Goma

Goma
Provincial capital and city
Ville de Goma
Goma, November 2022
Goma Location in the Congo
Coordinates: 01°40′46″S 29°14′01″E / 1.67944°S 29.23361°E / -1.67944; 29.23361
Country	DR Congo
Province	North Kivu
Communes	Goma, Karisimbi
Government
• Mayor	Timothée Mwisa Kyese
Area
• City	75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Metro	670,000[1]
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
National language	Swahili
Climate	Aw

Goma is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km² (29.24 sq mi), the city has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census.

Goma is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. The city is home to several notable landmarks, including Goma International Airport, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Virunga National Park, the private Christian co-educational school Adventist University of Goma, the University of Goma, and is also surrounded by the active Virunga volcanic range, which includes volcanoes Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo, Mikeno, Visoke, Gahinga, Karisimbi, and Sabinyo. Goma also hosts the annual Amani Festival, the Free University of the Great Lakes Countries, which supports local development initiatives, as well as the regional cultural center and art school, Foyer Culturel de Goma.

The recent history of Goma has been dominated by the volcano and the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which in turn fuelled the First and Second Congo Wars. The aftermath of these events was still having effects on the city and its surroundings in 2010. The city was captured by rebels of the March 23 Movement during the M23 rebellion in late 2012, but it has since been retaken by government forces.