Congo Free State

The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa controlled by King Leopold II of Belgium from 1885 to 1908. It was not a colony of Belgium but an personal possession of Leopold, who exploited its resources, especially rubber and ivory, through brutal labor practices. Millions of Congolese people suffered from harsh treatment, forced labor, and violence. International outrage eventually led the Belgian government to take over the territory, turning it into the Belgian Congo. The Congo Free State is widely remembered as a tragic example of colonial exploitation and human rights abuses.