Bas-Congo

Bas-Congo Province du Bas-Congo
—  Province  —
Coordinates: 05°49′S 13°29′E
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Capital	Matadi
Largest city	Matadi
Government
• Governor	Simon Mbaki Batshia
Area
• Total	53,920 km2 (20,818.6 sq mi)
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	4,522,942
• Density	83.9/km2 (217.3/sq mi)
Demonym	Bakongo
National language	Kikongo
Districts	3
Cities	2
Website	kongocentral.net

Bas-Congo or Kongo Central is one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

History

Bas-Congo was formerly known as Congo Centrale and then Bas-Zaïre. At the time of the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the province was part of the greater province of Leopoldville, along with the city of Kinshasa and the districts of Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe.

Geography

Landscape of Kongo Central

Bas-Congo is the only province with a coastline (Atlantic Ocean). It borders the provinces of Kinshasa to the north-east, Kwango to the east, and the Republic of Angola to the south as well as the Republic of the Congo and Cabinda to the north.

Divisions

The provincial capital is Matadi. The only other official city is Boma. The remainder of the province is divided into the districts of Bas-Fleuve, Cataractes and Lukaya. Towns with their 2010 populations are:

Name	District	Territory	Pop. 2010	Coordinates
Boma	-	-	167,326	5°51′S 13°03′E
Inga	Bas-Fleuve District	Tshela Territory	10,417	5°39′S 13°39′E
Inkisi	Lukaya District	Kasangulu Territory	77,797	5°08′S 15°04′E
Kasangulu	Lukaya District	Kasangulu Territory	30,724	4°35′S 15°11′E
Kimpese	Cataractes District	Songololo Territory	53,660	5°33′S 14°26′E
Kimbula	Lukaya District	Kimbula Territory		5°43′03″S 15°57′44″E
Kinzau-Mvuete	Bas-Fleuve District	Tshela Territory	17,870	5°29′S 13°17′E
Lukula	Bas-Fleuve District	Lukula Territory	31,394	5°23′S 12°57′E
Luozi	Cataractes District	Luozi Territory	13,258	4°57′S 14°08′E
Madimba	Lukaya District	Madimba Territory		4°58′48″S 15°08′46″E
Matadi	-	-	291,338	5°49′S 13°29′E
Mbanza-Ngungu	Cataractes District	Mbanza-Ngungu Territory	97,037	5°15′S 14°52′E
Muanda	-	Muanda Territory	86,896	5°56′S 12°21′E
Seke-Banza	Bas-Fleuve District	Seke-Banza Territory	6,015	5°20′S 13°16′E
Songololo	Cataractes District	Songololo Territory	12,382	5°42′S 14°02′E
Tshela	Bas-Fleuve District	Tshela Territory	45,588	4°58′0″S 12°56′0″E

Following the 2005 Constitution (effective 18 February 2006), the Democratic Republic of the Congo was to be divided into 25 provinces within 36 months (18 February 2009); with Bas-Congo being renamed Kongo Central. As of October 2010, this had not taken place.