Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Belgian Congo became an independent country in 1960, named Republic of the Congo. By 1963, the country was organised into 21 provinces (informally called "provincettes") plus the capital city of Léopoldville, similar to the original 22 districts under colonial rule. In 1966, the 21 "provincettes" were grouped into eight provinces, and the capital city was renamed Kinshasa.
Kinshasa (commune)
In the 1940s it became linked to the historic heart of Léopoldville, now located at Kintambo, from the "". With the Africanization program initiated by President Mobutu in 1966, the name of the entire city was changed into Kinshasa, based on this original village.