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 grad ...
, is a city and territory in
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 ...
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 mili ...
: 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 libra ...
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 oper ...
.
Gallery
Swiss photographer
Annemarie Schwarzenbach
Annemarie Minna Renée Schwarzenbach (23 May 1908 – 15 November 1942) was a Swiss writer, journalist and photographer. Her bisexual mother brought her up in a masculine style, and her androgynous image suited the bohemian Berlin society of the ...
, 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.
See also
*
*
Tintin in the Congo
References
Populated places in Kongo Central
{{DRCongo-geo-stub