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.
History of Kinshasa
While the modern city of Kinshasa has its roots in the 1881 establishment of Léopoldville by Belgian settlers, human settlement in the Kinshasa area has stretched back to at least the 1st millennium BC. In the Pool Malebo area, the Tio (or Bateke) populated the right side (north) of the river and others assimilated with the Téké culture (Humbu and Mfinu peoples) resided on the left side (south) of the river. The region was an area where the slave trade and ivory trade played a significant role in the economy, and enriched the Tio Kingdom.