Kisangani

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kisangani, formerly (until 1966) Stanleyville, city, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city lies along the Congo River, just below the Boyoma (formerly Stanley) Falls. It is the country’s major inland port after Kinshasa. The Boyoma Falls, consisting of seven cataracts, impede river navigation above Kisangani for about 56 miles (90 km); a short railroad and road were built to carry river freight and other goods between Kisangani and the port of Ubundu, located above the falls.

The city was established in 1883 by Europeans and was known first as Falls Station and then as Stanleyville (for Sir Henry Morton Stanley). It has been the major centre of the northern Congo since the late 1800s. Kisangani’s industries include brewing, furniture and clothing making, and printing. The surrounding region is agricultural, yielding palm, rice, cotton products, coffee, cocoa, rubber, timber, and quinine. A hydroelectric dam is at the falls of the nearby Tshopo River, a Congo tributary. The former Free University of the Congo (1963) became the University of Kisangani in 1981. The city also has a teacher-training school and an agricultural school and research institute. An international airfield was opened in 1974. The city’s population and infrastructure were negatively impacted by conflict in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Pop. (2010 est.) 812,000.