Nkayi is a town and a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Bouenza Department Bouenza (can also be written as ''Buenza'') is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the southern part of the country. It borders the departments of Lékoumou, Niari, and Pool, and internationally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

of the Republic of the Congo. It is the country's fourth largest city with a population of 71,620 (2007 census). Nkayi is a major sugar production centre in the country.

Transport

The city is served by a station on the national

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

network, the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is home to

Yokangassi Airport Yokangassi Airport is an airport serving the town of Nkayi in Bouenza Department, Republic of the Congo. The runway is south of the town. See also * * * List of airports in the Republic of the Congo * Transport in the Republic of the Congo ...

, also known as Nkayi Airport.

History

Situated in the fertile Niari Valley, the town was named Jacob in 1887. That was the name of the French engineer who led the first mission to select the best route for the Congo-Ocean Railway. Then the city began growing thanks to the thriving

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

plantations led by important agroindustries. In 1975, Jacob had a population of 25,000, and its name was changed to the native one of Nkayi. The city is the fourth largest town in the Republic of the Congo since 1980. Since 2004, Nkayi has got the status of commune and is divided in two urban districts (''arrondissements''): # Mouana Nto (Mouana Ntô) # Soulouka

References

* Decalo S., Thompson V. & Adloff R. 1984. ''Historical dictionary of Congo'' Pg 218-219. USA: The Scarecrow Press, Inc {{coord, 4, 10, S, 13, 18, E, region:CG_type:city, display=title Bouenza Department Communes of the Republic of the Congo Populated places in the Republic of the Congo