Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kananga is a regional capital of 1,271,704 people in Kasai-Central, Democratic Republic of the Congo, founded in 1884.
Why visit Kananga
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Weather in Kananga
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kananga
Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital city of the Kasai-Central Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was the capital of the former Kasaï-Occidental Province. It is the fourth most populous urban area in the country, with an estimated population of 1,524,000 in 2021.
From the Wikipedia article Kananga (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Kananga on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes9
Terrasse Bébé Rico
Restaurant · African · 1.1 km
Avenue Gecamines
Mo-Su 09:00-18:00
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History
German explorer Hermann Wissmann established a station in the area around present-day Kananga, on the left bank of the Lulua. Wissmann named the station Malandji, a name suggested by his 400 carriers, who were from the city of Malanje in Angola. Later on, with the construction of the railway on the other bank of the river, the station was moved, and the Lulua train station gave its name to the new town, namely Luluabourg. The old location is named Malandji-Makulu (old Malandji) to this day.
At the Belgo-Congolese Round Table Conference, in 1960, the name given to the negotiations for the independence of the then-Belgian Congo, a decision was taken that the new state would move the location of its capital from Kinshasa to Luluabourg, due to the latter's central location. However, due to multiple political setbacks, and particularly the secession attempt by Albert Kalonji and his South Kasai, this decision was never implemented. When the central government reconquered South Kasai in 1962, Luluabourg became the capital of the new Kasai-Occidental province. Kananga (as Luluabourg) was the site of the drafting of the first Congolese-written constitution for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1964.
From the History section of Kananga on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Healthcare3
Map of Kananga
67 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kananga Airport (KGA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 km away.
- Demba 47 km north, about 47 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Listening to beneficiaries of UK aid in DRC (8688347621), DFID - UK Department for International Development, CC BY 2.0
- Montemayor Madila Utembi, MONUSCO Photos, CC BY-SA 2.0
- A Pineapple Farmer in Congo (DRC), Muhammad Wasi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DRC RDT testing Bon Beger Hospital PATH Troy Martin (23161412171), President's Malaria Initiative, Public domain
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, christianshad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, christianshad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, christianshad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, OSP1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, christianshad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, yossanem, CC BY-SA 4.0
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