Buta is a city in the northern

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, lying on the

Rubi River The Rubi River (french: Rivière Rubi) is a left tributary of the Itimbiri River, which forms where the Rubi joins the Likati River. Course The Rubi River originates in the southeast of the Bas-Uélé province, then flows west until it meets the L ...

, a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Itimbiri River The Itimbiri River is a right tributary of the Congo River, which it joins above Bumba. At one time it was important as a navigable waterway for transporting good from the northeast of the country down to the Congo. Course The Itimbiri River or ...

. It is the capital of Bas-Uele province. As of 2012, it had an estimated population of 55,313. It is home to the

Buta Zega Airport Buta Zega Airport is an airport east of Buta in Bas-Uélé Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. See also * * * Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * List of airports in the Democratic Republic of the Congo This is a list ...

. Buta lies on the defunct narrow gauge

Vicicongo line Chemins de fer des Uele (Uele Railways or Vicicongo line) is a narrow-gauge line in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was built between 1924 and 1937 as a portage railway bypassing Congo River rapids. Route The line runs ...

built by the '' Société des Chemins de Fer Vicinaux du Congo'' that ran east from Aketi on the

past Buta to Zobia, Isiro and

Mungbere Mungbere is a small town in Haut-Uele province, in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Transport It was served by the terminal of a now non-operational narrow gauge railway from Bumba, known as the Vicicongo line. See also * Li ...

. The line ran from Kotili to Buta and onward to Andoma The line reached Buta on 1 July 1931. A branch line to Titulé via Andoma opened on 11 November 1932. Buta became an operational center for Vicicongo.

History

In early 2005, the town was the centre of an outbreak of pulmonary plague.

Education

Buta has many primary schools for students aged 6 to 14. After primary school is secondary school. Secondary school students are admitted into a 2 year orientation designed to deepen their understanding of what they learnt in primary school during their 7th and 8th year of school. This orination period also allows students to choose more specific studies to focus their education. Then there's a 4 year study period post-orientation before students go to university.

References

Sources

* Populated places in Bas-Uélé {{DRCongo-geo-stub