Kongo Central (), formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26

provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Article 2 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo divides the country into the capital city of Kinshasa and 25 named provinces. It also gives the capital the status of a province. Therefore, in many contexts Kinshasa is ...

. Its capital is Matadi.

History

At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the greater province of

Léopoldville Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, with an estimated population of 17 million ...

, along with the capital city of

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

and the districts of

Kwango Kwango is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the 21 provinces created in the 2015 repartitioning. Kwango, Kwilu, and Mai-Ndombe provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former Bandundu province. K ...

, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe. Under Belgian colonial rule, the province was known as

Bas-Congo Kongo Central (), formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi. History At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the greater province of ...

(as in "Lower Congo River") and was renamed Kongo Central after independence. Under the regime of

Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga ( ; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer ...

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

to the north-east, the province of

to the east, and the Republic of Angola to the south as well as the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

and Cabinda to the north. The lower

Congo River The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...

traverses the province from the north-east to the south-west. It is

navigable A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Navigability is also referred to in the broader context of a body of water having sufficient under ...

from the Atlantic Ocean to the

port city A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...

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: Before 2015 these territories were divisions of the Bas-Fleuve, Cataractes and Lukaya

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

; except for Moanda, which was attached to Boma (a city/district hybrid). Towns with their 2010 populations are:

Notable people from Kongo Central

Afonso I of Kongo Mvemba a Nzinga, Nzinga Mbemba, Funsu Nzinga Mvemba or Dom Alfonso ( – 1542 or 1543),The Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage by Susan Altman, Chapter M, page 181 also known as King Afonso I, was the sixth ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo fr ...

, the sixth ruler of the

Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' ) was a kingdom in Central Africa. It was located in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. At its gre ...

. * 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

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.

External links

* {{Authority control 1962 establishments in the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) Geopolitical corridors Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo States and territories established in 1963