Matadi is the chief sea port of the
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 ...
and the capital of the
Kongo Central
Kongo Central ( kg, Kongo dia Kati ), formerly Bas-Congo is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Its capital is Matadi.
History
At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the g ...
province, adjacent to the
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
with
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
. It had a population of 245,862 (2004). Matadi is situated on the left bank of the
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
, from the mouth and below the last navigable point before the rapids that make the river impassable for a long stretch upriver. It was founded by
Sir Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh Americans, Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Afr ...
in 1879.
History
![108 Matadi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/108_Matadi._-_Le_marche.jpg)
Matadi was founded by
Sir Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh Americans, Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Afr ...
in 1879. It was strategically important because it was the last navigable port going upstream on the
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
; it became the furthest inland port in the
Congo Free State
''(Work and Progress)
, national_anthem = Vers l'avenir
, capital = Vivi Boma
, currency = Congo Free State franc
, religion = Catholicism (''de facto'')
, leader1 = Leopo ...
. The construction of the
Matadi–Kinshasa Railway
The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway is a railway line in Kongo Central province between Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the port of Matadi.
The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway was built between 1890 and 1898 in order to bypass ...
(built between 1890 and 1898) made it possible to transport goods from deeper within Congo's interior to the port of Matadi, stimulating the city to become an important trading center. Portuguese and French West-African commercial interests influenced the city's architecture and urban design, which borrowed from the neighboring colonies in
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
and the
Congo-Brazzaville
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
.
Culture
The word ''Matadi'' means stone in the local
Kikongo
Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from th ...
language. The town is built on steep hills. A local saying is that to live in Matadi, you must know the verbs "to go up", "to go down", and "to sweat". Upstream is a series of caves known as the "rock of
Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão (; -1486), anglicised as Diogo Cam and also known as Diego Cam, was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most notable navigators of the Age of Discovery. He made two voyages sailing along the west coast of Africa in the 1480s, explorin ...
", after
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
carved by the Portuguese explorer in 1485 marking the limit of his travels up the Congo River.
Yelala Rapids
The Yellala Falls (''Rapides de Yelala'' or ''Chutes Yelala''; also spelled as ''Ielala'') are a series of waterfalls and rapids on the Congo River just upstream from Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The falls are the lowest of a l ...
lies near the city.
Climate
Matadi has a relatively dry
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Aw'') with a lengthy
dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
from June to September due to the northerly extension of the cold, foggy
Benguela Current.
Infrastructure
![Matadi train station (21236934082)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Matadi_train_station_%2821236934082%29.jpg)
The mouth of the Congo forms one of Africa's largest harbours. In addition to Matadi, which is the furthest upriver, three ports are located within it, the others being
Boma and
Banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
in DR Congo and
Soyo
Soyo (formerly known as ''Santo António do Zaire'') is a city, with a population of 200,920 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 227,175 (2014 census), located in the province of Zaire in Angola, at the mouth of the Congo riv ...
in
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
. Matadi serves as a major import and export point for the whole nation. Chief exports are coffee and timber. The state fishing company "
Pemarza" uses the port to supply fish to Kinshasa.
Tshimpi Airport
Matadi Tshimpi Airport is an airport serving the city of Matadi in Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The runway is north of Matadi, across the Congo River.
The Matadi NDB (Ident: MS) is southeast of the runway.
Airlin ...
is nearby but is reportedly inactive because of continued warfare.
Matadi Bridge
The Matadi Bridge, also known as the OEBK Bridge for ''Organisation pour l’équipement de Banana-Kinshasa'', and formerly known as Pont Maréchal in French, is a suspension bridge across the Congo River at Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Co ...
, a suspension bridge 722 m- long with a main span of 520 m, built in 1983, crosses the river just south of Matadi, carrying the main road linking Kinshasa to the coast. After passing through Matadi and over the bridge, it continues to Boma,
Muanda
Moanda or Muanda is a town and territory lying on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the mouth of the Congo River., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency It is situated in Kongo Central Province ...
and Banana. Although built as a mixed rail and road bridge, no rail line is now operating over the bridge. Matadi is the port railhead for the 366 km long
Matadi-Kinshasa Railway, constructed to bypass the rapids on the river upstream. A
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...
to the builders of the railway stands on a nearby hill.
A power station on the
M'pozo River supplies power to Matadi.
Port
![Album Congo - Cover of trading cards from the Congo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Album_Congo_-_Cover_of_trading_cards_from_the_Congo.jpg)
The maximum draft of the port is 8.2m. The
Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...
maintains one operational command at the port.
Media
''
La Cité africaine de Matadi'' is a newspaper published in French in Matadi.
Gallery
File:106 Matadi.jpg, Matadi, 1899
File:109 Le marché de Matadi.jpg, The market, 1899
File:110 Un coin de marché à Matadi.jpg, A corner market in Matadi, 1899
File:111 Les élégantes au marché. - Matadi.jpg, Women at the market in Matadi, 1899
File:112 Au marché de Matadi.jpg, The market, 1899
File:113 Les hauteurs de Matadi.jpg, The houses of Matadi, 1899
File:114 Aux environs de Matadi.jpg, The surroundings of Matadi, 1899
File:Matadi port.jpg, Matadi port, circa 1942
Image:Matadi.jpg, Full Congo River at Matadi and the first rapids
Image:Matadi05.jpg, Arrival at Matadi station
Image:Vivi-matadi.jpg, Map of Matadi and Vivi around 1890
File:Matadi in 1930s.JPG, Matadi in 1930s
See also
*
Lake Chad replenishment project
*
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...
References
External links
Description of Matadi
{{Authority control
Populated places in Kongo Central
Populated places established in 1879
Library of Congress Africa Collection related
1879 establishments in Africa