Kinshasa

The name Kinshasa is believed to derive from the Kikongo and Kihumbu languages, with 'Ki(n)' meaning a hill or inhabited area and 'Nsasa' referring to a bag of salt.

Kinshasa was established as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881 and was originally named Léopoldville in honor of King Leopold II of the Belgians.

In 1941, Kinshasa was conferred the status of a city and established an Urban Committee with an allocated area of 5,000 hectares and a population of 53,000.

The urban growth in Léopoldville during the 1920s brought indigenous quarters into proximity with European residential areas, raising public health concerns among European settlers.

After gaining independence in 1960, Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa on 2 May 1966 as part of a policy to restore pre-colonial names.