Gombe, Kinshasa

Gombe
Commune
Commune de Gombe
Gombe skyline
Gombe skyline
Map
Map
Map
Gombe on map of Kinshasa city-province
Kinshasa city-province on map of DR Congo
Kinshasa city-province on map of DR Congo
Coordinates: 04°18′11″S 15°18′12″E / 4.30306°S 15.30333°E / -4.30306; 15.30333[1]
Country DR Congo
City-ProvinceKinshasa
Area
 • Total29.33 km2 (11.32 sq mi)
Population
 (2014 est.)[2]
 • Total49,024
 • Density1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi)

Gombe (formerly known as Kalina), also known as La Gombe, or Downtown Kinshasa, is one of the 24 communes of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[3] Encompassing a vast area of approximately 29.33 square kilometers (11.32 square miles), it is home to an approximate population of 49,024 residents (2014).[4][5]

Functioning as both a residential area and a central business district, Gombe houses several key government institutions of the DRC, including the Palais de la Nation, the Central Bank of the Congo, various ministries, media organizations, and diplomatic representations. Gombe serves as the epicenter for the DRC's leading financial establishments, the hub of its business activities, and the headquarters of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).[6][7]

Originally housing colonial administrative offices, cités indigènes, neighborhoods meant for non-colonists, formed around the area. Now it is Kinshasa's fastest-growing commune.[8] According to a 2014 study by the U.S. research firm Mercer, Gombe is the most expensive place to live in Africa and globally.[9] Development has increased significantly following 2021 with many new buildings being constructed near Avenue de Colonel Tshatshi including the newly constructed Kinshasa Financial Center and the Galeries de la Fontaine Shopping Mall.[10]

  1. ^ "Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo". Google Maps. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Kinshasa : la population de la commune de la Gombe estimée à 49.024 habitants". mediacongo.net.
  3. ^ Institut National de la Statistique–RD Congo (2019). Annuaire Statistique RDC 2017 (PDF) (in French). p. 36 Tableau 1.2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. ^ Enwezor, Okwui, ed. (2002). Under Siege, Four African Cities, Freetown, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos: Documenta 11, Platform 4. Berlin, Germany: Hatje Cantz. p. 254. ISBN 9783775790901.
  5. ^ "Kinshasa : la population de la commune de la Gombe estimée à 49.024 habitants" [Kinshasa: the population of the commune of Gombe estimated at 49,024 inhabitants]. Mediacongo.net (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ Tilouine, Joan (18 July 2019). "En RDC, la Gombe, une insolente enclave de riches au cœur de la misère de Kinshasa". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Journal Première parties Officiel de la République Démocratique du Congo: Cabinet du Président de la République" [Journal First parts Official of the Democratic Republic of Congo: Office of the President of the Republic] (PDF). Leganet.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  8. ^ De Boeck, Philip (September 2014). Kinshasa: Tales of the Invisible City. Leuven University Press. ISBN 978-9058679673.
  9. ^ "Housing: Kinshasa is for the rich". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Mode: Réouverture de la nouvelle boutique "African style" de Woodin, partenaire officiel VLISCO Congo" [Fashion: Reopening of the new "African style" store from Woodin, official VLISCO Congo partner]. Mbote.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.