Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Kananga - - Pictures
Kananga, formerly Luluabourg, city in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire), capital of Kasai-Occidental Region, on the Lulua River. Kananga is the commercial, processing, and transportation center for an agricultural region in which much cotton and coffee are produced. A national museum and a teacher-training institute are here. The city was founded in 1884 by the German explorer Hermann von Wissmann, and in 1895 it was the scene of a revolt of African troops against the Belgian government of the country. Soon after the country achieved independence in 1960, violent clashes occurred here between members of the Luba and the Lulua ethnic groups. The city's name was changed from Luluabourg to Kananga in 1966. Population (1991) 371,862.
