Kinshasa
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Kinshasa (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA; Template:Langx), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (Template:Langx), 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 in 2024.<ref>Kinshasa Population 2024, World population review 30 May 2024</ref> It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa, and the world's twenty-second most populous city and fourth-most populous capital city. It is the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC,<ref name=":7" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":8">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> housing several industries including manufacturing,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> telecommunications,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> banking, and entertainment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the People's Palace, Palace of the Nation, Court of Cassation, Constitutional Court, African Union City, Marble Palace, Martyrs Stadium, Government House, Kinshasa Financial Center, and other national departments and agencies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Kinshasa site has been inhabited by Teke and Humbu people for centuries and was known as Nshasa before transforming into a commercial hub during the 19th and 20th centuries.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> The city was named Léopoldville by Henry Morton Stanley in honor of Leopold II of Belgium.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /> The name was changed to Kinshasa in 1966 during Mobutu Sese Seko's Zairianisation campaign as a tribute to Nshasa village.<ref name=":3" /> Covering 9,965 square kilometers, Kinshasa stretches along the southern shores of the Pool Malebo on the Congo River. It forms an expansive crescent across flat, low-lying terrain at an average altitude of about 300 meters.<ref name=":3" /> Kinshasa borders the Mai-Ndombe Province, Kwilu Province, and Kwango Province to the east; the Congo River delineates its western and northern perimeters, constituting a natural border with the Republic of the Congo; to the south lies the Kongo Central Province. Across the river sits Brazzaville, the smaller capital of the neighboring Republic of the Congo, forming the world's second-closest pair of capital cities despite being separated by a four-kilometer-wide unbridged span of the Congo River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Kinshasa also functions as one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is administratively divided into 24 communes, which are further subdivided into 365 neighborhoods.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> With an expansive administrative region, over 90 percent of the province's land remains rural, while urban growth predominantly occurs on its western side.<ref name="area">Template:Cite web</ref> Kinshasa is the largest nominally Francophone urban area globally, with French being the language of government, education, media, public services and high-end commerce, while Lingala is used as a lingua franca in the street. The city's inhabitants are popularly known as Kinois, with the term "Kinshasans" used in English terminology.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is DRC's most prominent and central museum. The College of Advanced Studies in Strategy and Defense is the highest military institution in DRC and Central Africa. The National Pedagogical University is DRC's first pedagogical university and one of Africa's top pedagogical universities. N'Djili International Airport is the largest airport in the nation.<ref>[Airport rankings: Africa https://gettocenter.com/airports/continent/africa Template:Webarchive]</ref> In 2015, Kinshasa was designated as a City of Music by UNESCO and has been a member of the Creative Cities Network since then.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nsele Valley Park is the largest urban park in Kinshasa, housing a range of fauna and flora. According to the 2016 annual ranking, Kinshasa is Africa's most expensive city for expatriate employees, ahead of close to 200 global locations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Toponymy
[edit]There are several theories about the origin of the name Kinshasa. Paul Raymaekers, an anthropologist and ethnologist, suggests that the name derives from the combination of the Kikongo and Kihumbu languages.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> The prefix "Ki(n)" signifies a hill or inhabited area and "Nsasa" or "Nshasa" refers to a bag of salt. According to Raymackers, Kinshasa was a significant trading site where people from the Lower Congo (now Kongo Central Province) and South Atlantic Ocean exchanged salt for goods such as iron, slaves and ivory brought by those from the Upper Congo (now Tshopo Province).<ref name=":3" /> However Hendrik van Moorsel, an anthropologist, historian and researcher, proposes that Bateke fishermen traded fish for cassava with locals along the riverbank, and the place of this exchange was called "Ulio".<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">Template:Cite book</ref> In Teke, "exchange" is "Utsaya", and "place of exchange" is "Intsaya". Thus, the name evolved from Ulio to Intsaya, and later, under the influence of Kikongo, transformed into Kintsaya, eventually becoming Kinshasa.<ref name=":3" /> Kinshasa, also known as N'shasa, is regarded as the primary "place of exchange" on the southern bank of the Pool Malebo, where bartering occurred even before the commercial boom of Kintambo.<ref name=":3" />
The name Nshasa is believed to originate from the Teke verb "tsaya" (tsaa), meaning "to exchange", and the noun "intsaya" (insaa), referring to any market or place of exchange. It was at this location that Teke brokers traded ivory and slaves from the Banunu slave traders, often mistaken for the Yanzi, for European trade items brought by the Zombo and Kongo people.<ref name=":3" /> Despite the various theories, the historical name of Kinshasa is known to have been Nshasa, as documented by Henry Morton Stanley during his crossing of Africa from Zanzibar to Boma in 1874–1877 when he mentioned visiting "the king of Nshasa" on 14 March 1877.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>
History
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Prior to the establishment of Kinshasa, the area was for a time part of the Anziku Kingdom. By about 1698, it had become an essentially independent domain known as Nkonkobela.<ref>John K. Thornton. History of West Central Africa. Cambridge University Press, 2020. p. 208</ref>
The city was established as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881.<ref>Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2013, p. 144</ref> It was named Léopoldville in honor of Stanley's employer King Leopold II of the Belgians. He would then proceed to take control of most of the Congo Basin as the Congo Free State, not as a colony but as his private property. The post flourished as the first navigable port on the Congo River above Livingstone Falls, a series of rapids over Template:Convert below Leopoldville. At first, all goods arriving by sea or being sent by sea had to be carried by porters between Léopoldville and Matadi, the port below the rapids and Template:Cvt from the coast. The completion of the Matadi-Kinshasa portage railway, in 1898, provided an alternative route around the rapids and sparked the rapid development of Léopoldville. In 1914, a pipeline was installed so that crude oil could be transported from Matadi to the upriver steamers in Leopoldville.<ref name="britannica.com">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> By 1923, the city was elevated to capital of the Belgian Congo, replacing the town of Boma in the Congo estuary, pursuant to the Royal Decree of 1 July 1923, countersigned by the Minister of the Colonies, Louis Franc.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="britannica.com" /> Before this, Léopoldville was designated an "urban district", encompassing exclusively the communes of Kintambo and the current Gombe, which burgeoned around Ngaliema Bay.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref> Then the communes of Kinshasa, Barumbu, and Lingwala emerged. In the 1930s, these communes predominantly housed employees of Chanic, Filtisaf, and Utex Africa.<ref name=":9" />
In 1941, legislative ordinance n°293/AIMO of 25 June 1941, conferred Kinshasa the status of a city and established an Urban Committee (Comité Urbain), with an allocated area of 5,000 hectares and a population of 53,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9" /> Concurrently, it became the colony's capital, the Congo-Kasaï Province's capital, and the Moyen Congo district. The city was demarcated into two zones: the urban zone, comprising Léo II, Léo-Ouest, Kalina, Léo-I, or Léo-Est, and Ndolo; and the indigenous zone to the south. The urban populace swelled in 1945 with the cessation of forced labor, facilitating the influx of native Africans from rural regions. Léopoldville then became predominantly inhabited by the Bakongo ethnic group.<ref name=":9" />
In the 1950s, planned urban centers such as Lemba, Matete, and a segment of Ndjili were established to accommodate workers from the Limete industrial zone.<ref name=":9" /> Lovanium University, the colony's inaugural university, was founded in 1954.<ref name=":9" /> By 1957, Léopoldville comprised eleven communes and six adjunct regions: Kalamu, Dendale (present-day Kasa-Vubu commune), Saint Jean (now Lingwala), Ngiri-Ngiri, Kintambo, Limete, Bandalungwa, Léopoldville (current Gombe), Barumbu, Kinshasa, and Ngaliema; along with the adjunct regions of Lemba, Binza, Makala, Kimwenza, Kimbanseke, and Kingasani. Subsequently, the adjunct regions of Ndjili and Matete were incorporated.<ref name=":9" />
After gaining its independence on 30 June 1960, following riots in 1959, the Republic of the Congo elected its first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba whose perceived pro-Soviet leanings were viewed as a threat by Western interests. This being the height of the Cold War, the U.S. and Belgium did not want to lose control of the strategic wealth of the Congo, in particular its uranium. Less than a year after Lumumba's election, the Belgians and the U.S. bought the support of his Congolese rivals and set in motion the events that culminated in Lumumba's assassination.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1964, Moïse Tshombe decreed the expulsion of all nationals of Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Mali, as well as all political refugees from Rwanda.<ref>Jules Gerard-Libois and Benoit Verhaegen, Congo 1964: Political Documents of a Developing Nation, Princeton University Press, 2015, p. 450</ref><ref name=NYT >Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Daouda Gary-Tounkara, 1964 : le Mali réinsère ses ressortissants expulsés, In: Plein droit 2016/1 (n° 108), GISTI, 2016, p. 35-38</ref><ref>United States. Central Intelligence Agency, Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts, Issues 11–15, 1967</ref> In 1965, with the help of the U.S. and Belgium, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seized power in the Congo. He initiated a policy of "Authenticity", attempting to renativize the names of people and places in the country. On 2 May 1966, the government announced that the nation's major cities would be restored to their pre-colonial names, effective on 30 June, the sixth anniversary of independence.<ref>"Congo Cities Get Back Old Names", Vancouver Sun, May 3, 1966, p.11</ref> Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, for a village named Kinshasa that once stood near the site. Kinshasa grew rapidly under Mobutu, drawing people from across the country who came in search of their fortunes or to escape ethnic strife elsewhere, thus adding to the many ethnicities and languages already found there.
In 1991 the city had to fend off rioting soldiers, who were protesting the government's failure to pay them. Subsequently a rebel uprising began, which in 1997 finally brought down the regime of Mobutu.<ref name="britannica.com" /> Kinshasa suffered greatly from 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 for Central Africa, 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.
Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019, was not overly popular in Kinshasa.<ref name=Trapido2016 /> Violence broke out following the announcement of Kabila's victory in the contested election of 2006; the European Union deployed troops (EUFOR RD Congo) to join the UN force in the city. The announcement in 2016 that a new election would be delayed two years led to large protests in September and December which involved barricades in the streets and left dozens of people dead. Schools and businesses were closed down.<ref>"DR Congo election: 17 dead in anti-Kabila protests Template:Webarchive", BBC, 19 September 2016.</ref><ref>Merritt Kennedy, "Congo A 'Powder Keg' As Security Forces Crack Down On Whistling Demonstrators Template:Webarchive", NPR, 21 December 2016.</ref>
Geography
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Location
[edit]Kinshasa is strategically situated on the southern bank of the expansive Malebo Pool, spanning 9,965 square kilometers, configured in a grand crescent shape atop a low-lying, flat terrain with an average elevation hovering around 300 meters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Positioned between latitudes 4° and 5° and longitudinal coordinates 15° to 16°32 east, Kinshasa is flanked by the provinces of Mai-Ndombe, Kwilu, and Kwango to the east, while the Congo River delineates its western and northern boundaries, naturally demarcating the border with the Republic of the Congo. To the south, it is demarcated by the Kongo Central Province.<ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile and has the continent's greatest discharge. As a waterway it provides a means of transport for much of the Congo Basin; it is navigable for river barges between Kinshasa and Kisangani; many of its tributaries are also navigable. The river is an important source of hydroelectric power, and downstream from Kinshasa it has the potential to generate power equivalent to the usage of roughly half of Africa's population.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Relief
[edit]Topographically, Kinshasa has a marshy, alluvial plain, with altitudes ranging from 275 to 300 meters, along with hilly terrain that elevates from 310 to 370 meters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city has four principal features: the Malebo Pool, a vast expanse of water with islands and islets; the Kinshasa Plain, which is a highly urbanizable space, but susceptible to drainage issues; the Terrace, which is a series of low ridges overlooking the plain; and the Hills Area, which is characterized by deep valleys and cirque-shaped formations.<ref name=":10" />
The Malebo Pool spans over 35 kilometers in length and 25 kilometers in width and is encircled by Ngaliema Municipality to the west and Maluku Municipality to the east, traversing through Gombe, Barumbu, Limete, Masina, and Nsele municipalities.<ref name=":10" /> The Kinshasa Plain has a banana-like shape and is surrounded by eastward-oriented hills. Its low sandy alluvial masses extend from Maluku Municipality in the east to the western foothills of Ngaliema, covering approximately 20,000 hectares.<ref name=":10" />
The Terrace is mainly situated in the city's western expanse, between N'djili and Mount Ngafula. It comprises stony blocks of soft sandstone and silica-covered yellow clay, topped with brown silt, and ranges from 10 to 25 meters in height. It retains vestiges of an ancient surface.<ref name=":10" /> The Hills Area commences several kilometers from the Malebo Pool and is characterized by deep valleys and cirque-shaped formations. These hills reach heights surpassing 700 meters and exhibit gentle, rounded contours sculpted by local rivers.<ref name=":10" /> While their eastern counterparts may reflect remnants of the Batéké Plateau, their origins in the west and south remain enigmatic. Their natural erosion processes are exacerbated by human intervention, sometimes assuming catastrophic proportions.<ref name=":10" />
Hydrography
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Kinshasa's hydrographic network encompasses the Congo River and its principal left bank tributaries, traversing the city from south to north. These include the Lukunga, Ndjili, Nsele, Bombo, or Mai-Ndombe rivers and the Mbale.<ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Unfortunately, these waterways are polluted due to the city's demographic pressures and inadequate sanitation.<ref name=":10" />
Geology
[edit]Geologically, the soil in Kinshasa is of the Arenoferrasol category,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> characterized by fine sands with a clay content typically below 20%, low organic matter, and absorbent complex saturation.<ref name=":10" /> The basement is composed of Precambrian bedrock, featuring finely stratified red sandstone often infused with feldspar. This rock is visible at the rapids' base near Mount Ngaliema and south of the N'djili River, and effectively withstands erosive forces.<ref name=":10" />
Vegetation
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Kinshasa's vegetation comprises gallery forests, grassy formations, ruderal plant groups, and aquatic formations. These gallery forests, found along the main watercourses within humid valleys of the Congolese guinéo ombrophile type, have degraded into highly exploited pre-forest fallows, manifesting as reclusive foresters of varying ages.<ref name=":10" /> Ruderal plant groups line railway tracks within narrow strips, reflecting the region's vegetation cover's discontinuity and repetition. Kinshasa is home to diverse vegetation types, each intricately linked to specific ecological parameters.<ref name=":10" />
Residential and commercial areas
[edit]Kinshasa is a city of sharp contrasts, with affluent residential and commercial areas and three universities alongside sprawling slums.<ref name="Flouriot2013">Jean Flouriot, "Kinshasa 2005. Trente ans après la publication de l’Atlas de Kinshasa Template:Webarchive", Les Cahiers d’Outre-Mer 261, January–March 2013; doi:10.4000/com.6770.</ref> The older and wealthier part of the city (ville basse) is located on a flat area of alluvial sand and clay near the river, while many newer areas are found on the eroding red soil of surrounding hills.<ref name="Kayembe2009">Matthieu Kayembe Wa Kayembe, Mathieu De Maeyer et Eléonore Wolff, "Cartographie de la croissance urbaine de Kinshasa (R.D. Congo) entre 1995 et 2005 par télédétection satellitaire à haute résolution Template:Webarchive", Belgeo 3–4, 2009; doi:10.4000/belgeo.7349.</ref><ref name="Trapido2016">Joe Trapido, "Kinshasa's Theater of Power Template:Webarchive", New Left Review 98, March/April 2016.</ref> Older parts of the city were laid out on a geometric pattern, with de facto racial segregation becoming de jure in 1929 as the European and African neighborhoods grew closer together. City plans of the 1920s–1950s featured a cordon sanitaire or buffer between the white and black neighborhoods, which included the central market as well as parks and gardens for Europeans.<ref name="BeeckmansBigon2016">Luce Beeckmans & Liora Bigon, "The making of the central markets of Dakar and Kinshasa: from colonial origins to the post-colonial period”; Urban History 43(3), 2016; doi:10.1017/S0963926815000188.</ref>
Urban planning in post-independence Kinshasa has been limited. The Mission Française d'Urbanisme drew up some plans in the 1960s which envisioned a greater role for automobile transportation but did not predict the city's significant population growth. Thus much of the urban structure has developed without guidance from a master plan. According to UN-Habitat, the city is expanding by eight square kilometers per year. It describes many of the new neighborhoods as slums, built in unsafe conditions with inadequate infrastructure.<ref name=ChirisaEtAl2017 /> Nevertheless, spontaneously developed areas have in many cases extended the grid street plan of the original city.<ref name=Flouriot2013 />
Administrative divisions
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Kinshasa is both a city (ville in French) and a province, one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nevertheless, it has city subdivisions and is divided into 24 communes (municipalities), which in turn are divided into 369 quarters and 21 embedded groupings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Maluku, the rural commune to the east of the urban area, accounts for 79% of the Template:Cvt total land area of the city-province,<ref name="area" /> with a population of 200,000–300,000.<ref name=Flouriot2013 /> The communes are grouped into four districts which are not in themselves administrative divisions.
- Funa District
- Lukunga District
- Mont Amba District
- Tshangu District
- Kimbanseke
- Maluku
- Masina
- Ndjili (N'Djili)
- Nsele (N'Sele)
Climate
[edit]Under the Köppen climate classification, Kinshasa has a tropical wet and dry climate (Aw). Its lengthy rainy season spans from October through May, with a relatively short dry season, between June and September. Kinshasa lies south of the equator, so its dry season begins around its winter solstice, which is in June. This is in contrast to African cities further north featuring this climate where the dry season typically begins around December. Kinshasa's dry season is slightly cooler than its wet season, though temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year.
Parks and gardens
[edit]Kinshasa is home to a diverse range of parks and gardens:
- Nsele Valley Park, the largest urban park in the city situated along the Nsele River, offers a setting for outdoor activities. It features picnic areas, walking trails, and viewpoints overlooking the river.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Parc Présidentiel, situated along the Congo River, is a park in Kinshasa. The park offers ponds, pools, and fountains, while the Théâtre de Verdure serve as venues for cultural performances. The park's mini zoo has a diverse array of animals.
- Jardin Zoologique, located in the heart of Gombe commune, is a zoo in Kinshasa. The zoo houses a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jardin Botanique de Kinshasa, situated in Gombe, is a botanical garden that showcases the city's botanical treasures. The botanical garden houses an array of plants and colorful flowers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Lola ya Bonobo, located south of Kinshasa, is the world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos. Situated at the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya, it provides a safe and nurturing environment for endangered primates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
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An official census conducted in 1984 counted 2.6 million residents.<ref name="Bédécarrats2016">Template:Cite journal</ref> Since then, all estimates are extrapolations. The estimates for 2005 fell in a range between 5.3 million and 7.3 million.<ref name=Flouriot2013 /> In 2017, the most recent population estimate for the city, it has a population of 11,855,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to UN-Habitat, 390,000 people immigrate to Kinshasa annually, fleeing warfare and seeking economic opportunity.<ref name="Iazzolino2016">Gianluca Iazzolino, "Kinshasa, megalopolis of 12 million souls, expanding furiously on super-charged growth Template:Webarchive"; Mail & Guardian Africa, 2 April 2016.</ref>
According to a projection (2016) the population of metropolitan Kinshasa will increase significantly, to 35 million by 2050, 58 million by 2075 and 83 million by 2100,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.
Language
[edit]The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which Kinshasa is the capital, is French (See: Kinshasa French vocabulary). Kinshasa is the largest officially Francophone city in the world, though many residents struggle to speak it.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Nadeau">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Trefon">Template:Cite book A third factor is simply a demographic one. At least one in ten Congolese live in Kinshasa. With its population exceeding eleven million, it is the second-largest city in sub-Saharan Africa (after Lagos). It is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, according to Paris (even though only a small percentage of Kinois speak French correctly),</ref> Although Lingala is widely used as a spoken language, French is the language of street signs, posters, newspapers, government documents, schools; it dominates plays, television, and the press, and it is used in vertical relationships among people of different social classes. People of the same class, however, speak the Congolese languages (Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba or Swahili) among themselves.<ref name="Manning">Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link
While the culture is dominated by the Francophonie, a complex multilingualism is present in Kinshasa. Many in the francophonie of the 1980s labelled Zaïre as the second-largest francophone country, and Kinshasa as the second-largest francophone city. Yet Zaïre seemed unlikely to escape a complex multilingualism. Lingala was the language of music, of presidential addresses, of daily life in government and in Kinshasa. But if Lingala was the spoken language of Kinshasa, it made little progress as a written language. French was the written language of the city, as seen in street signs, posters, newspapers and in government documents. French dominated plays and television as well as the press; French was the language of the national anthem and even for the doctrine of authenticity. Zairian researchers found French to be used in vertical relationships among people of uneven rank; people of equal rank, no matter how high, tended to speak Zairian languages among themselves. Given these limits, French might have lost its place to another of the leading languages of Zaïre – Lingala, Tshiluba, or Swahili – except that teaching of these languages also suffered from limitations on its growth.</ref> Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government and politics
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The head of Kinshasa ville-province has the title of Gouverneur. Template:Ill has been governor since 21 June 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Each commune has its own Bourgmestre.<ref name=Flouriot2013 />
Although political power in the DRC is fragmented, Kinshasa as the national capital represents the official center of sovereignty, and thus of access to international organizations and financing, and of political powers such as the right to issue passports.<ref name=Trapido2016 /> Kinshasa is also the primate city of the DRC with a population several times larger than the next-largest city, Lubumbashi.<ref>Pain (1984), p. 56.</ref><ref name=ChirisaEtAl2017 />
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known by its French acronym MONUSCO (formerly MONUC) has its headquarters in Kinshasa. In 2016, the UN placed more peacekeepers on active duty in Kinshasa in response to the unrest directed against Kabila, at that time.<ref>"UN beefs up peacekeeping force in DR Congo capital Template:Webarchive", East African / AFP, 19 October 2016.</ref> Critics, including recentlyTemplate:When the US ambassador to the UN,<ref>"US Ambassador: UN Aiding 'Corrupt' Government in Congo Template:Webarchive", VOA News, 29 March 2017.</ref> have accused the peacekeeping mission of supporting a corrupt government.<ref>Terry M. Mays, Historical Dictionary of Multinational Peacekeeping, Third Edition; Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2011; p. 330.</ref><ref>"UN troops open fire in Kinshasa Template:Webarchive", BBC, 3 June 2004.</ref>
Other non-governmental organizations play significant roles in local governance.<ref>Inge Wagemakers, Oracle Makangu Diki, & Tom De Herdt, "Lutte Foncière dans la Ville: Gouvernance de la terre agricole urbaine à Kinshasa Template:Webarchive"; L’Afrique des grands lacs: Annuaire 2009–2010.</ref> Since 2016, the Belgian development agency (Coopération technique belge; CTB) has sponsored the Programme d'Appui aux Initiatives de Développement Communautaire (Paideco), a 6-million-euro program aimed at economic development. It began work in Kimbanseke, a hill commune with population verging on one million.<ref>Inge Wagemakers & Jean-Nicholas BCH, "Les Défis de l’Intervention: Programme d'aide internationale et dynamiques de gouvernance locale dans le Kinshasa périurbain Template:Webarchive"; Politique africaine 2013/1 no. 129; doi:10.3917/polaf.129.0113.</ref>
Economy
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Mining sector and export growth
[edit]In 2022, Kinshasa's GDP exceeded initial expectations by expanding 8.5%, as reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The mining industry in the DRC has been instrumental in maintaining a positive economic outlook, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Raw material exports, particularly cobalt and copper, have experienced historically high prices, resulting in substantial investment in the industry. Parenthetically, production has increased, and Covid-related restrictions have eased, leading to sustained economic growth.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Fiscal performance and debt sustainability
[edit]Despite facing external challenges, including the repercussions of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the DRC has shown fiscal stability. In 2022, tax performance exceeded projections, showcasing improved revenue generation. However, increased expenditures related to security concerns and internal arrears resulted in a deterioration of the overall budget balance. Nevertheless, the DRC's debt risk remains moderate, with public debt at 24.7% of GDP. The approval of the third review of the IMF program reflects the satisfactory performance of the country's reform efforts.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1" />
Companies, foreign exchange reserves, international support
[edit]Template:Multiple image Big manufacturing companies such as Marsavco S.A., All Pack Industries and Angel Cosmetics are located in the center of town (Gombe) in Kinshasa.
There are many other industries, such as Trust Merchant Bank, located in the heart of the city. Food processing is a major industry, and construction and other service industries also play a significant role in the economy.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
Although home to only 13% of the DRC's population, Kinshasa accounts for 85% of the Congolese economy as measured by gross domestic product.<ref name="ChirisaEtAl2017">Innocent Chirisa, Abraham Rajab Matamanda, & Liaison Mukarwi, "Desired and Achieved Urbanisation in Africa: In Search of Appropriate Tooling for a Sustainable Transformation”; in Umar Benna & Indo Benna, eds., Urbanization and Its Impact on Socio-Economic Growth in Developing Regions; IGI Global, 2017, Template:ISBN; pp. 101–102.</ref> A 2004 investigation found 70% of inhabitants employed informally, 17% in the public sector, 9% in the formal private sector, and 3% other, of a total 976,000 workers. Most new jobs are classified as informal.<ref name=Flouriot2013 /> By the end of 2022, Kinshasa's foreign exchange reserves had seen a significant improvement, soaring past $4.5 billion. The DRC benefits from support and partnerships with several global organizations and financial institutions, including the IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, China and France.<ref name=":2" />
The People's Republic of China has been heavily involved in the Congo since the 1970s, when they financed the construction of the Palais du Peuple and backed the government against rebels in the Shaba war. In 2007–2008 China and Congo signed an agreement for an $8.5 billion loan for infrastructure development.<ref>Emizet Francois Kisangani, Scott F. Bobb, "China, People's Republic of, Relations with"; Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2010; pp. 74 Template:Webarchive–75.</ref> Chinese entrepreneurs are gaining an increasing share of local marketplaces in Kinshasa, displacing in the process formerly successful Congolese, West African, Indian, and Lebanese merchants.<ref>Nuah M. Makungo, "Is the Democratic Republic of Congo being Globalized by China? The Case of Small Commerce at Kinshasa Central Market Template:Webarchive", Quarterly Journal of Chinese Studies 2(1), 2012.</ref>
Mean household spending in 2005 was the equivalent of US$2,150, amounting to $1 per day per person. The median household spending was $1,555, 66 cents per person per day. Among the poor, more than half of this spending goes to food, especially bread and cereal.<ref name=Flouriot2013 />
Education
[edit]
Kinshasa is home to several education institutes, covering a wide range of disciplines, including civil engineering, nursing, and journalism. The city is also home to three large universities and an arts school:
- Académie de Design (AD)
- Institut Supérieur d'Architecture et Urbanisme
- Pan-African University of the Congo
- University of Kinshasa
- Université Libre de Kinshasa
- Template:Interlanguage link
- Congo Protestant University
- Université Chretienne de Kinshasa
- National Pedagogy University
- National Institute of Arts
- Institut Supérieur de Publicité et Médias
- Centre for Health Training (CEFA)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Primary and secondary schools:
- Lycée Prince de Liège (primary and secondary education, French Community of Belgium curriculum)
- Prins van Luikschool Kinshasa (primary education, Flanders curriculum)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Lycée Français René Descartes (primary and secondary education, French curriculum)
- The American School of Kinshasa
- Allhadeff School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The education system in DRC is plagued by low coverage, low quality and poor educational infrastructure, especially in rural areas. According to USAID (2018), 3.5 million children of primary school age are out of school, and 44% of those who do attend school started only after age six. Various statistical estimates by UNESCO, (2013) regarding secondary and tertiary education also reveal the difficulties facing the country. In DRC it is difficult to get a reliable estimate on the actual proportion of the population who can read and write, however, according to data from UIS (2016), the literacy rate of the population of 15 years and older in the country, is estimated to 77.04%. This rate is 88.5% for men and 66.5% for women. There is also a shortage of reading material, and certainly no culture of reading for pleasure.<ref>[1] UNESCO :The Congo Literacy Project (The Democratic Republic of Congo)</ref>
Health and medicine
[edit]
There are twenty hospitals in Kinshasa, plus various medical centers and polyclinics.<ref>"Provincial Health Division of Kinshasa" Template:Webarchive African Development Information Services</ref>
Culture
[edit]
Template:See also Located in Kinshasa are the National Museum and the Kinshasa Fine Arts Academy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Kinshasa has a flourishing music scene which, since the 1960s, has operated under the patronage of the city's elite.<ref name=Trapido2016 /> The Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, formed in 1994, began using improved musical instruments and has since grown in means and reputation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A pop culture ideal type in Kinshasa is the mikiliste, a fashionable person with money who has traveled to Europe. Adrien Mombele, a.k.a. Stervos Niarcos, and musician Papa Wemba were early exemplars of the mikiliste style.<ref name=Trapido2016 /> La Sape, a linked cultural trend also described as dandyism, involves wearing flamboyant clothing.<ref>CNN Template:Webarchive, Dedicated followers of fashion: Congo’s designer dandies Mark Tutton, CNN 13 February 2012</ref>
Many Kinois have a negative view of the city, expressing nostalgia for the rural way of life, and a stronger association with the Congolese nation than with Kinshasa.<ref name="Freund2012">Bill Freund, "City and Nation in an African Context: National Identity in Kinshasa”; Journal of Urban History 38(5), 2012; doi:10.1177/0096144212449141.</ref>
Places of worship
[edit]-
Église Sainte-Anne de Kinshasa (Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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Église Francophone CBCO Kintambo (Baptist Community of Congo)
-
Eglise Saint Léopold à Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Among the places of worship, which are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Catholic Church), Kimbanguist Church, Baptist Community of Congo (Baptist World Alliance), Baptist Community of the Congo River (Baptist World Alliance), The Salvation Army, Assemblies of God, Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo (Anglican Communion), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has a temple and over 100 congregations in Kinshasa, Presbyterian Community in Congo (World Communion of Reformed Churches).<ref>J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 777</ref> There are also Muslim mosques. A Baha'i House of Worship is in construction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Jewish synagogue, operated by the Chabad world movement, exists.[2]
Media
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Press freedom is very low in the DRC, especially in Kinshasa. State run channels report little political news. Journalism is strictly controlled, with DRC scoring only 48.55% on the Press Freedom Index, in 2023.<ref>[Statistica: Africa Press Freedom https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221101/press-freedom-index-in-africa-by-country/ Template:Webarchive]</ref> Nevertheless, Kinshasa is home to several media outlets, including radio and television stations, including state-run Radio-Télévision nationale congolaise (RTNC) and privately run Digital Congo and Raga TV.
Several national radio stations, including La Voix du Congo, which is operated by RTNC, UN-backed Radio Okapi are based in Kinshasa, as well as numerous local stations. The BBC is also available in Kinshasa on 92.6 FM.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The state-controlled Agence Congolaise de Presse news agency is based in Kinshasa, as well as several daily and weekly newspapers and news websites, including L'Avenir (daily), La Conscience, LeCongolais (online), L'Observateur (daily), Le Phare, Le Potentiel, and Le Soft.<ref>"Countries: Democatric Republic of the Congo: News" (Archive).Template:Sic Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources. Retrieved on 28 April 2014.</ref>
Most of the media use French and Lingala to a large extent; very few use the other national languages.
Sports
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Sports, especially football and martial arts are popular in Kinshasa. The city is home to the country's national stadium, the Stade des Martyrs (Stadium of the Martyrs). The Vita Club, Daring Club Motema Pembe and AS Dragons frequently draws large crowds, enthusiastic and sometimes rowdy, to the Stade des Martyrs. Dojos are popular and their owners influential.<ref name=Trapido2016 />
In 1974, Kinshasa hosted The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, in which Ali defeated Foreman, to regain the World Heavyweight title.
Buildings and institutions
[edit]
Kinshasa is home to the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo including:
- the Palais de la Nation, home of the President, in Gombe;
- the Palais du Peuple, meeting place of both houses of Parliament, Senate and National Assembly, in Lingwala;
- the Palais de Justice, in Gombe;
- the Cité de l'OUA, built for the Organization of African Unity in the 1970s and now serving government functions, in Ngaliema.
The Central Bank of the Congo has its headquarters on Boulevard Colonel Tshatshi, across the street from the Mausoleum of Laurent Kabila and the presidential palace.
Notable features of the city include the Gecamines Commercial Building (formerly SOZACOM) and Hotel Memling; L'ONATRA, the building of the Ministry of Transport; the central market; the Limete Tower.
Infrastructure and housing
[edit]
The city's infrastructure for running water and electricity is generally in bad shape.<ref>Nzuzi (2008), p. 14.</ref> The electrical network is in disrepair to the extent that prolonged and periodic blackouts are normal, and exposed lines sometimes electrify pools of rainwater.<ref name=Trapido2016 /><ref name=Flouriot2013 />
Regideso, the national public company with primary responsibility for water supply in the Congo, serves Kinshasa only incompletely, and without uniform quality. Other areas are served by decentralized Associations des Usagers des Réseau d'Eau Potable (ASUREPs).<ref name="Bédécarrats2016" /> Gombe uses water at a high rate (306 liters per day per inhabitant) compared to other communes (from 71 L/d/i in Kintambo down to 2 L/d/i in Kimbanseke).<ref name="Flouriot2013" />
The city is estimated to produce 6,300 m3 of trash and 1,300 m3 of industrial waste per day, with little to no capacity for disposal.<ref name="Flouriot2013" />
The housing market has seen rising prices and rents since the 1980s. Houses and apartments in the central area are expensive, with houses selling for a million dollars and apartments going for $5000 per month. High prices have spread outward from the central area as owners and renters move out of the most expensive part of the city. Gated communities and shopping malls, built with foreign capital and technical expertise, began to appear in 2006. Urban renewal projects have led in some cases to violent conflict and displacement.<ref name=Trapido2016 /><ref>Aurélie Fontaine, "Housing: Kinshasa is for the rich”; Africa Report 5 May 2015.</ref> The high prices leave incoming refugees with few options for settlement besides illegal shantytowns such as Pakadjuma.<ref name=Iazzolino2016 />
In 2005, 55% of households had televisions and 43% had mobile phones. 11% had refrigerators and 5% had cars.<ref name=Flouriot2013 />
Transport
[edit]
The city-province has 5000 km of roadways, 10% of which are paved. The Boulevard du 30 Juin (Boulevard of 30 June) links the main areas of the central district of the city. Other roads also converge on Gombe. The east–west road network linking the more distant neighborhoods is weak and thus transit through much of the city is difficult.<ref name=Flouriot2013 /> The quality of roads has improved somewhat, developed in part with loans from China, since 2000.<ref name=Trapido2016 />
The public bus company for Kinshasa, created in 2003, is Transco (Transport au Congo).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Several companies operate registered taxis and taxi-buses, identifiable by their yellow color. In addition, an Uber-style, mobile phone, app-based, taxi hailing service was introduced in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Air
[edit]The city has two airports: N'djili Airport (FIH) is the main airport with connections to other African countries as well as to Istanbul, Brussels, Paris and some other destinations. N'Dolo Airport, located close to downtown, is used for domestic flights only with small turboprop aircraft. Several international airlines serve Ndjili Airport including Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air France and Turkish Airlines. An average of ten international flights depart each day from N'djili Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A small number of airlines provide domestic service from Kinshasa, for example Congo Airways and CAA. Both offer scheduled flights from Kinshasa to a limited number of cities inside DR Congo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rail
[edit]Template:See also Template:Refimprove section Template:Update
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The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> connects Kinshasa with Matadi, Congo's Atlantic port. The line reopened in September 2015 after around a decade without regular service. There is an intermittent service, with a poor safety record.
According to the Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports (SCTP), the Matadi-Kinshasa Railway (CFMK) has the highest transport of goods in import, 8 746 tonnes in January, 11,318 tonnes in February 10,032 tonnes in March, 7,244 tonnes in April, 5,024 tonnes in March and 7,745 tonnes in June. The monthly tonnage of exported goods reached only 1,000 tonnes in the month of March 2018. In January some 284 tonnes of goods were exported from the ports of Boma and Matadi, via the railway, and 711 tonnes in February, then 1,058 tonnes in March, 684 tonnes in April, 818 tonnes in May and 853 tonnes in June.
The monthly statistics for passenger traffic are as follows: 2,294 persons in January, 1,836 in February, 2065 in March, 2,660 in April, 1,952 in May and 2,660 in June.
The line connecting the port of Matadi to Kinshasa is 366 km long. Its distance has been since 3111 of 3112 feet or 42 inches (lane capped 1,067 meter): This railway belongs, in fact, to the National Railway Company of the Congo (Société nationale des chemins de fer du Congo; SNCC). It is only exploited by the SCTP, formerly ONATRA, according to an agreement signed by the two companies.
This line lost large shares of the market, following its lamentable state, insecurity on the rails (some trains are attacked), and the rehabilitation of the road along the rails in 2000. According to Congolese sources, an agreement with a Chinese construction company was signed in 2006, according to which this Chinese company will finance the renovation of the track, the rolling stock, the communication channels for the signaling, and the electrical power source. The ex-ONATRA has, in fact, opted for an aggressive commercial policy to revive the rails.
On June 30, 2018, the SCTP received two locomotives and 50 wagons from the African firm ARSS (African-Rolling Stock Solution).
In 2017, some 2.2 million tonnes of cement were produced by the two new start-up companies, PPC Barnet and Kongo Cement Factory (CIMKO). The SCTP did indeed transport part of this production to Kinshasa but the exact quantity was not communicated by the railway department of the company, the former DG Kimbembe Mazunga had communicated an agreed protocol of agreements with the cement manufacturers of Kongo-Central for the transport of their productions.
External transport
[edit]Kinshasa is the major river port of the Congo. The port, called 'Le Beach Ngobila' extends for about Template:Cvt along the river, comprising scores of quays and jetties with hundreds of boats and barges tied up. Ferries cross the river to Brazzaville, a distance of about Template:Cvt. River transport also connects to dozens of ports upstream, such as Kisangani and Bangui.
There are road and rail links to Matadi, the sea port in the Congo estuary Template:Cvt from the Atlantic Ocean.
There are no rail links from Kinshasa further inland, and road connections to much of the rest of the country are few and in poor condition, although there has been a road built to the city of Kikwit (around 500 km away) that has been in operation since 2015 or so. It was recently extended to the small city of Tshikapa.
Social issues
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Crime and punishment
[edit]Since the Second Congo War, the city has been striving to recover from disorder, with many youth gangs living and operating from Kinshasa's poorer areas.<ref>Jonny Hong, "Gang crime threatens the future of Congo's capital", Reuters, 19 June 2013.</ref> The U.S. State Department in 2010 informed travelers that Kinshasa and other major Congolese cities are generally safe for daytime travel, but to beware of robbers, especially in traffic jams and in areas near hotels and stores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Some sources say that Kinshasa is extremely dangerous, with one source giving a homicide rate of 112 per 100,000 people per year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another source cites a homicide rate of 12.3 per 100,000.<ref name="ElechiMorris2010">O. Oko Elechi and Angela R. Morris, “Congo, Democratic Republic of the (Congo-Kinshasa)”; in Mahesh K. Nalla & Graeme R. Newman (eds.), Crime and Punishment around the World, Volume 1: Africa and the Middle East; Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2010; pp. 53–56.</ref> By some accounts, crime in Kinshasa is not so rampant, due to relatively good relations among residents and perhaps to the severity with which even petty crime is punished.<ref name=Trapido2016 />
While the military and National Police operate their own jails in Kinshasa, the main detention facility under the jurisdiction of the local courts is the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Re-education center in Makala. This prison houses much more than its nominal capacity of 1,000 inmates. In 2024, the population of Makala Prison was reported at 15,000.<ref>[3] BBC News - 'Hell behind bars' - life in DR Congo's most notorious jail</ref> The Congolese military intelligence organization, Détection Militaire des Activités Anti-Patrie (DEMIAP) operates the Ouagadougou prison in Kintambo commune with notorious cruelty.<ref name=ElechiMorris2010 /><ref>Prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo Template:Webarchive, ed. Ryan Nelson, Refugee Documentation Center, Ireland; May 2002.</ref>
Street children
[edit]In the 2010s, street children or "Shegués", often orphaned, are subject to abuse by the police and military.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Of the estimated 20,000 children living on Kinshasa's streets, almost a quarter are beggars, some are street vendors and about a third have some kind of employment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some have fled from physically abusive families, notably step-parents, others were expelled from their families as they were believed to be witches,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and have become outcasts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Street children are mainly boys,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the percentage of girls is increasing according to UNICEF. Ndako ya Biso provides support for street children, including overnight accommodation for girls.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There are also second generation street children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
These children have been the object of considerable outside study.<ref>Camille Dugrand, “Subvertir l’ordre? Les ambivalences de l’expression politique des Shégués de Kinshasa”; Revue Tiers Monde 4(228), 2016; doi:10.3917/rtm.228.0045. "Figures incontournables de l’urbanité kinoise, les Shégués ont fait l’objet de plusieurs travaux scientifiques (Biaya, 1997, 2000; De Boeck, 2000, 2005; Geenen, 2009)."</ref>
Notable people
[edit]International relations
[edit]Kinshasa is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Template:Flagicon Brussels, Belgium<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Johannesburg, South Africa
- Template:Flagicon Ankara, Turkey, since 2005<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
[edit]With its mix of culture, history, and lively atmosphere, Kinshasa has become a focus for filmmakers, musicians, writers, and artists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cinematic and TV representations
[edit]
Kinshasa has been represented in various films, most notably in the film When We Were Kings (1996). This documentary chronicles the historic Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, held in Kinshasa in 1974. The film showcases the electrifying atmosphere of the city during the momentous event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In Viva Riva! (2010), directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga, the film offers a gritty portrayal of the city's underworld, showing the tension between corruption, ambition, and survival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Kinshasa's social complexities are explored in Félicité (2017), directed by Alain Gomis. The film explores themes of pliability, community, and the power of music in the face of adversity. The film portrayed the essence of Kinshasa, depicting its vivacious music scene and the struggles faced by its inhabitants with sensitivity and authenticity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2019, The Widow (TV series) was released on Amazon Prime and the UK's ITV network. The mini-series tells the story of a woman searching for her husband in Kinshasa, after believing he'd been killed in a plane crash.<ref>[4] Template:Webarchive, Rotten Tomatoes Season 1 The Widow 8 July 2019</ref>
Literary depictions
[edit]Throughout history, authors have depicted the essence of Kinshasa in their writing, delving into its diverse cultural fabric, storied past, and the personal narratives of its residents. Fiston Mwanza Mujila's Tram 83 depicts the city's nightlife while exploring themes of postcolonial identity and the struggle for social and economic progress.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Meanwhile, In Koli Jean Bofane's novel Congo Inc.: Bismarck's Testament the city serves as a microcosm of post-colonial Congo, exploring themes of globalization, political corruption, and environmental degradation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Music and dance
[edit]
The music scene of Kinshasa has also made a significant impact on popular culture. Congolese rumba, a genre born in the city during the 1930s, continues to resonate globally. Artists like Franco Luambo Makiadi, Syran Mbenza, Le Grand Kallé, Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley Rochereau, M'bilia Bel, Madilu System, Papa Noël Nedule, Vicky Longomba, Awilo Longomba, Pépé Kallé, Kanda Bongo Man, Nyboma Mwan'dido, General Defao, Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Werrason, Abeti Masikini, Lokua Kanza, Fally Ipupa, and Ferré Gola have played a key role in popularizing Congolese music on the international stage, infusing their compositions with Kinshasa's pulsating rhythms and infectious energy. The infectious beats of Congolese music have influenced artists across continents, shaping genres like soukous and influencing international musicians such as Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Visual arts and fashion
[edit]Kinshasa's street art scene has gained recognition globally, with talented artists using their creations to express social and political messages. Murals and graffiti, adorned with colorful imagery, can be found throughout the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
La Sape
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The La Sape subculture, characterized by extravagant and dapper fashion choices, has become an emblem of style, self-expression, and identity for the sapeurs of Kinshasa. It has gained international recognition through the lens of well-known photographers such as Daniele Tamagni. Tamagni's book Gentlemen of Bacongo (2009) showcases the impeccable style and distinct personalities of Kinshasa's sapeurs, accentuating their taste in tailored suits, bold hues, and eye-catching accessories.<ref name="lejournalinternational.fr">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city serves as the epicenter of La Sape, with various neighborhoods, communes and districts hosting events like le concours or la fête where sapeurs can display their style. La Sape has also inspired popular music and cultural expressions in Kinshasa, with sapeurs often featured in Congolese music videos as symbols of refinement and sophistication. Musicians such as Papa Wemba have embraced La Sape as an essential part of their artistic identity.<ref name="lejournalinternational.fr"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Martial arts
[edit]WWE wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura uses a running knee strike, called the Kinshasa, as his finisher, a reference to the eponymous city. The move was previously named as Bomaye (which translated to "kill him") during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling but was renamed in 2016 when he was signed with the WWE for trademark reasons.<ref name="cagesideseats.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Both Bomaye and Kinshasa are homages to Nakamura's mentor, Antonio Inoki, who received Bomaye as a nickname from Muhammad Ali when Inoki and Ali fought in 1976, with Ali first hearing Bomaye in Kinshasa during the Rumble In The Jungle.<ref name="cagesideseats.com"/>
See also
[edit]Films about Kinshasa
[edit]References
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Nzuzi, Francis Lelo (2008). Kinshasa: Ville et Environnement. Paris: L'Harmattan, September 2008. Template:ISBN.
- Pain, Marc (1984). Kinshasa: la ville et la cité. Paris: Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération.
External links
[edit]Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage
- Official website of the city of Kinshasa
- Map of the Belgian Congo from 1896 includes a map of Kinshasa
- Slideshow of 21 photos of Kinshasa from 2013 to 2015 on Open Society Foundations website
- Kinshasa: a travers le centre ville, May 2015 – footage from streets of Kinshasa
Template:Kinshasa Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control