Former place names in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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This is a list of place names of towns and cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which were subsequently changed after the end of Belgian colonial rule. Place names of the colonial era tended to have two versions, one in French and one in Dutch, reflecting the languages of Belgium. Many of these place names were chosen after local geography or eponymous colonial figures.
Many of the place name changes occurred under the authenticité programme in the 1970s during the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu also changed the country's name from Congo to Zaire. Today, European speakers of both French and Dutch use the modern Congolese place names.
Towns and cities[edit]
Kinshasa, formerly known as Léopoldville or Leopoldstad
Lubumbashi, formerly known as Élisabethville or Elisabethstad
Kisangani, formerly known as Stanleyville or Stanleystad
Mbandaka, formerly Coquilhatville or Cocquilhatstad
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Landmarks and geographic terms[edit]
Malebo Pool, formerly Stanley Pool
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ From 1937. Before that, the city was known as Makaku or Makal
References[edit]
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