Kwango

Kwango
Province du Kwango (French)
Location of Kwango
Coordinates: 4°49′18.64″S 17°2′23.57″E / 4.8218444°S 17.0398806°E / -4.8218444; 17.0398806
Country DR Congo
Established2015
Named forKwango River
CapitalKenge
Government
 • GovernorWilly Bitwisila[1]
Area
 • Total89,974 km2 (34,739 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 est.)
 • Total2,618,700
 • Density29/km2 (75/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (West Africa Time)
License Plate CodeDemocratic Republic of the Congo CGO / 11
Official languageFrench
National languageKikongo ya leta

Kwango is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's one of the 21 provinces created in the 2015 repartitioning. Kwango, Kwilu, and Mai-Ndombe provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former Bandundu province.[2] Kwango was formed from the Kwango district whose town of Kenge was made the provincial capital and thus gained city status.

The province takes its name from the Kwango River, a tributary of the Kasai River that defines part of the international boundary between the DRC and Angola.

Towns/territories

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The capital of Kwango district is Kenge,[3] and other towns in the region are Popokabaka, Feshi, Kasongo Lunda, Lusanga and Kahemba. The province is in the southwest of the DRC, bordering Angola to the south.[4] Territories are:

History

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Kwango previously existed as a province from 1962 to 1966. Presidents (from 1965, governors)

  • 23 September 1962 – 11 November 1962 Albert Delvaux (fl. 1918)
  • November 1962 Emmanuel Mayamba
  • 1962 – April 1963 Alphonse Pashi
  • August 1963 – April 1964 Pierre Masikita (1st time)
  • April 1964 – 30 September 1964 Belunda Kavunzu
  • 30 September 1964 –24 August 1965 Joseph Kulumba
  • 24 August 1965 – 25 April 1966 Pierre Masikita (2nd time)

From 1966 to 2015, Kwango was administered as a district as part of Bandundu Province, later returning to full provincial status with its capital based at Kenge on 18 July 2015.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Le nouveau gouverneur du Kwango prend ses fonctions". Radio Okapi (in French). 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  2. ^ "RDC: démembrement effectif du Bandundu". Radio Okapi (in French). 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo". Statiods.com.
  4. ^ Blaes, X. (October 2008). "Découpage administratif de la République Démocratique du Congo" (PDF). UNOCHA and PNUD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-18.
  5. ^ "Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Kinshasa)". Statoids. Retrieved 2011-11-22.