Kivu

Kivu was the name for a large "Region" in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko that bordered Lake Kivu. It included three "Sub-Regions" ("Sous-Regions" in French): Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema, corresponding to the three current provinces created in 1988. The capital of the Kivu Region was in Bukavu, and the capitals of the three Sub-Regions were in Goma, Uvira and Kindu.

History

The name "Kivu" dates from at least 1914, when the colonial government divided Congo into 22 districts. In 1935, the districts were grouped into 6 provinces, each named after its capital. Costermansville Province (which had the same composition as the later "Kivu Region") was renamed "Kivu Province" in 1947.

In the 2000s fighting there between the government army, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels and renegade troops, including Laurent Nkunda's forces, and a build-up of military supplies and forces, including the reported recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups.

Geography

Kivu is also the name for the entire region surrounding Lake Kivu, including the portions in Rwanda which contain the vast majority of the lake area's population (Gisenyi, Rwanda, with a population approaching 1,000,000, is the largest city in the Lake Kivu area [ [http://www.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos577/projects/kayzar/index.html| Lake Kivu Home Page] ] . The area is characterized by lush vegetation and an extended growing season due in part to its high altitude (1500m at the lakeshore) and the volcanic nature of its soil. The Kivu region represents the high point of the East African Rift Valley.

The lake itself contains a massive amount of CO2 in its depths, and there is some concern that tectonic activity (rifting) and/or volcanic activity might cause a sudden release of its captured CO2. If this were to happen it would devastate the population around the lake. However, the likelihood of this occurring is in dispute with convincing arguments on both sides.