Kongo Central
Kongo Central
| |
|---|---|
| Location of Kongo Central | |
| Coordinates: Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Country | File:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo |
| Capital and largest city | Matadi |
| Government | |
| • Body | Provincial Assembly of Kongo Central |
| • Governor | Grâce Bilolo[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 53,920 km2 (20,820 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 6,923,500 |
| • Density | 128.4/km2 (332.6/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | |
| • Native: | BaKongo |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (West Africa Time) |
| ISO 3166 code | CD-BC |
| License Plate Code | Democratic Republic of the Congo CGO / 10 |
| Official language | French |
| National languages | Kikongo ya Leta, lingala[2] |
| HDI (2017) | 0.432[3] low |
| Non-national language | Kikongo |
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Kongo Central (Kongo: Kongo dia Kati[4][5]), formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[6] Its capital is Matadi.
History
[edit | edit source]At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the greater province of Léopoldville, along with the capital city of Kinshasa and the districts of Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe. Under Belgian colonial rule, the province was known as Bas-Congo (as in "Lower Congo River") and was renamed Kongo Central after independence.[7][8]
Under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 to 1997, the Congo river was renamed as Zaire. The province was named as Bas-Zaïre. The name was later reverted to Bas-Congo. It was subsequently renamed as Kongo Central in 2015.
Geography
[edit | edit source]
Kongo Central is the only province in the country with an ocean coastline; it has narrow frontage on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It borders the city-province of Kinshasa to the north-east, the province of Kwango to the east, and the Republic of Angola to the south as well as the Republic of the Congo and Cabinda to the north.
The lower Congo River traverses the province from the north-east to the south-west. It is navigable from the Atlantic Ocean to the port city of Matadi after which there are a series of rapids that make it unnavigable until the Malebo Pool.
Divisions
[edit | edit source]The provincial capital is Matadi, with Boma being the other official city. The remainder of the province is administratively divided into ten territories, the most of any province:[9]
Before 2015 these territories were divisions of the Bas-Fleuve, Cataractes and Lukaya districts; except for Moanda, which was attached to Boma (a city/district hybrid).[10]
Towns with their 2010 populations are:
| Name | Former District | Territory | Pop. 2010[11] | Coordinates[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boma | – | – | 167,326 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Inga | Bas-Fleuve | Tshela | 10,417 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Inkisi | Lukaya | Kasangulu | 77,797 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Kasangulu | Lukaya | Kasangulu | 30,724 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Kimpese | Cataractes | Songololo | 53,660 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Kimvula | Lukaya | Kimvula | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Kinzau-Mvuete | Bas-Fleuve | Tshela | 17,870 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Lukula | Bas-Fleuve | Lukula | 31,394 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Luozi | Cataractes | Luozi | 13,258 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Madimba | Lukaya | Madimba | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Matadi | – | – | 291,338 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Mbanza-Ngungu | Cataractes | Mbanza-Ngungu | 97,037 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Muanda | Boma | Muanda | 86,896 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Seke-Banza | Bas-Fleuve | Seke-Banza | 6,015 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Songololo | Cataractes | Songololo | 12,382 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Tshela | Bas-Fleuve | Tshela | 45,588 | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
Notable people from Kongo Central
[edit | edit source]- Afonso I of Kongo, the sixth ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo.
- Kudianga Bayokisa, teacher and politician
- Zamenga Batukezanga, writer, was born in Kongo Central.
- Paul Panda Farnana, first Congolese with Belgian diploma of higher education.
- Thomas Kanza, Congolese diplomat. He was one of the first Congolese nationals to graduate from a university.
- Sophie Kanza, first Congolese woman to obtain a university degree; politician and sociologist).
- Joseph Kasa-Vubu, Democratic Republic of the Congo first president.
- Simon Kimbangu, founder of Christian new religious movement Kimbanguism.
- Ray Lema, France-based pianist, guitarist, and songwriter.
- François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, virtuoso Congolese Rumba guitarist and singer.
- Ne Muanda Nsemi, Bundu dia Kongo leader.
Citations
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ M. J. Hambrey and W. B. Harland, Earth's Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record, Cambridge University Press, 2011, p. 157
- ^ Godefroid Muzalia Kihangu, Bundu dia Kongo, une résurgence des messianismes et de l’alliance des Bakongo?, Universiteit Gent, België, 2011, p. 1
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Article 4)
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Article 1)
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- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
General and cited references
[edit | edit source]- Gillet, J. (1927). Catalogue des plantes du jardin d'essais de la mission de Kisantu. Brussels. 166 pp.
- Kibungu Kembelo, A. O. (2004). Plantes medicinales du Bas-Congo et leurs usages. DFID. 197 pp.
- Latham, P. (2003) Edible Caterpillars and Their Food Plants in Bas-Congo. Mystole Publications. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 60 pp.
- Latham, P. (2004). Useful Plants of Bas-Congo Province. DFID. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 320 pp.
- Latham, P. (2008). Les chenilles comestibles et leurs plantes nourricières dans la province du Bas-Congo DFID. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 44 pp.
- Latham, P. et Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2010). Plantes utiles du Bas-Congo. Mystole Publications. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 372 pp.
- Latham, P. et Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2011). Some Honeybee Plants of Bas-Congo Province. DFID. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 248 pp.
- Latham, P. & Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2014). Useful plants of Bas-Congo province. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 553 pp.
- Pauwels, L. (1993). Nzayilu N'ti – guide des arbres et arbustes de la région de Kinshasa – Brazzaville. Meise. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 495 pp.
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
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