Mbuji-Mayi
| Mbuji-Mayi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 6 ° 9 ′ S , 23 ° 36 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Democratic Republic of Congo | ||
| Kasaï-Oriental | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | CD-KE | ||
| height | 584 m | ||
| Residents | 2,201,000 (2017) | ||
 Mbuji-Mayi Airport
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Mbuji-Mayi (until 1966 Bakwanga ) is a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is the capital of the Kasaï-Oriental province and has around 2,201,000 inhabitants (as of 2017).
geography
The city is located in the southern center of the country on the Bushimaie River .
population
As in most cities in the DR Congo, the population is growing rapidly. For 2050 a population of almost 6 million is expected.
Population development according to the UN
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 68,000 |
| 1960 | 136,000 |
| 1970 | 275,000 |
| 1980 | 413,000 |
| 1990 | 640,000 |
| 2000 | 1,011,000 |
| 2010 | 1,598,000 |
| 2017 | 2,201,000 |
history
The city was founded after 1910 as Bakwanga by the Belgian colonial rulers as a diamond mining station.
After the independence of the Congo in June 1960, Bakwanga was the capital of the breakaway province of South Kasai until December 1961 . In the following period, the city grew rapidly due to immigration by the Luba . In 1966 the city was renamed “Mbuji-Mayi” as part of the “ Africanization ” initiated by the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko .
The recent past has been marked by the exploitation of the city's wealth and the misery of its inhabitants. People hardly benefit from diamond mining by the Societé minière de Bakwanga (MIBA). Since 1993 there have been supply problems for the Shaba refugees in the region .
economy
The region around the city is considered to be an important diamond mining area worldwide .
Personalities
- Oscar Nkolo Kanowa (* 1957), Roman Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Mweka
- Mulota Kabangu (* 1985), national soccer player.
- Landry Dimata (* 1997), Belgian U21 international
religion
Mbuji-Mayi is the seat of the Mbujimayi diocese .
Individual evidence
- ↑ City population 2050 | Sustainability Today. Retrieved July 24, 2018 .
- ↑ World Urbanization Prospects - Population Division - United Nations. Retrieved July 23, 2018 .