Kongo Central (M. J. Hambrey and W. B. Harland, Earth's Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record, Cambridge University Press, 2011, p. 157Godefroid Muzalia Kihangu, Bundu dia Kongo, une résurgence des messianismes et de l’alliance des Bakongo?, Universiteit Gent, België, 2011, p. 1), 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 Léopoldville, along with the capital city of Kinshasa and the districts of Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe. Under Belgian colonial rule, the territory of the current province was a district known as Bas-Congo (as in "Lower Congo River") and was renamed Kongo Central after independence. (Article 4) (Article 1)

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 entire province has a tropical savanna climate by the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.

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.

Administration 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:

Administrative divisionTypeMap Boma City Matadi City Kasangulu Territory Kimvula Territory Lukula Territory Luozi Territory Madimba Territory Mbanza-Ngungu Territory Moanda Territory Seke-Banza Territory Songololo Territory Tshela Territory

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).

Demographics

Name Former District Territory Pop. 2010 Coordinates Boma – – 167,326 Inga Bas-Fleuve Tshela 10,417 Inkisi Lukaya Kasangulu 77,797 Kasangulu Lukaya Kasangulu 30,724 Kimpese Cataractes Songololo 53,660 Kimvula Lukaya Kimvula Kinzau-Mvuete Bas-Fleuve Tshela 17,870 Lukula Bas-Fleuve Lukula 31,394 Luozi Cataractes Luozi 13,258 Madimba Lukaya Madimba Matadi – – 291,338 Mbanza-Ngungu Cataractes Mbanza-Ngungu 97,037 Muanda Boma Muanda 86,896 Seke-Banza Bas-Fleuve Seke-Banza 6,015 Songololo Cataractes Songololo 12,382 Tshela Bas-Fleuve Tshela 45,588

Notable people from Kongo Central

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

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.

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