Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of the Congo () was a sovereign state in Central Africa that was created with the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960. From 1960 to 1966, the country was often known as "Congo-Léopoldville" (after its capital) in order to distinguish it from its north-western neighbour, also called the Republic of the Congo or Congo-Brazzaville. With the renaming of Léopoldville as Kinshasa on 1 June 1966, it was known as "Congo-Kinshasa" until 1971.
Kinshasa (commune)
Founded and inhabited by the Teke people or Humbu people, the fishing village of Kinshassa, also spelled Kinchassa, was located at the river Congo before the arrival of the European colonialists. The word "nshasa" translates as "marsh". Henry Morton Stanley founded the station next to it after signing a treaty with the Teke chief Ntsuvila in the later half of the 19th century. It was linked by steam boat with other stations along the river and the Stanley Pool. With the foundation and expansion of neighbouring Léopoldville Station, the place became with Barumbu and Lingwala part of the city in the beginning of the 20th century.