Boma

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. 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. 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.

Most-observed species

• Common Purslane

  Portulaca oleracea L. · Magnoliopsida
  1
• African tulip tree, Fireball, Flame of the forest, Fountain tree

  Spathodea campanulata Beauverd · Magnoliopsida
  1
• Hogplum

  Spondias mombin L. · Magnoliopsida
  1
• Ambarella

  Spondias dulcis Parkinson · Magnoliopsida
  1
• eben tree

  Pachylobus edulis G.Don · Magnoliopsida
  1
• small figtree

  Ficus thonningii Blume · Magnoliopsida
  1
• Star-flowered Vernonia

  Vernonia colorata (Willd.) Drake · Magnoliopsida
  1
• siala

  Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K.Schum. · Magnoliopsida
  1