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Question

What resource was valuable in Congo when King Leopold took over?

A
Rubber
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B
Cotton
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C
Soil
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D
Oil
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Solution

The correct option is A Rubber
In the Berlin Conference of 1884 through 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium succeeded in convincing the major powers that his interests in Congo were purely philanthropic and all he wanted was to bring civilization to Congo. Henry Morton Stanley, a great explorer of the time, was employed by the King to lay foundations of his future colony in Congo. During that time there was an exponential demand growth for rubber in the international market thanks to the invention of pneumatic tire by John Boyd Dunlop. Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Co. commenced tire production on November 21, 1898. King Leopold II, a clever and immensely greedy businessman, made arrangements to get to Europe as much quantity of rubber as possible and as fast as possible; he could foresee the competition which would soon arise from growing rubber plantations in South America and Southeast Asia. Hence, Option A was correct. The rest of the resources were imported from the Middle East, Eastern countries like India and the Americas, hence, incorrect.

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