Things to do in Kinshasa City
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Loading... - Fabrice Bekono
- 30 Aug 2022
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The Things to do in Kinshasa city are many but some background information will help understand everything better. Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It lies on the Southern banks of the great river Congo and 515 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. Kinshasa has grown from a small fishing village into one of the largest metropolitan areas in Africa. Kinshasa is the cultural and intellectual Centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo but has also influenced many parts of sub-Saharan Africa in the past 30 years. It is the largest French speaking city in the world – larger than Paris. The temperature is generally warm for much of the day from May to September. Temperatures generally drop during the rainy season between October and May.
The city is divided into three main zones – residential, commercial and industrial. The industrial zone is located in the eastern part of the city, while to the east lies most of the residential apartments for the elite class of Congolese and Europeans. Most of the key administration building, embassies and offices of international organizations lie at the center.
Kinshasa is one of the most densely populated cities in Africa with about 12,000,000 people. Most of the population is young (below 22 years). The high number of people in the capital is mainly attributed to the civil wars that have affected the country in the recent past. Other reasons include a love for city life and the economic hardships that come with modernization. Like in many developing countries, there is a sharp contrast between the poor and the rich class.
One will be astonished to find great opulence and mansions in places like `Binza and Ndjili while some other parts consist of mainly slum areas with the occasional middle class buildings. Most of these slum areas have poorly paved roads and you get this feeling that they are occupied by new arrivals from the remote parts of the country. Despite the contrasting lifestyles, chaos and years of civil war in some parts of the country, Congolese people share one thing – A zest for life, music and flamboyant fashion.
Congolese music developed a lot faster than in other areas of Africa. By the 1960’s, Congolese music was already popular in most African countries. In Franco Luambo, Congo produced one of the best guitarists Africa has ever seen. His recordings were great masterpieces with rich wordplay covering every aspect of life. The Congolese musicians in Kinshasa were among the first to appreciate and introduce high quality recordings and live performances. The audiophile will be impressed with the quality of Congolese recordings especially in the late 1970’s and 80’s. Enough of the elaboration. What at the key attractions in Kinshasa? Before we go to them, you might find our article about the tourist attractions in Goma and the things to do in Congo interesting. We also have information about the top game parks in Congo. Read More...
