Editing Kinshasa (section)

=== Relief ===
{{Multiple image
| image1            = A view of Congo River from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).jpg
| caption1          = A view of [[Congo River]] from Kinshasa
| image2            = Sun Set by the Congo River-1 - Kinshasa, DRC.jpg
| caption2          = [[Sunset]] by the Congo River in Kinshasa
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| total_width       = 420
}}

Topographically, Kinshasa has a [[marsh]]y, [[alluvial plain]], with altitudes ranging from 275 to 300 meters, along with hilly terrain that elevates from 310 to 370 meters.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnQQBAAAQBAJ&dq=Kinshasa+alluvial+plain&pg=PA147 |title=Agriculture in Urban Planning: Generating Livelihoods and Food Security |date=2012-05-16 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-136-57205-0 |editor-last=Redwood |editor-first=Mark |location=Thames, Oxfordshire United Kingdom |pages=8 |language=en |access-date=2 May 2024 |archive-date=25 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525162459/https://books.google.com/books?id=NnQQBAAAQBAJ&dq=Kinshasa+alluvial+plain&pg=PA147#v=onepage&q=Kinshasa%20alluvial%20plain&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pVutDwAAQBAJ&dq=Kinshasa+alluvial+plain&pg=PA32 |title=Congo Republic Energy Policy, Laws and Regulations Handbook - Strategic Information and Basic Laws |date=2017-11-22 |publisher=Global Pro Info USA |isbn=978-1-5145-1238-8 |location=Miami, Florida, United States |pages=32 |language=en |access-date=2 May 2024 |archive-date=25 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525162526/https://books.google.com/books?id=pVutDwAAQBAJ&dq=Kinshasa+alluvial+plain&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q=Kinshasa%20alluvial%20plain&f=false |url-status=live }}</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 [[Urban area|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|Ngaliema Municipality]] to the west and [[Maluku, Kinshasa|Maluku Municipality]] to the east, traversing through [[Gombe, Kinshasa|Gombe]], [[Barumbu]], [[Limete]], [[Masina, Kinshasa|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 [[Ndjili, Kinshasa|N'djili]] and [[Mont Ngafula|Mount Ngafula]]. It comprises stony blocks of soft [[sandstone]] and [[Silicon dioxide|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" />