Kinshasha Province
Kinshasa Province
Kinshasa city formerly known as Leopoldville in honor of King Leopold II of the Belgians is the capital city of the Democratic republic of Congo. This is also the capital city of the country and being the largest city in Congo gives it a greater advantage over the smaller territories. The Democratic republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa covering an area of 2,345,409 square kilometers. Kinshasa then covers 9,965 square kilometers of the Congo land. It is highly populated with an estimate of up to 11,855,000 people living in Kinshasa city followed by the Lubumbashi city which is the second-largest city in the country but with a population much smaller than that of Kinshasa.
Kinshasa province is in the far west of DRCongo just bordering the capital city of the Republic of Congo that is Brazzaville which makes them the second pair of capital cities close by after The Vatican city and Roma that are also neighbors. The Democratic Republic of Congo is not to be mistaken with the neighboring Republic of Congo. It was once a rural area full of trading centers with fishing villages but has over the years developed and grown to a full business and administrative town with several buildings and investors setting base in this town. The bigger part of Kinshasa is still rural but the urban area is expanding at a great rate on the western side of the city. Kinshasa is also the third-largest urban area in Africa right after Cairo and Lagos.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has 26 provinces and Kinshasa is one of them. Kinshasa is mainly dominated by the francophone speakers as the democratic republic of Congo was colonized by French. People here also speak Lingala along with Swahili, especially in the streets. Big franco events have been held in Kinshasa, for example, the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012 which brings in so many people into the country. This is good for business as the locals get the market for their goods and also good for tourism as it can be an exposure platform for the country as one. The locals of the city are commonly referred to as the Kinois that is in French and in English, they are simply the Kinshashans however the indigenous residents of this place were widely known as the Teke and Humbu.
The province is situated next to the Congo River which was formerly known as Zaire river in the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko. Congo River is believed to be the second-longest flowing river just after the river Nile that pours into a number of countries like Uganda, Egypt, and Rwanda. It is also estimated to also be 2,920 meters long making it the ninth longest river in the world Congo river is also said to be the world’s deepest recorded river at a depth of 220 meters deep that is 720 feet while also is estimated to be the second-largest river in terms of volume of water it discharges right after the mighty Amazon river. The congo river is sourced by the Lualaba river and pours all the way into the Atlantic Ocean.
Kinshasa province is governed by a governor who as of 2019 is Gentiny Ngobila and is ruling the province despite of the political unrest in the country. Kinshasa being the capital city and main administrative city of the country, this is where you find the home base of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) of the country. Also, you find the city’s Fine Arts Academy and the Kinshasa Museum. The area is dominated by the Catholic religion but also some Muslims can be identified living here. This is also where the Government of the DRCongo can be found along with the Central Bank of Congo.
Are you looking at extending your visit from Virunga National park further to the Kinshasa province, then be ready to apply for an extended visa as the tourist visa that we arrange for you only permits you in the Virunga National park and Kahuzi Biega national park and is valid for 14 days. This extended VISA costs 220 USD while the tourist visa goes for 105 USD.
