Mont Ngafula | |
|---|---|
| Commune de Mont Ngafula | |
  Mont Ngafula on map of Kinshasa city-province | |
_-_Kinshasa.svg) Kinshasa city-province on map of DR Congo | |
| Coordinates: 04°25′29″S 15°17′44″E / 4.42472°S 15.29556°E[1] | |
| Country |  DR Congo |
| City-Province | Kinshasa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 358.92 km2 (138.58 sq mi) |
| Population (2015 est.) | |
| • Total | 718,197 |
| • Density | 2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi) |
Mont Ngafula, or Mont-Ngafula, is a municipality (commune) in the Lukunga District of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[2] By its surface area, Mont Ngafula is the third-largest commune in Kinshasa's city-province. It is located in the hilly southern area of Kinshasa and is intersected by the Lukaya River valley in its southern portion. The boundary with the Ngaliema commune is defined by the Lukunga River.[3] Mont Ngafula shares borders with the Makala commune to the north, the Kongo Central Province to the south, the Lemba and Kisenso communes to the east, and the Selembao commune to the west.[4] It has an estimated population of 718,197 (2015).[5]
Residence in the area is relatively new; in the 1970s, it became home to a small number of upper and middle-class business executives, politicians and other relatively affluent people. However, many of the extravagant compounds commissioned remain incomplete due to the drastic economic decline that characterized the latter portion of the Mobutu era.[4][6]
Mont Ngafula is home to several notable landmarks, including the Loyola University of Congo,[7] the antiquated Catholic mission Sainte Marie de Kimwenza,[8][9][10] the DRC's second-largest hospital Hôpital du Cinquantenaire de Kinshasa.[11] It also houses Kimbondo Pediatric Hospital[12] and the cultural and religious center Mater Dei.[13] The Mont Ngafula municipal building is strategically located at Mobutu Avenue.[14] Lycée Kimwenza and Elisabeth International Bilingual School are regional prominent schools,[15][16][17] while the Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Science is the most significant research center for agricultural and veterinary technical education.[18][19][4] Lake Ma-Vallée, Joli Camp Site, Mission de Kimwenza, Lola ya Bonobo and Petites Chutes de la Lukaya are the region's most prominent and significant tourist destinations.[20][21][22]
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