Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo was popularly known as Luluabourg. It is an important city in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo was popularly known as Luluabourg. It is an important city in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the capital of Kasai-Occidental Region and located on the Lulua River.

This important city is the commercial, processing, and transportation center for an agricultural region. The important crops of cotton and coffee are produced here. A national museum and a teacher-training institute are located here.

Kananga was founded in 1884 by the German explorer Hermann von Wissmann. In 1895, a revolt of African troops against the Belgian government of the country took place here. It was after this revolt that the country achieved independence in 1960.. The city's name was changed from Luluabourg to Kananga in 1966. According to the census in 1991 the city had a population of about 371,862.

Kananga is situated just east of the Lulua River, a tributary of the Kasai. It lies on road and rail routes to Lubumbashi in the southeast and the Kasai River port of Ilebo in the northwest. The city has air links other Congolese cities.

Kananga is marked by distinct dry and rainy seasons. The dry season lasts from four to seven months from the month of April to October. About 62 inches of rain falls annually in Kananga. However some areas experience a short dry season of several weeks duration during the rainy season.

The city is served by the Kananga airport. The smallest commercial aircraft flying out of Kananga is a DC9 with 95 seats. The largest aircraft flying out of Kananga is a 727 air craft with 136 seats. In total, there are over 6 domestic flights per week from Kananga. The shortest flight out of Kananga, CD covers a distance of about 76 miles.

Kananga grew rapidly in the early 20th century. This was possible because of the coming of the railroad. Many Luba people settled here. They became economically dominant over the indigenous Lulua people. The city has often witnessed violent clashes between members of the Luba and the Lulua ethnic groups. Kananga is also popular for its diamond mining.

Detailed online information on Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo can be obtained in travel.mapsofworld