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57-478: Historically, Barumbu's development paralleled Kinshasa's transition from a colonial outpost known as Léopoldville to a sprawling urban center. The commune is often called Kinshasa's "museum commune" for its preserved historical architecture, including colonial-era residences constructed from compressed earth. Barumbu has seen rapid urbanization, with a notable increase in multi- story residential buildings, particularly apartment complexes. The area has also experienced

114-694: A lingua franca along populations around the Congo River. By 1959, Léopoldville had a population of more than 300,000 and was one of the biggest urban centres in Sub-Saharan Africa . On independence in 1960, Léopoldville became the capital city of the newly formed Republic of the Congo and continued to expand rapidly during the Congo Crisis and under the regime of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu . As an early example of Mobutu's programme of retour à l'authenticité for

171-517: A coastal ridge. Barumbu shares borders with several prominent communes and landmarks. To the north, it is bordered by the Gombe commune , delineated by a line extending from Avenue Télégraphie along Avenue Luambo Makiadi (formerly Avenue Bokassa) until it intersects with Avenue Bakongo. The boundary continues along Tabora Avenue, eventually meeting the Bitshaku-Tshaku River. To the south, it adjoins

228-429: A commercial boom, with a proliferation of shops and boutiques . Barumbu spans the expansive Kinshasa plain and extends into adjacent wetland areas. The commune lies within an east-west depression , where the water table is close to the surface, often within two meters. The base elevation of Barumbu remains around 280 to 282 meters; however, there is a gradual rise in the north, reaching approximately 286 meters along

285-552: A common language in this multiethnic city. As time went on, textiles and brewing developed as local industries in addition to boat-building. However, Kinshasa did not profit greatly from the emergence of copper industry in Katanga Province after the First World War, the output from which was diverted first through British territories and then through Portuguese Angola . Léopoldville began to undergo major expansion around

342-565: A distinct rainy season. Also subtropical areas like Florida , South and Southeast Texas, and southern Louisiana in the United States have a rainy season. Monsoon regions include the Indian subcontinent , Southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Philippines ), northern sections of Australia , Polynesia , Central America , western and southern Mexico , the Desert Southwest of

399-683: A new election would be delayed two years led to large protests in September and in December which involved barricades in the streets and left dozens of people dead. Schools and businesses were closed down. The population of Kinshasa has increased steadily, due to endogenous growth and to migration from the countryside. Migrants come to the city fleeing violence, attracted by the promise of jobs, and lured by its cultural image. [REDACTED] Media related to History of Kinshasa at Wikimedia Commons Wet season The wet season (sometimes called

456-499: A population of almost 13 million and is the 21st largest city in the world . From the 16th to 17th century, the Pool region became an important hub between the river and coastal areas. Vegetables of the Americas were also introduced to the interior of the continent through trade; slaves (most often the losers in various conflicts) were travelling to Loango , the mouth of the river and south of

513-787: A significant footprint of approximately 60 meters, the actual road width is narrow, measuring just 7 meters. The primary and secondary roads in Barumbu, which include extensions of Kinshasa, Kabinda, Kabambare, and Itaga avenues, are paved and generally in good condition, while tertiary, unpaved roads frequently deteriorate during the rainy season. Barumbu has around 18 kilometers of surfaced roads and 41 kilometers of dirt roads , which present challenges during wet weather. Key access routes to Barumbu include Kabambare, Bokassa, and Kasaï avenues, although these roads are in an advanced state of disrepair, with partial rehabilitation occurring only on sections of Kabambare and Kabinda avenues in 2009. Traffic congestion

570-456: A toilet connected to a septic pit , which requires regular emptying, and a shower with water flowing freely onto the plot or toward the roadside gutter. Rainwater drainage is insufficient, often resulting in water pooling and flooding residences. A 2007 inspection, partially funded by Lukunga District, reviewed 4,621 plots, revealing widespread issues: The Régie des Voies Aériennes de la République Démocratique du Congo has its head office in

627-538: A trading post on a hill close to the shore of Ngaliema Bay in 1881 some distance to the west of the modern-day city centre. Stanley named the settlement Léopoldville (French) or Leopoldstad (Dutch) in honour of King Leopold II who was the patron of the International Association of the Congo ( Association internationale du Congo , AIC) and later King-Sovereign of the Congo Free State . Stanley delegated

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684-615: A wet season in the winter months. Similarly, the wet season in the Negev Desert of Israel extends from October through May. At the boundary between the Mediterranean and monsoon climates lies the Sonoran Desert , which receives the two rainy seasons associated with each climate regime. The wet season is known by many different local names throughout the world. For example, in Mexico it

741-407: A wet season month is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimetres (2.4 in) or more. In contrast to areas with savanna climates and monsoon regimes, Mediterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers. Dry and rainy months are characteristic of tropical seasonal forests : in contrast to tropical rainforests , which do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall

798-412: Is common near Ndolo Airport due to poor road conditions. The commune lacks a large central market, instead having three smaller markets known as "Wenze ya Imbwa", "Wenze ya Libulu", and Kabambare Market. Barumbu is also home to two military installations: Camp Ndolo, which includes a prison, and Camp Mbaki. Land management has posed additional challenges, with unauthorized encroachment on areas around

855-603: Is equally distributed throughout the year. Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season, when the Intertropical Convergence Zone or monsoon trough moves to higher latitudes in the middle of the warm season. When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer , precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening. In the wet season, air quality improves, fresh water quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in

912-503: Is known as "storm season". Different names are given to the various short "seasons" of the year by the First Nations of Northern Australia : the wet season typically experienced there from December to March is called Gudjewg . The precise meaning of the word is disputed, although it is widely accepted to relate to the severe thunderstorms, flooding, and abundant vegetation growth commonly experienced at this time. In tropical areas, when

969-563: Is light, highly permeable, and has limited humus content, with sand accounting for over 56% of its composition. Consequently, the soil in Barumbu is known for its sandy texture. Barumbu is traversed by several water bodies , including the Kalamu River and the Nyanza and Bitshaku-Tshaku collectors. The Bitshaku-Tshaku, Barumbu's main watercourse, runs southwest to northeast, fed by an exposed water table. Originating near Stade Cardinal Malula in

1026-472: Is the capital of the neighbouring Republic of the Congo . Considered a megacity , it is among the largest urban communities in Africa . The origins of the modern-day city date to 1881 when a trading post was established on the site by Henry Morton Stanley on behalf of the International Association of the Congo . He named it Léopoldville ( French ) or Leopoldstad ( Dutch ) in honour of King Leopold II who

1083-457: The Kongo Kingdom . The Bobangis , sometimes called Bangala (people of the river), occupied the major part of trade with the equatorial region in navigating the river and its river to the villages Téké Pool. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries of mostly fishermen and traders from the north Teke install markets and villages in the southern Pool Malebo and on the board that will appoint

1140-510: The Second Congo War . It was very recently the scene of fighting between loyalists of Jean-Pierre Bemba and Joseph Kabila following the 2006 general elections ; 600 people, including untold numbers of civilian bystanders were killed or wounded. Joseph Kabila, raised in Tanzania, and a poor speaker of French and Lingala, has not endeared himself to the locals. The announcement in 2016 that

1197-465: The rainy season or monsoon season ) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics and subtropics . Under the Köppen climate classification , for tropical climates ,

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1254-462: The 1930s began to rise again at the same rate. On the eve of independence in 1959 the city population was 300,000 including 25,000 Europeans. Some researchers have identified Léopoldville as an origin point of the HIV/AIDS pandemic . A University of Oxford team in 2014 reported a high likelihood that the ancestor of HIV-1, Group M emerged Léopoldville between 1909 and 1930. The original layout of

1311-567: The Belgian airline Sabena . The African population was 20,000 in 1920 and 27,000 in 1924; the European population rose from 245 in 1908 to 2,521 in 1914 to 2,521 in 1918. In 1926, the city was elevated to capital of the Belgian Congo , replacing the far smaller town of Boma in the Congo estuary . By 1929 the city population was 48,088 including 2,766 Europeans and after a decline at the beginning of

1368-554: The Congo in his second coup and initiated a policy of "Africanizing" the names of people and places in the country. In 1966, Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa for a village named Kinchassa that once stood near the site. The city developed as the bureaucratic and cultural capital of the country, and developed an indigenous intellectual elite. In 1974, Kinshasa hosted the ' Rumble in the Jungle ' boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman , in which Ali defeated Foreman to regain

1425-751: The Kinshasa commune, it flows parallel to Kilosa Avenue and veers northeast at Itaga Avenue to merge with the river at Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports , covering approximately 2,800 meters. The Bitshaku-Tshaku has two significant tributaries, the Bakongo and Itaga streams, and receives rainwater from the Marais, Plateau, and Bokassa avenues. The Bitshaku-Tshaku has a gentle slope of approximately 2%, with its entire length masonry -lined to stabilize its course. This waterway 's trapezoidal cross-section, set at 45-degree angles, varies in width, reaching up to 6 meters in

1482-601: The Ndolo neighbourhood of Barumbu. The airline Air Kasaï had its head office on the property of N'Dolo Airport in Barumbu. When it operated, Hewa Bora Airways had its head office in Barumbu. History of Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is situated on the Congo River near Pool Malebo and forms a single urban area with Brazzaville which

1539-787: The United States, southern Guyana , and northeast Brazil . Northern Guyana has two wet seasons: one in early spring and the other in early winter. In western Africa, there are two rainy seasons across southern sections, but only one across the north. Within the Mediterranean climate regime, the west coast of the United States, the southwest coast of Australia and South Africa, the Mediterranean coastline of Italy, Spain, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as areas further inland in Western Asia which include Jordan, Northern Iraq and most parts of Iran, experience

1596-470: The World Heavyweight title. Kinshasa suffered greatly from the late 1970s through 1990s due to Mobutu's excesses, mass corruption, nepotism and the civil war that led to his downfall. Foreign businesses left, and roads , infrastructure , and transport links with other cities deteriorated. However, population continued to increase, due to endogenous growth and to migration from the countryside—driven by

1653-403: The beginning of the wet season. The onset of the rainy season signals the departure of the monarch butterfly from Mexico. Tropical species of butterflies show larger dot markings on their wings to fend off possible predators and are more active during the wet season than the dry season . Within the tropics and warmer areas of the subtropics, decreased salinity of near shore wetlands due to

1710-554: The charging of local aquifers during the wet season. Water also softens, as the concentration of dissolved materials reduces during the rainy season. Erosion is also increased during rainy periods. Arroyos that are dry at other times of the year fill with runoff, in some cases with water as deep as 10 feet (3.0 m). Leaching of soils during periods of heavy rainfall depletes nutrients. The higher runoff from land masses affects nearby ocean areas, which are more stratified , or less mixed, due to stronger surface currents forced by

1767-463: The city was segregated between African and European, with a "no man's land" in between. As the city grew this in-between area became the commercial district. The city was formally redesigned in the 1930s with stricter rules for segregation and a bigger central area. A new central market for both races, as well as a golf club, a park, and a botanical garden for whites, were developed as part of the new cordon sanitaire dividing (not altogether effectively)

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1824-523: The coast. The completion of the Matadi-Léopoldville portage railway in 1898 provided a faster and more efficient alternative route around the rapids and sparked the rapid development of the settlement. Local indigenous groups died off in large numbers and the city saw immigration from other parts of Congo. Many immigrants came to join the Force Publique and encouraged the spread of Lingala as

1881-652: The colonial administration and Governor-General . A residentially segregated city, the street-plan and general layout of the city centre dates to the Belgian colonial period. The population expanded rapidly as a result of rural migration from across the colony, particularly in the aftermath of World War II . By the late 1950s it became central to the spread of African nationalism in the Belgian Congo. The popular music genre of Congolese rumba first emerged in Léopoldville and Brazzaville in this period and Lingala spread as

1938-414: The commune's infrastructure is organized around densely built residential plots . These plots serve as the fundamental units of land use , with most dedicated to housing and some accommodating small street-side businesses. The average plot covers around 300 square meters, with a high land occupation rate where buildings cover 70% or more of the plot on three-quarters of the properties. This density impacts

1995-522: The commune's landscape. The remnants of Barumbu's original vegetation are now mainly limited to areas like the Binza Météo reserves, which serve as a reminder of the once-abundant flora. Today, the natural vegetation in Barumbu has largely been replaced by urban infrastructure, subdivisions, and various forms of cultivated greenery. The area is now populated with fruit-bearing trees, such as mango and avocado , along with ornamental plants , integrated within

2052-775: The communes of Kalamu and Limete , separated by the Kalamu River and the Matadi–Kinshasa Railway . The eastern boundary follows the Kinshasa-Matadi Railway line, extending between the Kalamu River and the Bitshaku-Tshaku collector, eventually reaching the Malebo Pool . To the west, Barumbu is bordered by the Kinshasa commune . Barumbu's soil is predominantly classified as underdeveloped due to its alluvial composition. This soil, formed primarily from valley deposits,

2109-454: The country who came in search of their fortunes or to escape ethnic strife elsewhere. This inevitably brought about a change to the city's ethnic and linguistic composition as well; Lingala remained the lingua franca. 367,550 people immigrated to Kinshasa in 1950–1967. Urbanized land area grew from 2,331 hectares in 1950 to 5,512 hectares in 1957 to 12,863 hectares in 1968 to 17,922 hectares in 1975. In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in

2166-506: The cultural appeal of music, film, and football as well as by war and necessity. On May 20, 1997, after the First Congo War , Laurent-Désiré Kabila triumphantly marched with his rebel forces to take control of the country's capital after Mobutu fled into exile in France. However, the city was later nearly taken over by other rebels backed by Uganda and Rwanda during the earlier part of

2223-538: The downstream section with a depth of 2.3 meters. This structure can facilitate a flow rate of about 50 cubic meters per second in optimal conditions. However, the general condition of the Bitshaku-Tshaku has deteriorated due to dislocated masonry and extensive rubbish deposits that obstruct its flow. Historical records and aerial photographs from 1957 to 1960 indicate the presence of a natural vegetation cover during that period. However, urban development, land clearing , and extensive construction have significantly altered

2280-740: The heavy rainfall runoff. High rainfall can cause widespread flooding, which can lead to landslides and mudflows in mountainous areas. Such floods cause rivers to burst their banks and submerge homes. The Ghaggar-Hakra River , which only flows during India's monsoon season, can flood and severely damage local crops. Floods can be exacerbated by fires that occurred during the previous dry season, which cause soils which are sandy or composed of loam to become hydrophobic, or water repellent. In various ways governments may help people deal with wet season floods. Flood plain mapping identifies which areas are more prone to flooding. Instructions on controlling erosion through outreach are also provided by telephone or

2337-560: The internet. The wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the Savanna climate regime. However, this also means that wet season is a time for food shortages before crops reach their full maturity. This causes seasonal weight changes for people in developing countries, with a drop occurring during the wet season until the time of the first harvest, when weights rebound. Malaria incidence increases during periods of high temperature and heavy rainfall. Cows calve, or give birth, at

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2394-642: The latest Batéké plateau. The tribes of the region, Humbu and Mfinu , were regarded as owners on this side of the river. Over time, the settlers Téké cause local farther shore, to the interior of the hills. The main Téké villages of the south shore were Nsasa with around 5,000 inhabitants, Ntambo with less than 3,000 inhabitants. Lemba, among a multitude of small villages, was the capital market and political Humbu, with about 300 residents. The markets saw River caravans slave holders of oil, almonds, palm, peanuts, sesame and ivory come and go. Henry Morton Stanley established

2451-421: The monsoon arrives, high daytime high temperatures drop and overnight low temperatures increase, thus reducing diurnal temperature variation . During the wet season, a combination of heavy rainfall and, in some places such as Hong Kong , an onshore wind, improve air quality . In Brazil, the wet season is correlated with weaker trade winds off the ocean. The pH level of water becomes more balanced due to

2508-461: The neighborhoods by race. Additional segregated master plans, proposed in Brussels and locally in the 1950s, were never implemented. When the Belgian Congo became independent of Belgium in 1960, Dutch was dropped as an official language and so was the alternative name Leopoldstad. The city grew rapidly (11.6% annually from 1960 to 1967; 6.43% annually from 1967 to 1973), drawing people from across

2565-498: The railway line leading to Kintambo and Kinshasa Central Station due to informal land sales by some agents. Barumbu faces significant waste management and sanitation challenges. Plots in Barumbu are generally enclosed, and most residents are tenants. While the owner often resides on the plot, renting out sections to tenants, this is not always the case. If present, the owner usually has private sanitary facilities, while tenants share communal ones. These facilities generally consist of

2622-434: The removal of foreign and colonial influences, the city was renamed Kinshasa in 1966 after a pre-existing African residential area. His regime constructed skyscrapers and other modern buildings in the city as a showpiece of his new Zairean regime . However, corruption and lack of investment led to rapid deterioration of the city's urban infrastructure after 1980 as it continued to expand rapidly in size. As of 2017, it had

2679-456: The residents' living conditions, leaving limited outdoor space, which is typically used as a shaded communal area for social gatherings and meals. Small businesses, such as kiosks for drinks or cigarettes, often operate at the plot's edge, near the street. Its road network is limited, with the main boundaries marked by Bokassa Avenue to the west and Poids Lourds Avenue to the east, both of which serve as primary routes. Although these roads have

2736-412: The season. Rivers overflow their banks, and some animals retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria and dengue increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures, particularly in tropical areas. Some animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wet season. Often, the previous dry season leads to food shortages in

2793-602: The settlement to his British subordinate Anthony Swinburne . It initially consisted only of a small wooden fortification and village which Stanley described in The Congo and the Founding of Its Free State in April 1882 : Léopoldville, with its one-story block-house , commanding from its windows all approaches, impregnable to musket-armed natives, and proof against fire, despite its grass roof, because, underneath that grass roof, there

2850-412: The tropics can have two wet seasons, because the monsoon trough, or Intertropical Convergence Zone , can pass over locations in the tropics twice per year. However, since rain forests have rainfall spread evenly through the year, they do not have a wet season. Areas with a savanna climate in Sub-Saharan Africa , such as Ghana , Burkina Faso , Darfur , Eritrea , Ethiopia , and Botswana have

2907-630: The urban layout and residential developments. Barumbu experiences a humid tropical climate typical of Kinshasa, which is marked by two distinct seasons: a dry season lasting from mid-May to early September, spanning roughly three to four months, and a long rainy season from September through May, lasting about seven months. The commune of Barumbu is administratively subdivided into nine neighborhoods, further partitioned into avenues. These neighborhoods operate as administrative units without autonomous legal standing. Source: Independent National Electoral Commission (2009). Barumbu's basic structure of

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2964-414: The wet season is mainly due to daytime heating, which leads to diurnal thunderstorm activity within a pre-existing moist airmass , so the rain mainly falls in late afternoon and early evening in savanna and monsoon regions. Much of the total rainfall each day occurs in the first minutes of the downpour, before the storms mature into their stratiform stage. Most places have only one wet season, but areas of

3021-474: The wet season, as the crops have yet to mature. Crops which can be successfully planted during the wet or rainy season are cassava , maize , groundnut , millet , rice and yam . The temperate counterpart to the tropical wet season is spring or autumn . In areas where the heavy rainfall is associated with a wind shift, the wet season is known as the monsoon season. Many tropical and subtropical climates experience monsoon rainfall patterns. Rainfall in

3078-569: The year 1910, with the creation of a geometric city plan and the construction of new buildings including the Banque du Congo Belge and the Hotel A.B.C. (owned by the Compagnie Commerciale et Agricole d'Alimentation du Bas-Congo .) Schools were constructed and a Chamber of Commerce formed. The 1920s also saw the beginning of regular airplane service to Elisabethville (modern-day Lubumbashi) operated by

3135-435: Was an earth roof two feet thick, on which the fire might burn itself out harmlessly, offered a safe refuge should trouble arise. The terrace was long and wide — the native village was formed of one broad street — flanked by a row of clay huts on either side. Starting from a point thirty feet below the blockhouse, and sloping gently down to the landing place, gardens of young bananas and vegetables extended beyond these huts. Water

3192-424: Was handy; fuel was abundant. The agricultural Wambunda were our landlords as well as our good friends. The post flourished as the first navigable port on the Congo River above Livingstone Falls , a series of rapids over 300 km below Leopoldville. At first, all goods arriving by sea or being sent by sea had to be carried by porters between Léopoldville and Matadi , the port below the rapids and 150 km from

3249-454: Was his patron and subsequently King-Sovereign of the Congo Free State established in 1885. It expanded rapidly and supplanted a number of nearby villages, including one a short distance to the east known as Kinshasa, and its importance as an administrative centre grew. Following the Free State's annexation, it superseded Boma as the capital of the Belgian Congo in 1926 and became the seat of

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