Overview:
Lubumbashi, formerly known as Elizabeth City, is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a population of about 1.79 million. It is the center of gravity in the southeast of the country and the capital of Upper Katanga Province (Old Province: Katanga Province). It is also the capital of the Katanga Republic established under the leadership of Moiz Tshombe in the old days (1960-1963).
Lubumbashi is located on the left bank of the Kafubu River, a tributary of the Luapura River, in the southern part of the Sabah Plateau, with an altitude of about 1290 meters. There are abundant non-ferrous and rare metal deposits nearby. Lubumbashi has a tropical grassland climate, with an average monthly temperature of 17-24°C and an annual precipitation of 1,240 mm. The rainy and dry seasons are distinct, and 97% of the precipitation is concentrated from November to April of the following year.
The earliest mining area developed in Zaire. In 1908, Belgian colonists set up a copper smelting factory, and in 1910 it was built as a copper mine settlement. The city was established in 1942. After the Second World War, it developed rapidly with the expansion of the mining industry. From 1950 to 1970, the population increased from 98,000 to 318,000. It is now the largest mining center in the country. It has a large number of copper, cobalt, zinc, germanium, cadmium and other metal mines in the suburbs, and has large copper and cobalt smelting enterprises. It is known as the "Zaire Copper Capital".
Industries include cement, food, chemical, vehicle and machinery repair, printing, water and electricity sectors. It is a transportation hub in southern Zaire. Likasi, Kolwezi, Kipshi and other places mineral product consolidation centers. The north and east, west Kasai and Kivu districts are connected by roads. After the railways from North Dalybo and Kindu, turn to the Zaire River Channel or pass through neighboring countries to the sea. There is an international airport on the outskirts of the city . The cultural center of Sabah District has museums, academies of fine arts, teachers' colleges, and the branch campus of the National University of Zaire.
Lubumbashi, the most important industrial and mining city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is located on the plateau at the southeastern end of the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 kilometers south of the Zambian border. There are abundant non-ferrous and rare metal deposits nearby.