
Boma is a port town on the
Congo River, some upstream from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, in the
Kongo Central Province of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
(DRC), adjacent to the
border
Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...
with
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
. It had an estimated population of 162,521 in 2012.
Boma was the capital city of the
Congo Free State and
Belgian Congo (the modern Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1 May 1886 to 1923, when the capital was moved to Léopoldville (since renamed
Kinshasa). The port handles exports of tropical
timber,
bananas,
cocoa, and
palm products.
History
Boma was founded by European merchants in the 16th century as an
entrepôt, including for the
slave trade. Trade was chiefly in the hands of Dutch merchants, but British, French and Portuguese firms also had factories there. No European power exercised
sovereignty, though claims were from time to time put forward by Portugal.
British explorer
Henry Morton Stanley arrived here on 9 August 1877, after crossing Africa from east to west.
[Stanley, H.M., 1899, ''Through the Dark Continent,'' London: G. Newnes, Vol. One , Vol. Two, p. 359 ]
In 1884 the people of Boma were forced to grant a protectorate of their country to the
International Association of the Congo, made up of European powers.
[ This references H. M. Stanley, ''The Congo and the Founding of its Free State'' (London, 1885).] In 1886 King Leopold of Belgium established the
Congo Free State, designating Boma as its capital. He ran the state as his personal fiefdom for several years, nearly enslaving many Congolese with a private military, and abusing them to force rubber production. International outrage and action by the Belgian legislature resulted in the government taking over supervision of what was established as the colony of the
Belgian Congo in 1908.
Boma continued as the capital of the Belgian Congo until 1923.
Léopoldville, since renamed as
Kinshasa, was designated as the new capital.
Transport
Boma lies on the north bank of the
Congo River, some 100 km upstream from
Muanda, where the river flows into the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. The great width and depth of the river allow seagoing ships to reach Boma, which is the second-largest port of DR Congo, after
Matadi. Between 1889 and 1984, the port was served by the
Mayumbe line from
Tshela. The line was initially built as 610 mm (24 inch) gauge in 1889 before being converted to 600 mm in 1932.
Notable people
*
Antoine-Roger Bolamba (1913–2002), politician and poet
[ Albert S. Gerard]
European-language writing in sub-Saharan Africa, Volume 1
p. 164, accessed March 2010
*
Claude Kiambe (born 2003), singer-songwriter
Climate
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as
tropical wet and dry (''Aw'').
The highest record temperature was on February 25, 1976, while the lowest record temperature was on October 21, 1976.
Gallery
File:102 Le pier de Boma.jpg, Boma pier, 1899
File:103 Les autorités au bout du pier à Boma.jpg, Authorities at the end of the pier, Boma, 1899
File:Hezekiah Andrew Shanu-Anciens rois de Boma.jpg, ''The nine old kings of Boma'' (phot. H. A. Shanu, 1898), Royal Museum for Central Africa
File:Shinkakasa01.jpg, Fort de Shinkakasa – fortification on the Congo River near Boma
File:Boma church.jpg, Church of Boma, which still exists; oldest in the country
File:Residentie van de gouverneur-generaal.jpg, Residence of the Governor-General in Boma
File:Congo Map by Stanley.jpg, Henry Morton Stanley's map of the area during his expedition down the Congo River
File:L'église de Boma , RDC.jpg, Church of Boma, January 2007
See also
*
Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
References
External links
* (Images, etc.)
Boma Panorama
{{Authority control
Cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Communities on the Congo River
Populated places established in the 16th century
Populated places in Kongo Central