The Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the Congo in 1484. Commercial relationships quickly grew between the inland Bantu kingdoms and European merchants who traded various commodities, manufactured goods, and people captured from the hinterlands. After centuries as a major hub for transatlantic trade, direct European colonization of the Congo river delta began in the late 19th century, subsequently eroding the power of the Bantu societies in the region.
Whose expedition arrived at the mouth of the Congo River in 1484? What was Diogo Cao's nationality? What did European traders exchange with Bantu people? When did formal colonization of the Congo River delta begin? Colonization reduced the power of what groups in the Congo River basin?