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The city of Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital of the Congo, or what is officially known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was formerly called Leopoldville (English: Leopoldville), until 1966 AD, and Kinshasa is one of the largest cities in sub-Saharan Africa, It is the third largest urban city in Africa, after Lagos and Cairo in terms of area. It extends over an area of 583 square kilometers, and is inhabited by about 9.5 million people, meaning an estimated (13%) of the total population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The geographical and astronomical location of Kinshasa
Kinshasa is located geographically on the southern bank of the Congo River, which is the second longest river in the African continent after the Nile River, about 515 km from the Atlantic Ocean, and astronomically, it is located on the latitude (4.19) south of the equator, and on the longitude (15.19 East of Greenwich Line.
Glimpses of Kinshasa’s history
Here is some historical information about Kinshasa:
- The city of Kinshasa was founded in 1881 AD by the explorer (Henry Morton) who named it Leopoldville (in English: Leopoldville) King of Belgium, and was established to be a commercial center, as it is the first port located above the waterfalls of Livingston.
- The Congo became a Belgian colony in the period between 1908 and 1960 AD, and Leopoldville was taken as the capital of the Belgian Congo by 1923AD.
- In 1960, Congo became independent from Belgium, after which many peoples sought refuge in order to escape the ethnic conflict prevailing in the region at the time, which made it a city of diverse cultures. Rather, it is considered the main cultural center in the Congo. It should be noted that it is now also the political seat of government and the educational center in the Congo.
- The policy of sorting the place names in the Congo began after the independence of the Congo, and then the name of the capital was changed to Kinshasa, in the year 1966 AD.
About the economy of Kinshasa
The capital is Kinshasa, the most important consumer center in the Republic of the Congo, and the essence of its industrial and commercial activity, as well as the headquarters of major public companies, and the most prominent industrial and commercial companies, and it is worth noting that this city is characterized by its financial activity;
Food industries are among the most important major industries in the capital, Kinshasa, in addition to industries that produce consumer goods, such as textiles, shoes, and other consumer products that the city pumps into the local Congo markets. It is important to mention that the capital, Kinshasa, contributes to 85% of the economy of the Republic of the Congo.
