and small farms, which are usually smaller than 10 acres (4 hectares). The vast majority of these people (80%), work in the service sector. There will be, in my humble opinion, a little respect that will become entrenched in people's heads. But we do need to keep them - to display them in museums as a warning. It must negotiate politically on an equal footing with its former colonies. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. [citation needed]. The Belgian government and Catholic missions tried to aid the inhabitants by improving health and education and building an infrastructure, but the Belgians still exploited the region's gold, copper, and diamonds. Uriel Sinai / Stringer/ Getty Images News/ Getty Images, Exploration of and Claims to the Congo River Basin, Independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------, Painter's rural idyll irks Russian villagers. Gain a global perspective on the US and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 In 2008, the per capita income (PPP) was $37,500. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. The Belgian foreign minister broke the news that Mr Kabila had been shot, and the prime minister was quick to announce he would be sending troops to the region, although not to DR Congo itself. I want the government to accept that Belgium, and its king, created a lot of suffering in the Congo. Moreover, in the early 1990s the government decreased its subsidy to the social security system. About 80% of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU member states. Even if many Belgians believe that they cannot be held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors, the Belgian economy profited greatly from colonial exploitation and in principle continues to do so today. Foreign investment led to considerable growth in the engineering sector of Belgiums economy in the late 20th century. [19] Belgium's economy has capitalised on the country's central geographic location, and has a well-developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. 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.