Mbanza-Ngungu, formerly known as Thysville or Thysstad, named after

Albert Thys Albert Thys (28 November 1849 – 10 February 1915) was a Belgian businessman who was active in the Congo Free State. He gave his name of Thysville to the station of Sona Qongo, currently Mbanza-Ngungu in Bas-Congo. Born in Dalhem, Thys gra ...

, is a city and territory in Kongo Central Province in the western part of the

Democratic Republic of 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 a short branch off the Matadi-Kinshasa Railway. It has a population of nearly 100,000 people.

Overview

Formerly known as a

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

town, it is home to the

Thysville Caves The Thysville Caves are a cave complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located near the town of Mbanza-Ngungu (formerly Thysville). The cave complex is fed by tributaries of the Lower Congo River, and extends across an area of 750 square ki ...

, which encompass the entire range of the colourless

African blind barb ''Caecobarbus geertsi'', the African blind barb or Congo blind barb (known as ''Nzonzi a mpofo'' in the local Kikongo language, meaning "blind barb"), is a species of cyprinid fish. This threatened cavefish is only known from Democratic Republi ...

. It is home to a major FARDC

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

: the 1st Armoured Brigade was based here during the early 1990s period.Ed. by Sandra W. Meditz and Tim Merrill
Country Study for Zaire
1993,

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

The 1st Armoured Brigade was first listed in the IISS Military Balance in 1982-83 edition, implying that the brigade may have been created during that period.IISS Military Balance 82/83, page 71 The city's other main industry is railway engineering. The city is currently the main site of

Kongo University Kongo University (french: l’Université Kongo) is a university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its name is abbreviated to UK, after its French name. The main offices of the university are located in Mbanza-Ngungu. UK currently operat ...

Gallery

Swiss photographer

Annemarie Schwarzenbach Annemarie Minna Renée Schwarzenbach (23 May 1908 – 15 November 1942) was a Switzerland, Swiss writer, journalist and photographer. Her bisexual mother brought her up in a masculine style, and her androgynous image suited the Bohemianism, bohe ...

, took photos from May 1941 until March 1942. They are shown below. File:CH-NB - Belgisch-Kongo, Thysville (Mbanza Ngungu)- Eisenbahn - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-26-038.jpg, Two (2) trains, one has derailed, the other came to help. File:CH-NB - Belgisch-Kongo, Thysville (Mbanza Ngungu)- Alltagsszene - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-26-079.jpg, Daily life. File:CH-NB - Belgisch-Kongo, Thysville (Mbanza Ngungu)- Dorfansicht - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-26-051.jpg, View of the village. File:CH-NB - Belgisch-Kongo, Thysville (Mbanza Ngungu)- Landschaft - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-26-012.jpg, Hills around Mbanza-Ngungu.

References

Populated places in Kongo Central {{DRCongo-geo-stub

Overview

Gallery

See also

References