Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a population of about 4.5 million, it is also one of the largest cities in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a city of sharp contrasts, with posh residential and commercial areas, two universities, and sprawling slums coexisting side by side. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a nation in central Africa and the third largest country on the continent. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

Kinshasa is located along the southern bank of the Congo River, directly opposite the city of Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo. It was founded as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881 and named Léopoldville in honor of King Léopold II of Belgium, who ruled the vast territory that is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The post flourished as the first navigable port along the Congo River above Livingstone Falls: at first, all goods arriving at Léopoldville from the interior would have to be carried by porter to the port of Matadi along the coast. The completion of a railroad in 1898 provided a viable means of transportation along the river's lower reaches and sparked the rapid development of Léopoldville. By 1920, the city was elevated to capital of the Belgian Congo, replacing the seaside town of Boma. Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA; the Congo River is visible in the center of the photograph Length 4,380 km Elevation of the source m Average discharge 41,800 m /s Area watershed 3,680,000 km Origin Mouth Atlantic Ocean Basin countries Dem. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Capitals in Africa | Cities in the Republic of the Congo ... The Republic of the Congo, also known as Middle Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Congo (but not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, which was also at one time known as the Republic of the Congo), is a former French colony of west-central Africa. ... Sir Henry Morton Stanley (January 29, 1841-May 10, 1904) was a 19th century Welsh-born journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. ... Events January - April January 16-24 ? Siege of Geok Tepe ? Russian troops under general Skobeleff defeat Turkomans January 25 - Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company February 5 - Phoenix, Arizona is incorporated. ... King Leopold II Leopold II, King of the Belgians (Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (April 9, 1835–December 17, 1909), succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Livingstone Falls, named for David Livingstone, is a rapids of the lower Congo River in west equatorial Africa below Malebo Pool. ... Matadi is a port in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the province Bas-Congo. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA

In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in the Congo in his second coup and initiated a policy of "Africanizing" the names of people and places in the country. In 1966 Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa for a village that once stood near the site. The city grew rapidly under Mobutu, drawing people from across the country who came in search of their fortunes or to escape ethnic strife elsewhere. This inevitably brought about a change to the city's ethnic and linguistic composition as well. Although it is situated in territory that traditionally belongs to the Bakongo people, the lingua franca in Kinshasa today is not Kikongo but Lingala. Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga (or Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga; October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997. ... -1... The Bakongo people (aka. ... Kongo is the Bantu language spoken by the Kongo people living in the tropical forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and Angola. ... Lingala is one of the Bantu languages spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ...

Kinshasa suffered greatly due to Mobutu's excesses, mass corruption, nepotism and the civil war that led to his downfall. Nevertheless, it is still a major cultural and intellectual center (by Central African standards), with a flourishing community of musicians and artists. It is also the country's major industrial center, processing many of the natural products brought from the interior. The city has recently had to fend off rioting soldiers who were protesting the government's inability to pay them.

The boulevard of 30 June in Kinshasa, April 2003

Mass Media: Kinshasa is home to an large number of radio and TV stations. The National TV is housed in the city. Its 2 channels reach more or less the entire country. In additional to these stations, there are nearly a dozen terrestrial stations reaching the environs of the city, and sometimes a bit beyond.

See also

• List of television stations in Africa

This is a list of African television stations. ...