Boma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| Boma | |
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 Boma
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| Coordinates: 5°51′S 13°03′E / 5.850°S 13.050°E | |
| Country |  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Province | Bas-Congo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Population (2012)[1] | |
| • Total | 162,521 |
| • Density | 2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi) |
Boma is a port town, on the Congo River some 100 km upstream from the Atlantic Ocean, in the Bas-Congo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009[update] it had an estimated population of 527,725.[2] Boma was the capital city of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (the modern Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1 May 1886 to 1926, when the capital was moved to Léopoldville (since renamed Kinshasa). The port handles exports of tropical timber, bananas, cacao, and palm products.
History
Boma was founded as a slaving station and entrepôt by merchants of several European countries in the 16th century.[3]
Transport
Boma lies on the north bank of the Congo River, some 100 km upstream from Muanda, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. The great width and depth of the river allow sea-going ships to reach Boma, which thus serves as DR Congo's major port.
Between 1889 and 1984, the port was served by a 610mm gauge railway line from Tshela.
People
- Antoine-Roger Bolamba, politician and poet, was born here in 1913.[4]
- M'pongo Love, popular Congolese singer, born in Boma 1956, d. 1990. (Aimee Fransoise Mpongo Lanu)[5]
References
- ^ World Gazetteer
- ^ "Congo (Dem. Rep.): largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
- ^ This article incorporates text from The Modern World Encyclopædia: Illustrated (1935); out of UK copyright as of 2005.
- ^ European-language writing in sub-Saharan Africa, Volume 1, Albert S. Gerard, accessed March 2010
- ^ [1]
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Boma, Congo-Kinshasa |
Coordinates: 05°51′00″S 13°03′00″E / 5.85000°S 13.05000°E
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