Kongo Central Explained
| Kongo Central |
| Native Name: | Province du Kongo Central (French)
Kizunga kia Kongo dia Kati (Kikongo) |
| Type: | Province |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | DR Congo |
| Seat Type: | Capital
|
| Seat: | Matadi |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Official language |
| Blank Info Sec1: | French |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | National languages |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Kikongo ya Leta, lingala[1] |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Non-national language |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | Kikongo |
| Area Total Km2: | 53920 |
| Governing Body: | Provincial Assembly of Kongo Central |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Grâce Bilolo[2] |
| Population Total: | 6,838,500 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | West Africa Time |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Registration Plate Type: | License Plate Code |
| Registration Plate: | CGO / 10 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | HDI (2017) |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0.432[3]
|
| Iso Code: | CD-BC |
Kongo Central (kg|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
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
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
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 |
|---|
| – | – | 167,326 | -5.85°N 13.05°W |
| Inga | | | 10,417 | -5.65°N 13.65°W |
| Inkisi | | | 77,797 | -5.13°N 15.07°W |
| Kasangulu | | | 30,724 | -4.58°N 15.18°W |
| Kimpese | | | 53,660 | -5.55°N 14.43°W |
| | | | -5.7174°N 15.9622°W |
| Kinzau-Mvuete | | | 17,870 | -5.48°N 13.28°W |
| Lukula | | Lukula | 31,394 | -5.38°N 12.95°W |
| Luozi | | | 13,258 | -4.95°N 14.13°W |
| | | | -4.9801°N 15.1462°W |
| Matadi | – | – | 291,338 | -5.82°N 13.48°W |
| Mbanza-Ngungu | | Mbanza-Ngungu | 97,037 | -5.25°N 14.86°W |
| Muanda | | Muanda | 86,896 | -5.93°N 12.35°W |
| Seke-Banza | | | 6,015 | -5.33°N 13.27°W |
| Songololo | | | 12,382 | -5.7°N 14.03°W |
| | | 45,588 | -4.9667°N 12.9333°W | |
Notable people from Kongo Central
- Afonso I of Kongo, the sixth ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo.
- 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.
General and cited references
- 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., 60 pp.
- Latham, P. (2004). Useful Plants of Bas-Congo Province. DFID., 320 pp.
- Latham, P. (2008). Les chenilles comestibles et leurs plantes nourricières dans la province du Bas-Congo DFID., 44 pp.
- Latham, P. et Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2010). Plantes utiles du Bas-Congo. Mystole Publications., 372 pp.
- Latham, P. et Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2011). Some Honeybee Plants of Bas-Congo Province. DFID., 248 pp.
- Latham, P. & Konda ku Mbuta, A. (2014). Useful plants of Bas-Congo province., 553 pp.
- Pauwels, L. (1993). Nzayilu N'ti – guide des arbres et arbustes de la région de Kinshasa – Brazzaville. Meise., 495 pp.
Notes and References
- Web site: Kongo-central : le kikongo en voie de disparition, le lingala gagne progressivement du terrain [Enquête] ]. fr. L'Opinion Info . 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. .
- News: Ndombasi . Exaucée . Grâce Bilolo prend officiellement ses fonctions de Gouverneur du Kongo Central . 27 June 2024 . Voix du Kongo Central . 26 June 2024 . fr.
- Web site: Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. hdi.globaldatalab.org. en. 2018-09-13.
- 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
- Web site: Central Intelligence Agency. Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Langley, Virginia . 2016. 10 May 2016.
- Web site: Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo du 1er août 1964 . fr . Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of 1 August 1964 . Global Legal Information Network . https://archive.today/20120802095049/http://www.glin.gov/view.action?glinID=191255 . dead . 2 August 2012 . 1964 . 22 May 2012. (Article 4)
- Web site: Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo du 24 juin 1967 . fr . Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of 24 June 1967 . Global Legal Information Network . https://archive.today/20120802082035/http://www.glin.gov/view.action?glinID=191256 . dead . 2 August 2012 . 1967 . 22 May 2012. (Article 1)
- Book: Institut National de la Statistique–RD Congo . Annuaire statistique 2015 . 2015 Statistical Yearbook . March 2017 . 2 Jan 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221013210216/https://ins-rdc.org/sites/default/files/Annuaire%20statistique%202015%20Web.pdf#page=36 . 13 October 2022 . live . 8-9 Tableau 1.3 . fr.
- Book: Institut National de la Statistique–RD Congo . Annuaire statistique 2014 . 2014 Statistical Yearbook . July 2015 . 3 January 2023 . 36–38 Tableau 1.5 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190312081453/https://www.cd.undp.org/content/dam/dem_rep_congo/docs/MDG/Anuaire%20Statistique%20RDC%202014.pdf#page=36 . 12 Mar 2019 . dead . PDF . fr.
- Web site: Bas-Congo: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population . World Gazetteer . dead . https://archive.today/20121216155903/http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1263071407&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-46&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=&geo=-851 . 2012-12-16 .
