Kinshasa |
General Information:
Kinshasa is a sprawling city situated on the southern bank of Congo River on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a population of about 7.5 million (2005 census), it is one of the largest cities of Congo and second largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. Henry M. Stanley an Anglo-American explorer founded the city in 1881 and named it as Léopoldville in honor of Belgian King Léopold II . Under the power of Mobutu Sese Seko, Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa in 1966. The name Kinshasa originated from a surrounding African village named Kinchassa. The city flourished under Mobutu amidst corruptions and civil war. It is a major cultural an industrial center of Congo. Kinshasa is noted for its modern African music. The climate is tropical with hot and humid seasons.
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Tourist Attractions:
Lovanium University of Kinshasa (1954) is a premier tourist attraction of Kinshasa. The university houses an archaeological museum, the National School of Law and Administration, a telecommunications school, a tropical medicine center and Africana Museum. The museum displays an exotic collection of African artifacts that bring out the historical significance of the various eras of Congo. Musee National De Kinshasa museum also depicts the historical background with its large collection of artworks.
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The chapel of the American Baptist Missionary Society (1891) and a Roman Catholic cathedral (1914) are other notable places of visit. Symphonies Naturelles is a wonderful forest reserve in the center of Kinshasa.
Transportation:
N'Djili International Airport or Kinshasa International Airport, is one of the principal airports of Congo. Bravo Air Congo, Hewa Bora Airways and Wimbi Dira Airways operates flights through the airport. There are ferry serbvices from the river port the Congo river, to Brazzaville. There are road and rail links to Matadi, the major sea port on the Atlantic Ocean. Rail and road connections in the rest of the country are in poor condition.
Shopping:
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There are a good number of shopping malls, boutique and markets that provide excellent shopping opportunities to the Kinshasa tourists.
Hotels:
Hotel Memling located on 5 Avenue du Tchad Kinshasa Congo is a top class hotel of Kinshasa. Grand Hotel located on Avenue Batetela-Gombe not very far from the International NDjili Airport is the only 5 star hotel of the country equipped with ultra modern amenities and luxurious accommodation.
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There are also many hotels and lodges that are available in moderate to cheaper price ranges.
For further information on Kinshasa flip through the pages of Allwonderscities.Com.
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