Kinshasa

Kinshasa (/kɪnˈʃɑːsə/; formerly Leopoldville (French: Léopoldville or Dutch  Leopoldstad )) is the capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the Congo River.

Once a site of fishing villages, Kinshasa is now an urban area with a 2014 population of over 11 million. It faces the capital of the neighbouring Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, which can be seen in the distance across the wide Congo River. The city of Kinshasa is also one of the DRC's 11 provinces. Because the administrative boundaries of the city-province cover a vast area, over 90% of the city-province's land is rural in nature, and the urban area only occupies a small section in the far western end of the city-province.

Kinshasa is the third largest urban area in Africa after Cairo and Lagos. It is also the second largest "francophone" urban area in the world after Paris, French being the language of government, schools, newspapers, public services and high-end commerce in the city, while Lingala is used as a lingua franca in the street. If current demographic trends continue, Kinshasa should surpass Paris in population around 2020. Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012.

Kinshasa (commune)

Kinshasa is a municipality (commune) in the Lukunga district of the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is situated in the east of the city, south of Gombe and the Boulevard du 30 Juin. In existence since the founding of Léopoldville, the place became with Barumbu and Lingwala part of the city developed indigenous beginning of the twentieth century. The place was once the 1940s linked to the historic heart of Léopoldville, now located at Kintambo, from the boulevard du 30‑Juin. He gave his name to the entire city in 1966.

The district is now home to several institutions of the city of Kinshasa, such as the Grand Market of Kinshasa, the Somba Zikita Market, and the zoological garden.

Demographics

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