Matadi

Matadi, port city, extreme western Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies along the Congo River opposite the town of Vivi. Matadi is situated 93 miles (150 km) upstream from the Atlantic port of Banana and is the farthest point up the river reached by oceangoing ships; cataracts prevent navigation farther upstream. It is the nation’s principal port, with one of the largest harbours in central Africa and a mile-long waterfront that is cut in granite. Located at the base of the Cristal Mountains, the city takes its name from the Kikongo word for stone. In 1879 the British-American explorer Henry (later Sir Henry) Morton Stanley opened a trading station there. Between 1890 and 1908 the first Congo railroad was built from Matadi past the cataract region to Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), the national capital (210 miles [338 km] northeast). The Inga Falls, 25 miles (40 km) upstream, have been developed for hydroelectric power. Pop. (2004 est.) 245,862.