Lubumbashi [key], city (1984 pop. 564,830), capital of Haut-Katanga province, SE Congo (Kinshasa), near the border with Zambia. The second largest city of the country, it is a commercial and industrial center. Copper is smelted there, and textiles, food products and beverages, printed materials, and bricks are manufactured. Founded in 1910, Lubumbashi was known as Elisabethville and prospered with the development of the region's copper-mining industry. It also serves as a distribution center for other minerals, including cobalt, zinc, tin, and coal. Lubumbashi was the capital of the secessionist state of Katanga (1960–63) and was the scene of bloody strife between UN troops and Katangan forces. The city is the site of a university, a regional museum, and a modern airport. It is connected by rail to several SE and central Congo cities and to Zambia.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Democratic Republic of the Congo Political Geography
