Kongo Central

Last updated
Kongo Central
Province du Kongo Central
Emblem of Kongo Central Province.png
Democratic Republic of the Congo (26 provinces) - Bas-Congo.svg
Coordinates: 05°49′S13°29′E / 5.817°S 13.483°E / -5.817; 13.483
Country Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo
Capital
and largest city
Matadi
Government
  Body Provincial Assembly of Kongo Central
  GovernorGuy Bandu Ndungidi [1]
Area
  Total53,920 km2 (20,820 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
  Total6,838,500
  Density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
License Plate Code Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg CGO / 10
Official language French
National languages Kikongo ya Leta, lingala [2]
HDI (2017)0.432 [3]
low
Non-national language Kikongo
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap

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.

Contents

History

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

Landscape of Kongo Central Bas-congo.JPG
Landscape of Kongo Central
BaKongo masks from the Kongo Central region Masques BaKongo.JPG
BaKongo masks from the Kongo Central region

Kongo Central is the only province in the country with an ocean coastline; it has narrow frontage on the Atlantic Ocean. It borders the provinces of Kinshasa to the north-east, 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.

Divisions

The provincial capital is Matadi. The only other official city is Boma. 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:

NameFormer DistrictTerritoryPop. 2010 [11] Coordinates [11]
Boma 167,326 5°51′S13°03′E / 5.85°S 13.05°E / -5.85; 13.05 (Boma)
Inga Bas-Fleuve Tshela 10,417 5°39′S13°39′E / 5.65°S 13.65°E / -5.65; 13.65 (Inga)
Inkisi Lukaya Kasangulu 77,797 5°08′S15°04′E / 5.13°S 15.07°E / -5.13; 15.07 (Inkisi)
Kasangulu Lukaya Kasangulu 30,724 4°35′S15°11′E / 4.58°S 15.18°E / -4.58; 15.18 (Kasangulu)
Kimpese Cataractes Songololo 53,660 5°33′S14°26′E / 5.55°S 14.43°E / -5.55; 14.43 (Kimpese)
Kimvula Lukaya Kimvula 5°43′03″S15°57′44″E / 5.717412°S 15.962191°E / -5.717412; 15.962191 (Kimvula)
Kinzau-Mvuete Bas-Fleuve Tshela 17,870 5°29′S13°17′E / 5.48°S 13.28°E / -5.48; 13.28 (Kinzau-Mvuete)
Lukula Bas-Fleuve Lukula 31,394 5°23′S12°57′E / 5.38°S 12.95°E / -5.38; 12.95 (Lukula)
Luozi Cataractes Luozi 13,258 4°57′S14°08′E / 4.95°S 14.13°E / -4.95; 14.13 (Luozi)
Madimba Lukaya Madimba 4°58′48″S15°08′46″E / 4.980084°S 15.14622°E / -4.980084; 15.14622 (Madimba)
Matadi 291,338 5°49′S13°29′E / 5.82°S 13.48°E / -5.82; 13.48 (Matadi)
Mbanza-Ngungu Cataractes Mbanza-Ngungu 97,037 5°15′S14°52′E / 5.25°S 14.86°E / -5.25; 14.86 (Mbanza-Ngungu)
Muanda Boma Muanda 86,896 5°56′S12°21′E / 5.93°S 12.35°E / -5.93; 12.35 (Muanda)
Seke-Banza Bas-Fleuve Seke-Banza 6,015 5°20′S13°16′E / 5.33°S 13.27°E / -5.33; 13.27 (Seke-Banza)
Songololo Cataractes Songololo 12,382 5°42′S14°02′E / 5.70°S 14.03°E / -5.70; 14.03 (Songololo)
Tshela Bas-Fleuve Tshela 45,588 4°58′0″S12°56′0″E / 4.96667°S 12.93333°E / -4.96667; 12.93333 (Tshela)

Notable people from Kongo Central

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Demographic features of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo include ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinshasa</span> Capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville before June 30, 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest-growing megacities. With an estimated population of 16 million residents, it's the most densely populated city in the DRC and the most populous city in Africa. It is Africa's third-largest metropolitan area and the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC. Kinshasa houses several industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the Palais du Peuple, Palais de la Nation, Court of Cassation, Constitutional Court, Cité de l'Union Africaine, Palais de Marbre, Stade des Martyrs, Immeuble du Gouvernement, Kinshasa Financial Center, and multiple federal departments and agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lingala</span> Bantu language spoken in western central Africa

Lingala (Ngala) is a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree in Angola, the Central African Republic, Kenya and southern South Sudan. Lingala has 25–30 million native speakers and about 35 million second-language speakers, for an approximate total of 60–65 million speakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandundu Province</span> Province in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bandundu is one of eleven former provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It bordered the provinces of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo to the west, Équateur to the north, and Kasai-Occidental to the east. The provincial capital is also called Bandundu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kongo language</span> Bantu language of west-central Africa

Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from the region and sold as slaves in the Americas. For this reason, while Kongo still is spoken in the above-mentioned countries, creolized forms of the language are found in ritual speech of Afro-American religions, especially in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Suriname. It is also one of the sources of the Gullah language and the Palenquero creole in Colombia. The vast majority of present-day speakers live in Africa. There are roughly seven million native speakers of Kongo, with perhaps two million more who use it as a second language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kongo people</span> Ethnic group in Central Africa

The Kongo people are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others.

Zaïko Langa Langa is a Congolese soukous band formed in Kinshasa, in 1969. It was established by D.V. Moanda, Henri Mongombe, Marcellin Delo and André Bita, the band evolved from the Orchestre Bel Guide National, which is seen as Zaïko's predecessor. Co-founders included Papa Wemba, Jossart N'Yoka Longo, Manuaku Waku.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is extremely varied, reflecting the great diversity and different customs which exist in the country. Congolese culture combines the influence of tradition to the region, but also combines influences from abroad which arrived during the era of colonization and continue to have a strong influence, without destroying the individuality of many tribal customs.

"La Zaïroise" was the national anthem of Zaire, from 1971 to 1997. The lyrics were written by Joseph Lutumba, and the music was composed by Simon-Pierre Boka Di Mpasi Londi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gombe, Kinshasa</span> Commune in Kinshasa, DR Congo

Gombe, also known as La Gombe, or Downtown Kinshasa, is one of the 24 communes of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Encompassing a vast area of approximately 29.33 square kilometers, it is home to an approximate population of 49,024 residents (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken. Ethnologue lists 215 living languages. The official language, since the colonial period, is French, one of the languages of Belgium. Four other languages, three of them Bantu based, have the status of national language: Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba.

Kituba is a widely used lingua franca in Central Africa. It is a creole language based on Kikongo, a Bantu language. It is a national language in Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Democratic Republic of the Congo–related articles</span>

Articles related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bank of the Congo</span> Central Bank of Democratic Republic of Congo

The Central Bank of the Congo is the central bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The bank's main offices are on Boulevard Colonel Tshatshi in La Gombe in Kinshasa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundu dia Kongo</span> Religious and nationalist movement among the Kongo people of Central Africa

Bundu dia Kongo, known as BDK, is a new religious movement with a political and cultural agenda that is associated with the Kongo ethnic group. It was founded in June 1969 but officially in 1986 by Ne Muanda Nsemi, who was the group's current leader until his death and is mainly based in the Kongo Central (Bas-Congo) province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of the Republic of the Congo</span> Languages of the country and its peoples

The official language of the Republic of Congo is French. Other languages are mainly Bantu languages, and the two national languages in the country are Kituba and Lingala, followed by Kongo languages, Téké languages, and more than forty other languages, including languages spoken by Pygmies, which are not Bantu languages.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Paul Joseph Mukungubila Mutombo is a Congolese religious and political figure. He is the leader of the "Church of the Lord Jesus Christ", established in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kalemie, Brussels, Paris and Washington DC area. He declared himself "prophet of the Lord" for "the Ministry of Restoration from Sub-Saharan Africa".

Zacharie Badiengila, known as Ne Muanda Nsemi, was a Congolese religious leader and politician. He was leader of the political and religious movement Bundu dia Kongo (BDK).

References

  1. "Guy Bandu promet de faire du Kongo-Central le poumon économique de la RDC". Radio Okapi (in French). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. "Kongo-central : le kikongo en voie de disparition, le lingala gagne progressivement du terrain [Enquête]". L'Opinion Info (in French). Le lingala est fortement utilisé dans les milieux des enfants et des jeunes, tandis que le Kikongo est principalement utilisé chez les vieilles personnes.[Lingala is used extensively among children and youth, while Kikongo is used primarily among older people.]
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. M. J. Hambrey and W. B. Harland, Earth's Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record, Cambridge University Press, 2011, p. 157
  5. Godefroid Muzalia Kihangu, Bundu dia Kongo, une résurgence des messianismes et de l’alliance des Bakongo?, Universiteit Gent, België, 2011, p. 1
  6. Central Intelligence Agency (2016). "Democratic Republic of the Congo". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  7. "Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo du 1er août 1964" [Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of 1 August 1964]. Global Legal Information Network (in French). 1964. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012. (Article 4)
  8. "Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo du 24 juin 1967" [Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of 24 June 1967]. Global Legal Information Network (in French). 1967. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012. (Article 1)
  9. Institut National de la Statistique–RD Congo (March 2017). Annuaire statistique 2015 [2015 Statistical Yearbook](PDF) (in French). pp. 8-9 Tableau 1.3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 2 Jan 2023.
  10. Institut National de la Statistique–RD Congo (July 2015). Annuaire statistique 2014 [2014 Statistical Yearbook](PDF) (in French). pp. 36–38 Tableau 1.5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 Mar 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Bas-Congo: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 2012-12-16.

Bibliography