The former capital of French Equatorial Africa, Brazzaville is now the capital and chief river port of the Republic of the Congo. It lies on the north bank of the Congo River below Stanley Pool, a lakelike expansion of the river. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), is on the opposite riverbank. After World War II, Brazzaville's harbor facilities were expanded, making the city the Congo's major inland port. There is steamer service to the upper reaches of the Congo River. A railroad connects the city to Pointe-Noire, on the Atlantic coast, 245 miles (394 kilometers) west. Almost half of the shipping from Brazzaville involves trade with other Central African countries. The city is served by an international airport located at Maya Maya. - The cathedral of the archdiocese of Brazzaville, Congo, is among the most notable buildings in that …
Brazzaville was founded in 1883 by the French, who developed it as a European residential and administrative center. The central part of the city remained European until the early 1960s, while African sections developed in the northeastern and southwestern areas. (See also Congo.) Population (1992), 937,579. |