Congaree Vkaq-go-reV National Park Natural area, central South Carolina, U.S. Authorized as a national monument in 1976 and as a national park in 2003, it covers 35 sq mi (90 sq km) of alluvial floodplain on the Congaree River. It contains the last significant tract of virgin South¬ ern bottomland hardwoods in the southeastern U.S., including loblolly pine, water tupelo, hickory, and oak, some of record size.
congenital disorder Structural abnormality (e.g., atresia, agenesis), functional problem (e.g., cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria), or disease present at birth. Almost all are due to genetic factors (inherited or spontaneous mutations, chromosomal disorders), environmental influences during preg¬ nancy (rubella or other maternal factors, exposure to toxins or radiation), or both. The most sensitive period is the first eight weeks after concep¬ tion, during which time the human embryo is essentially formed. Major congenital malformations form during this period. Some inherited disor¬ ders result from simple Mendelian dominance or recessiveness. Others may involve multiple genes. Chromosomal disorders are rare, because few affected fetuses survive to be bom. Environmental influences may affect only one of a pair of identical twins. At least 30 significant defects prob¬ ably occur per 1000 births. See also birth defect; Down syndrome.
congenital heart disease Deformity of the heart. Examples include septal defect (opening in the septum between the sides of the heart), atre¬ sia (absence) or stenosis (narrowing) of one or more valves, tetralogy of Fallot (with four components: ventricular septal defect, pulmonary valve stenosis, right ventricular enlargement, and positioning of the aorta so that it receives blood from both ventricles), and transposition of the great vessels (so the pulmonary and systemic circulations each receive blood from the wrong side of the heart). Such defects can prevent enough oxy¬ gen from reaching the tissues, so the skin has a bluish cast. Many are fatal if not corrected surgically soon after birth—or, rarely, before birth, if detected prenatally. Abnormalities of the large vessels are usually less serious (see aorta, coarctation of; ductus arteriosus).
conger eel Any of about 100 species of marine eels (family Congridae) with no scales, a large head, large gill slits, a wide mouth, and strong teeth. Conger eels are usually grayish to blackish, with a paler belly and black-edged fins. Found in all oceans, sometimes in deep water, they may grow about 6 ft (1.8 m) long. Conger eels are carnivores. Many species, such as the European conger (Conger conger ), are valued as food. The American conger, or sea eel (C. oceanicus), is a fierce game fish.
congestive heart failure Heart failure resulting in the accumulation of fluid in the lungs and other body tissues. It is related mainly to salt and water retention in the tissues rather than directly to reduced blood flow. Blood pools in the veins (vascular congestion) because the heart does not pump efficiently enough to allow it to return. It may vary from the most minimal symptoms to sudden pulmonary edema or a rapidly lethal shock¬
like state (see shock). Chronic states of varying severity may last years. Symptoms tend to worsen as the body’s attempts to compensate for the condition create a vicious circle. The patient has trouble breathing, at first during exertion and later even at rest. Treatment is directed toward increasing the strength of the heart’s muscle contraction, reduction of fluid accumulation, and elimination of the underlying cause of the failure.
conglomerate Vkon-'gla-mo-rsA In petrology, lithified sedimentary rock consisting of rounded fragments larger than 0.08 in. (2 mm) in diam¬ eter. It is commonly contrasted with breccia. Conglomerates are usually subdivided according to the average size of their constituent materials into pebble (fine), cobble (medium), and boulder (coarse).
conglomerate In business, a widely diversified company, especially a corporation that acquires other firms whose activities are unrelated to its primary activity. Conglomerate mergers are undertaken for many reasons, including the prospect of making additional use of existing facilities, improving the corporation’s overall marketing position, decreasing the risk of relying on a single type of product, and effecting corporate reor¬ ganization. The practice was widespread in the 1960s and 1980s, but in the 1990s many conglomerates began to sell off unwanted subsidiaries.
Congo, Democratic Republic of the known as Congo (Kin¬ shasa) formerly (1971-97) Republic of Zaire Country, central Africa. Area: 905,354 sq mi (2,344,858 sq km). Population (2005 est.):
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57,549,000. Capitaclass="underline" Kinshasa. Bantu speakers, including the Mongo, Kongo, and Luba, form a majority of the country’s population; among non-Bantu speakers are Sudanese groups of the north. Languages: French, English (both official), Lingala, Swahili, Kongo, others. Reli¬ gions: Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant, other Christians); also traditional beliefs, Islam. Currency: Congolese franc. The country, hav¬ ing the third largest land area in Africa, occupies the heart of the Congo River basin and is largely surrounded by high plateaus. At its narrow strip of Atlantic coast, the Congo River empties into the sea. The country straddles the Equator; its climate is humid and tropical. It is among the poorest countries in the world. Its economy is based on mining and agri¬ culture. Exports include diamonds, petroleum, and coffee; mining pro¬ duces copper, cobalt, and industrial diamonds. The country has a transitional government; the head of state and government is the presi¬ dent, assisted by four vice presidents. Prior to European colonization, several kingdoms had emerged in the region, including the 16th-century Luba kingdom and the Kuba federation, which reached its peak in the 18th century. European development began late in the 19th century when King Leopold II of Belgium financed Henry Morton Stanley’s exploration
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
450 I Congo ► Congreve
of the Congo River. The 1884-85 Berlin West Africa Conference recog¬ nized the Congo Free State with Leopold as its sovereign. The growing demand for rubber helped finance the exploitation of the Congo, but abuses against local peoples outraged Western nations and forced Leopold to grant the Free State a colonial charter as the Belgian Congo (1908). Independence was granted in 1960. The postindependence period was marked by unrest, culminating in a military coup that brought Gen. Mobutu Sese Seko to power in 1965. He changed the country’s name to Zaire in 1971. Mismanagement, corruption, and increasing violence dev¬ astated the infrastructure and economy. Mobutu was deposed in 1997 by Laurent Kabila, who restored the country’s name to Congo. Instability in neighbouring countries, an influx of refugees from Rwanda, and a desire for Congo’s mineral wealth led to military involvement by various Afri¬ can countries. Unrest continued into the beginning of the 21st century.