Masina, Kinshasa

Masina Commune de Masina
—  Commune  —
Nickname(s): Chine Populaire
Masina on a map of Kinshasa communes
Kinshasa city-province on a map of the DRC
Coordinates: 4°21′47″S 15°23′42″E / 4.36306°S 15.395°E / -4.36306; 15.395Coordinates: 4°21′47″S 15°23′42″E / 4.36306°S 15.395°E / -4.36306; 15.395[1]
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
City-Province	Kinshasa
District	Tshangu
Government
- Mayor	Mafulu Kaputu
Area
- Total	69.7 km2 (26.9 sq mi)
Population (2004 est.)
- Total	485,167
- Density	6,960.8/km2 (18,028.4/sq mi)

Masina is a municipality (commune) in the Tshangu district of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[2]

It is bordered by the Pool Malebo in the north and Boulevard Lumbumba to the south. It has recently become a desirable area in which to live and has a large, growing population.

Masina shelters within it the Marché de la Liberté "M’Zee Laurent-Désiré Kabila”, one of the largest markets of Kinshasa, which was built under the presidency of Laurent-Désiré Kabila to repay the inhabitants of the district of Tshangu who had resisted the rebels in August 1998.^[3]

The area is known by the nickname "Chine Populaire" ("People's China").

Geography

Masina, together with the communes of Ndjili and Kimbanseke, belong to the district of Tshangu 20 km east of central Kinshasa.^[4]

Most of the municipality is occupied by a wetland bordering the Pool Malebo, which explains the low population density relative of the municipality. The urban area, stretching along Boulevard Lumumba, however, reaches population densities comparable to those of other municipalities in the heart of Kinshasa (about 50,000 inhabitants per km²).

References

1. ^ "Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo". Google Maps. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x1a6a37ce2bca343f:0x254df0b8e58c685c. Retrieved 20 August 2011. 
2. ^ "Géographie de Kinshasa (Geography of Kinshasa)" (in French). Ville de Kinshasa (City of Kinshasa). http://www.kinshasa.cd/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=300. Retrieved 20 August 2011. 
3. ^ Paul Kabeya Kapo, Jennifer Makengo, Kinshasa : le marché de la Liberté, un bijou qui n’attire pas, Afriqu'Échos Magazine, 24 septembre 2004.
4. ^ Relief Web copy of RDC public works map

External links

• City Map of Kinshasa (2001)
• Map of Léopoldville (1954)