Kisangani

History

Before Henry Morton Stanley, working on behalf of King Leopold II of the Belgians, founded what would become Stanley Falls Station in 1883, the area was inhabited by the Wagenya people, who used Wagenia Falls (which was formerly named Stanley Falls) for fishing. The station was founded on the Island of Wana Rusari, a few meters from the contemporary site of Kisangani, along the Lualaba River. This area, characterised by its seven falls spanning between Kisangani and Ubundu, He documented that approximately a thousand fish were caught daily in Stanley Falls, each weighing between , with the Wagenya maintaining significant reserves of smoked fish for trade. The trade network extended beyond foodstuffs to include canoes, fishing nets, pottery, wooden utensils, and metallic objects crafted by specialised artisans, often from distinct ethnic groups, such as the Ramangas, renowned for their expertise in canoe and wooden furniture manufacturing. The station, designated as the ultimate destination of the expedition, was commissioned by the Comité d'études du Haut-Congo. Stanley was accompanied by two British engineers, a German mechanic, and a sailor from Stanleyville, with British engineer Adrian Binnie assuming the role of station director. The Swahili language manual published by the Marist Brothers in the 1920s provides an instance of this naming substitution: "from X to Stanleyville" is translated as "". Binnie expanded Stanley's holdings, clearing land and constructing a village, complete with gardens. In 1887, Stanley proposed Tippu Tip as the governor (wali) of the Stanley Falls District, a proposal accepted by both Leopold II and Barghash bin Said. Tippu Tip assumed the position on 24 February 1887, and Stanley Falls District remained under Arab control until June…

Geography

Kisangani is strategically placed at the junction of the Congo, Tshopo, and Lindi rivers and at the crossroads between eastern and western Congo. Approximately central of the African continent, it is located in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), central of Tshopo Province. The location at the northernmost tip of the Congo River, navigable for large waterborne cargo between Kinshasa and Kisangani and connected to a natural transportation waterway for much of the Congo Basin, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading city. The altitude fluctuates across different plateaus, with the Arabised plateau in the southeast and the medical plateau to the west ranging from 37 to 45 meters, and the Boyoma plateau in the northeast reaching up to 46 meters. * Tshopo Falls Forest Reserve: Dominated by Terminalia superba plantations, Tshopo Falls Forest Reserve exhibits characteristics of a young secondary forest, although older sections exist in some areas. The Lualaba River flows through a bend to a confluence with the Congo River; at the alteration of the waterways lies the city of Kisangani. Much of Kisangani City is built on land with the Tshopo River on its north and the Congo River on its south. Many tributaries and islands are intertwined, conducive to moving inland waterways. The seven cataracts have a total drop of 61 meters (200 feet). The soil in Kisangani is typical of the central Congo Basin, characterised by red ochre ferralitic soils, also known as Ferralsols or Oxisols. Temperatures are uniformly high throughout the year due to its equatorial location, averaging around , with little diurnal variability. Kisangani has a cool breeze that often blows off the Congo River. Modern, multi-storey buildings of brick emerge from the dense…

Most-observed species

• eben tree

  Pachylobus edulis G.Don · Magnoliopsida
  144
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  5
• Globe Skimmer

  Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) · Insecta
  3
• African Black Widow, St Lucia Widow

  Palpopleura lucia (Drury, 1773) · Insecta
  3
• African Palm-Swift

  Cypsiurus parvus (M.H.K.Lichtenstein, 1823) · Aves
  3
• Northern Gray-headed Sparrow

  Passer griseus (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  3
• Centaurus Beetle

  Augosoma centaurus (Fabricius, 1775) · Insecta
  2
• Long Skimmer

  Orthetrum trinacria (Selys, 1841) · Insecta
  2

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2022-05-03
  99 km ENE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• M 4.9 — 2010-12-11
  80 km SE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo