Culture and customs of the Congo

the long version

"The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, continues to struggle with socioeconomic and political development. Culture and Customs of the Congo provides the full context of traditional culture and modern practices against a backdrop of a turbulent history. The profile presented reveals a land and peoples little known in the United States. Written expressly to meet the needs of students and a general audience the work will inform readers about the geography, economy, politics, and history of the Congo from the slave trade to dictatorship. It includes information on ancestral religions and inroads of western faiths; literary heritage and communication; art, architecture, and housing; diet and dress; marriage, family, and women; lifestyles and life events; and traditional and modern music and dance."--BOOK JACKET.