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102-540: The park is in an area of rainforest about halfway between Kinshasa , the capital, and Kisangani . There are no roads and most of the park is accessible only by river. Sections of the national park are almost completely inaccessible and have never been systematically explored. The southern region inhabited by the Iyaelima people is accessible via the Lokoro River , which flows through the center and northern parts of

204-592: A marshy , alluvial plain , with altitudes ranging from 275 to 300 meters, along with hilly terrain that elevates from 310 to 370 meters. The city has four principal features: the Malebo Pool, a vast expanse of water with islands and islets; the Kinshasa Plain, which is a highly urbanizable space , but susceptible to drainage issues; the Terrace, which is a series of low ridges overlooking the plain; and

306-643: A natural border with the Republic of the Congo ; to the south lies the Kongo Central Province . Across the river sits Brazzaville , the smaller capital of the neighboring Republic of the Congo, forming the world's second-closest pair of capital cities despite being separated by a four-kilometer-wide unbridged span of the Congo River. Kinshasa also functions as one of the 26 provinces of

408-470: A waterway it provides a means of transport for much of the Congo Basin ; it is navigable for river barges between Kinshasa and Kisangani ; many of its tributaries are also navigable. The river is an important source of hydroelectric power , and downstream from Kinshasa it has the potential to generate power equivalent to the usage of roughly half of Africa's population. Topographically, Kinshasa has

510-873: A 150-bed building in 2012 with improved clinical services as laboratory , diagnostic radiology , intensive care , neonatal unit , family medicine , emergencies unit and a larger surgical area. Located in Kinshasa are the National Museum and the Kinshasa Fine Arts Academy . Kinshasa has a flourishing music scene which, since the 1960s, has operated under the patronage of the city's elite. The Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste , formed in 1994, began using improved musical instruments and has since grown in means and reputation. Yellow-billed stork Tantalus ibis Linnaeus, 1766 The yellow-billed stork ( Mycteria ibis )

612-518: A clay content typically below 20%, low organic matter , and absorbent complex saturation. The basement is composed of Precambrian bedrock , featuring finely stratified red sandstone often infused with feldspar . This rock is visible at the rapids' base near Mount Ngaliema and south of the N'djili River , and effectively withstands erosive forces. Kinshasa's vegetation comprises gallery forests , grassy formations , ruderal plant groups, and aquatic formations . These gallery forests, found along

714-463: A deeper red. Juveniles are greyish-brown with a dull, partially bare orange face and a dull yellowish bill. The legs and feet are brown and feathers are blackish-brown all over. At fledging , salmon-pink colouration in the underwings begins to develop and after about one year, the plumage is greyish-white. Flight feathers on the tail and wing also become black. Later, the pink colouration typical of adult plumage appears. These storks walk with

816-580: A deterioration of the overall budget balance. Nevertheless, the DRC's debt risk remains moderate, with public debt at 24.7% of GDP. The approval of the third review of the IMF program reflects the satisfactory performance of the country's reform efforts. Big manufacturing companies such as Marsavco S.A., All Pack Industries and Angel Cosmetics are located in the center of town (Gombe) in Kinshasa. There are many other industries, such as Trust Merchant Bank , located in

918-467: A greater role for automobile transportation but did not predict the city's significant population growth. Thus much of the urban structure has developed without guidance from a master plan. According to UN-Habitat , the city is expanding by eight square kilometers per year. It describes many of the new neighborhoods as slums , built in unsafe conditions with inadequate infrastructure. Nevertheless, spontaneously developed areas have in many cases extended

1020-783: A high-stepped stalking gait on the ground of shallow water. Their approximate walking rate has been recorded as 70 steps per minute. They fly with alternating flaps and glides, with the speed of their flaps averaging 177–205 beats per minute. They usually flap only for short journeys and often fly in a soaring and gliding motion over several kilometres for locomotion between breeding colonies or roosts and feeding sites. By soaring on thermals and gliding by turns, they can cover large distances without wasting much energy. On descending from high altitudes , this stork has been observed to dive deeply at high speeds and flip over and over from side to side, hence showing impressive aerobatics . It even appears to enjoy these aerial stunts. This species

1122-599: A hill commune with population verging on one million. In 2022, Kinshasa's GDP exceeded initial expectations by expanding 8.5%, as reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The mining industry in the DRC has been instrumental in maintaining a positive economic outlook, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic . Raw material exports, particularly cobalt and copper , have experienced historically high prices, resulting in substantial investment in

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1224-899: A mixed species bird colony on the Tana River in Kenya , it was found to be the commonest species there, with 2000 individuals being counted at once. It is also the dominant species in large breeding colonies at Lake Manyara and the Ihefu wetlands fringing the Ripera River in Tanzania . The species does not generally migrate far, at least not outside its breeding range; but does usually make short migratory movements which are influenced by rainfall. It makes local movements in Kenya and has also been found to migrate from North to South Sudan with

1326-748: A noticeable feature of colonies of this species and usually consist of 12 or more males and at least as many females. As many as 50 nests have been counted all at once in a single breeding area. The male and female together build the nest of sticks either in high trees on dry land away from predators, or in small trees over water. Nest building takes up to 10 days. The nest may be 80–100 cm (31–39 in) in diameter and 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) thick. Despite their gregariousness during breeding, most individuals generally ignore each other outside nesting-sites; although some hostile encounters may occur. Some of these encounters involve one individual showing an unambiguous attack or escape response if there

1428-463: A range between 5.3 million and 7.3 million. In 2017, the most recent population estimate for the city, it has a population of 11,855,000. According to UN-Habitat, 390,000 people immigrate to Kinshasa annually, fleeing warfare and seeking economic opportunity. According to a projection (2016) the population of metropolitan Kinshasa will increase significantly, to 35 million by 2050, 58 million by 2075 and 83 million by 2100, making it one of

1530-412: A rebel uprising began, which in 1997 finally brought down the regime of Mobutu. Kinshasa suffered greatly from Mobutu's excesses, mass corruption, nepotism and the civil war that led to his downfall. Nevertheless, it is still a major cultural and intellectual center for Central Africa, with a flourishing community of musicians and artists. It is also the country's major industrial center, processing many of

1632-473: A religious sect who installed them-self in the park just after its creation. An intense collaboration exists between the park guards and the Iyaelima, as Iyaelima villages are used as guard posts. It is known that bonobo densities are highest around Iyaelima villages which shows that they cause no threat to the park's emblematic species. Located in the center of the Congo Basin , Salonga National Park protects

1734-525: A short time before the bird obtains its requirements and proceeds to rest again. Parents feed their young by regurgitating fish onto the nest floor, whereupon it is picked up and consumed by the nestlings . The young eat voraciously and an individual nestling increases its body weight from 50 grams to 600 grams during the first ten days of its life. Hence, this species has earned the German colloquial common name “Nimmersatt”; meaning “never full”. Breeding

1836-465: A total 976,000 workers. Most new jobs are classified as informal. By the end of 2022, Kinshasa's foreign exchange reserves had seen a significant improvement, soaring past $ 4.5 billion. The DRC benefits from support and partnerships with several global organizations and financial institutions, including the IMF, World Bank , African Development Bank , European Union , China and France . The People's Republic of China has been heavily involved in

1938-472: A viable population of forest elephants survive in the park. Other than bonobo, park is home to several species primates such as Dryas monkey , Thollon's red colobus , Allen's swamp monkey , golden-bellied mangabey , red-tailed monkey , Potto , dwarf bushbaby. Other mammals in the park include the long-tailed pangolin , giant pangolin , tree pangolin , Congo clawless otter , spotted-necked otter , Angolan kusimanse , aquatic genet , hippopotamus ,

2040-403: A village named Kinshasa that once stood near the site. Kinshasa grew rapidly under Mobutu, drawing people from across the country who came in search of their fortunes or to escape ethnic strife elsewhere, thus adding to the many ethnicities and languages already found there. In 1991 the city had to fend off rioting soldiers , who were protesting the government's failure to pay them. Subsequently

2142-502: A water supplement in addition to fluid in their food, so that they have sufficient water to continue urinating down their legs to avoid hyperventilation. Additionally, parents sometimes help keep the young cool by shading them with their open wings. The nestlings usually fledge after 50–55 days of hatching and fly away from the nest. However, after leaving the nest for the first time, the offspring often return there to be fed by their parents and roost with them for another 1–3 weeks. It

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2244-641: Is DRC's first pedagogical university and one of Africa's top pedagogical universities. N'Djili International Airport is the largest airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and ranks 37th in Africa in terms of passengers carried, with 12 international flights per day. In December 2015, Kinshasa was designated as a City of Music by UNESCO and has been a member of the Creative Cities Network since then. Nsele Valley Park

2346-464: Is a city of sharp contrasts, with affluent residential and commercial areas and three universities alongside sprawling slums. The older and wealthier part of the city ( ville basse ) is located on a flat area of alluvial sand and clay near the river, while many newer areas are found on the eroding red soil of surrounding hills. Older parts of the city were laid out on a geometric pattern, with de facto racial segregation becoming de jure in 1929 as

2448-400: Is a colonial nester, often alongside other species; but the yellow-billed stork is sometimes the only occupant species of a nesting site. Colonies are usually 10-20 nests in size, with several males occupying potential nest sites all in the same place. If many of these males do not acquire mates, the whole group moves on with the unpaired females to another tree. These “bachelor parties” are

2550-765: Is a large African stork species in the family Ciconiidae . It is widespread south of the Sahara and also occurs in Madagascar . The yellow-billed stork lies within the genus Mycteria along with three other extant species: the wood stork ( M. americana ), the milky stork ( M. cinerea ) and the painted stork ( M. leucocephala ). Species within Mycteria display remarkable homologies in behavior (e.g., feeding and courtship) and morphology , with relatively few species-specific variations. This medium-sized stork stands 90–105 cm (35–41 in) tall. Its body

2652-516: Is a large difference in social status between the two individuals. However, if two individuals are equally matched, they slowly approach each other and show a ritualised display called the Forward Threat. Here, one individual holds its body forward horizontally and retracts the neck so that it touches the crown, with the tail cocked at 45 degrees and all feathers erect. It approaches the opponent and points its bill at it, sometimes gaping. If

2754-652: Is also home to three large universities and an arts school: Primary and secondary schools: In 2020, 93% of children over six attended school and 70% of people over 15 were literate in French. There are twenty hospitals in Kinshasa, plus various medical centers and polyclinics. Since 1991, Monkole Hospital is operating as a non-profit health institution collaborating with the Health Department as district hospital in Kinshasa. Directed by Pr Léon Tshilolo, paediatrician and haematologist , Monkole Hospital opened

2856-516: Is also the primate city of the DRC with a population several times larger than the next-largest city, Lubumbashi . The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known by its French acronym MONUSCO (formerly MONUC) has its headquarters in Kinshasa. In 2016, the UN placed more peacekeepers on active duty in Kinshasa in response to the unrest directed against Kabila, at that time. Critics, including recently

2958-573: Is also thought that individuals are not fully adult until 3 years old and despite lack of data, new adults are thought to not breed until much later than this. Fledglings have also been observed to not differ considerably in their foraging and feeding strategies from adults. In one investigation, four adult, hand-reared yellow-billed storks kept in captivity showed typical grope-feeding and foot stirring shortly after they were introduced to bodies of water. Hence, this suggests that such feeding techniques in this species are innate. The yellow-billed ibis

3060-514: Is flanked by the provinces of Mai-Ndombe , Kwilu , and Kwango to the east, while the Congo River delineates its western and northern boundaries, naturally demarcating the border with the Republic of the Congo . To the south, it is demarcated by the Kongo Central Province . The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile and has the continent's greatest discharge . As

3162-603: Is generally non-vocal, but will utter hissing falsetto screams during social displays in the breeding season. These storks also engage in bill clattering and an audible “woofing” wing beat at breeding colonies Nestlings make a loud continual monotonous braying call to beg parental adults for food. The yellow-billed stork occurs primarily in Eastern Africa, but is widely distributed in areas extending from Senegal and Somalia down to South Africa and in some regions of western Madagascar. During one observation of

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3264-687: Is known to breed in Uganda , breeding sites have not been recorded there. It has been found to breed also in Malakol in Sudan and often inside walled cities in West Africa from Gambia down to northern Nigeria . Still other breeding sites include Zululand in South Africa and northern Botswana, but are rarer below northern Botswana and Zimbabwe where sites are well-watered. Although there

3366-411: Is larger and has a slightly longer heavier bill. Males and females weigh approximately 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) and 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) respectively. Colouration becomes more vivid during the breeding season. In the breeding season, the plumage is coloured pink on the upperwings and back; the ordinarily brown legs also turn bright pink; the bill becomes a deeper yellow and the face becomes

3468-546: Is no direct evidence of current breeding in Madagascar , young birds unable to fly have been observed near Lake Kinkony during October. This stork's diet mainly comprises small, freshwater fish of about 60-100mm length and maximally 150g, which they swallow whole. They also feed on crustaceans , worms , aquatic insects , frogs and occasionally small mammals and birds . This species appears to rely principally on sense of touch to detect and capture prey , rather than by vision . They feed patiently by wading through

3570-521: Is relatively high. In East Africa where it is most abundant, broods of 1-3 per nest have been recorded. Alongside human activities, natural enemies include cheetahs , leopards and lions , which all sometimes prey on this species. Eggs may be also at risk of predation by African fish eagles . At one colony in Kisumu, Kenya, approximately 61% of eggs counted between all nests hatched and 38% were predated by fish eagles. The success rate of fledglings

3672-437: Is seasonal and appears to be stimulated by the peak of long heavy rainfall and resultant flooding of shallow marshes , usually near Lake Victoria. This flooding is linked to an increase in prey fish availability; and reproduction is therefore synchronised with this peak in food availability. In such observations near Kisumu , M.P. Kahl's explanation for this trend was that in the dry season, most prey fish are forced to leave

3774-524: Is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Once a site of fishing and trading villages along the Congo River , Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest-growing megacities . Kinshasa's 2024 population was estimated at 17,032,322. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC , the most populous city in Africa , the world's fourth-most-populous capital city , Africa's third-largest metropolitan area , and

3876-557: Is the Balancing Posture, whereby she walks with a horizontal body axis and extended wings toward the male occupying the nesting-site. Later, when the female continues to approach or already stands near an established male, she may also engage in Gaping. Here, the bill is gaped open slightly with the neck inclined upward at about 45° and often occurs in conjunction with the Balancing Posture. This behaviour ordinarily continues if

3978-473: Is the Swaying-Twig Grasping. Here, the male stands on the potential nesting-site and bends over to gently grasp and release underlying twigs at regular intervals. This is sometimes accompanied by side-to-side oscillations of the neck and head and he continues to pick at twigs in between such movements. Reciprocally, approaching females display their own distinct behaviours. One such behaviour

4080-567: Is the language of street signs, posters, newspapers, government documents, schools; it dominates plays, television, and the press, and it is used in vertical relationships among people of different social classes. People of the same class, however, speak the Congolese languages ( Kikongo , Lingala , Tshiluba or Swahili ) among themselves. Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012. The head of Kinshasa ville-province has

4182-413: Is the largest urban park in Kinshasa, housing a range of fauna and flora . According to the 2016 annual ranking , Kinshasa is Africa's most expensive city for expatriate employees, ahead of close to 200 global locations. The origin of the name Kinshasa is rooted in multiple theories proposed by scholars. Paul Raymaekers, an anthropologist and ethnologist , suggests that the name derives from

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4284-535: Is used as a lingua franca in the street. The city's inhabitants are popularly known as Kinois , with the term "Kinshasans" used in English terminology. The Kinshasa site has been inhabited by Bantus ( Teke , Humbu  [ fr ] ) for centuries and was known as Nshasa before transforming into a commercial hub during the 19th and 20th centuries. The city was named Léopoldville by Henry Morton Stanley in honor of Leopold II of Belgium . The name

4386-403: Is white with a short black tail that is glossed green and purple when freshly moulted . The bill is deep yellow, slightly decurved at the end and with a rounder cross-section than in other stork species outside the Mycteria . Feathers extend onto the head and neck just behind the eyes, with the face and forehead being covered by deep red skin. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but the male

4488-515: The African golden cat , red river hog , blue duiker , yellow-backed duiker , sitatunga , bushbuck , water chevrotain and forest buffalo . There are many bird species present within the park, including the cattle egret , black stork and yellow-billed stork . The Congo peafowl , a threatened bird species endemic to the Congo Basin and the national bird of the Democratic Republic of

4590-480: The Congo Free State , not as a colony but as his private property. The post flourished as the first navigable port on the Congo River above Livingstone Falls , a series of rapids over 300 kilometres (190 miles) below Leopoldville. At first, all goods arriving by sea or being sent by sea had to be carried by porters between Léopoldville and Matadi , the port below the rapids and 150 km (93 mi) from

4692-580: The Congo River and its principal left bank tributaries, traversing the city from south to north. These include the Lukunga , Ndjili , Nsele, Bombo, or Mai-Ndombe rivers and the Mbale. Unfortunately, these waterways are polluted due to the city's demographic pressures and inadequate sanitation. Geologically, the soil in Kinshasa is of the Arenoferrasol category, characterized by fine sands with

4794-672: The US ambassador to the UN , have accused the peacekeeping mission of supporting a corrupt government. Other non-governmental organizations play significant roles in local governance . Since 2016, the Belgian development agency ( Coopération technique belge ; CTB) has sponsored the Programme d'Appui aux Initiatives de Développement Communautaire (Paideco), a 6-million-euro program aimed at economic development. It began work in Kimbanseke ,

4896-609: The equator , so its dry season begins around its winter solstice, which is in June. This is in contrast to African cities further north featuring this climate where the dry season typically begins around December. Kinshasa's dry season is slightly cooler than its wet season, though temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year. Kinshasa is home to a diverse range of parks and gardens: An official census conducted in 1984 counted 2.6 million residents. Since then, all estimates are extrapolations. The estimates for 2005 fell in

4998-469: The grid street plan of the original city. Kinshasa is both a city ( ville in French) and a province, one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Nevertheless, it has city subdivisions and is divided into 24 communes (municipalities), which in turn are divided into 369 quarters and 21 embedded groupings. Maluku , the rural commune to the east of the urban area, accounts for 79% of

5100-514: The 9,965 km (3,848 sq mi) total land area of the city-province, with a population of 200,000–300,000. The communes are grouped into four districts which are not in themselves administrative divisions. Under the Köppen climate classification , Kinshasa has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Aw ). Its lengthy rainy season spans from October through May, with a relatively short dry season, between June and September. Kinshasa lies south of

5202-509: The African continent. As with all stork species, male yellow-billed storks select and occupy potential nest sites in trees, whereupon females attempt to approach the males. The yellow-billed stork has an extensive repertoire of courtship behaviours near and at the nest that may lead to pair formation and copulation . Generally, these courtship behaviours are also assumed to be common to all Mycteria species and show remarkable homology within

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5304-594: The Congo since the 1970s, when they financed the construction of the Palais du Peuple and backed the government against rebels in the Shaba war . In 2007–2008 China and Congo signed an agreement for an $ 8.5 billion loan for infrastructure development. Chinese entrepreneurs are gaining an increasing share of local marketplaces in Kinshasa, displacing in the process formerly successful Congolese, West African, Indian, and Lebanese merchants. Mean household spending in 2005

5406-731: The Congo estuary, pursuant to the Royal Decree of 1 July 1923, countersigned by the Minister of the Colonies , Louis Franc. Before this, Léopoldville was designated an "urban district", encompassing exclusively the communes of Kintambo and the current Gombe , which burgeoned around Ngaliema Bay . Then the communes of Kinshasa , Barumbu , and Lingwala emerged. In the 1930s, these communes predominantly housed employees of Chanic, Filtisaf, and Utex Africa . In 1941, legislative ordinance n°293/AIMO of 25 June 1941, conferred Kinshasa

5508-515: The Congo, in particular its uranium. Less than a year after Lumumba's election, the Belgians and the U.S. bought the support of his Congolese rivals and set in motion the events that culminated in Lumumba's assassination. In 1964, Moïse Tshombe decreed the expulsion of all nationals of Republic of the Congo , Burundi and Mali , as well as all political refugees from Rwanda . In 1965, with

5610-455: The Congo, lives in both the primary and secondary forests within the park. 56 fish species have been identified in the park, including the catfishes Clarias buthupogon and Synodontis nigriventris . African slender-snouted crocodiles are also found within the park. Kinshasa Kinshasa ( / k ɪ n ˈ ʃ ɑː s ə / ; French: [kinʃasa] ; Lingala : Kinsásá ), formerly named Léopoldville until 30 June 1966,

5712-489: The Democratic Republic of the Congo and is administratively divided into 24 communes , which are further subdivided into 365 neighborhoods. With an expansive administrative region, over 90 percent of the province's land remains rural, while urban growth predominantly occurs on its western side. Kinshasa is the largest nominally Francophone urban area globally, with French being the language of government, education, media, public services and high-end commerce, while Lingala

5814-462: The European and African neighborhoods grew closer together. City plans of the 1920s–1950s featured a cordon sanitaire or buffer between the white and black neighborhoods, which included the central market as well as parks and gardens for Europeans. Urban planning in post-independence Kinshasa has been limited. The Mission Française d'Urbanisme drew up some plans in the 1960s which envisioned

5916-563: The Hills Area, which is characterized by deep valleys and cirque -shaped formations. The Malebo Pool spans over 35 kilometers in length and 25 kilometers in width and is encircled by Ngaliema Municipality to the west and Maluku Municipality to the east, traversing through Gombe , Barumbu , Limete , Masina , and Nsele municipalities. The Kinshasa Plain has a banana-like shape and is surrounded by eastward-oriented hills. Its low sandy alluvial masses extend from Maluku Municipality in

6018-555: The Malebo Pool and is characterized by deep valleys and cirque-shaped formations. These hills reach heights surpassing 700 meters and exhibit gentle, rounded contours sculpted by local rivers. While their eastern counterparts may reflect remnants of the Batéké Plateau , their origins in the west and south remain enigmatic. Their natural erosion processes are exacerbated by human intervention, sometimes assuming catastrophic proportions. Kinshasa's hydrographic network encompasses

6120-465: The Upper Congo (now Tshopo Province ). However, Hendrik van Moorsel, an anthropologist, historian and researcher, proposes that Bateke fishermen traded fish for cassava with locals along the riverbank, and the place of this exchange was called " Ulio ". In Teke , "exchange" is " Utsaya ", and "place of exchange" is " Intsaya ". Thus, the name evolved from Ulio to Intsaya , and later, under

6222-473: The adjunct regions of Ndjili and Matete were incorporated. After gaining its independence on 30 June 1960, following riots in 1959 , the Republic of the Congo elected its first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba whose perceived pro-Soviet leanings were viewed as a threat by Western interests. This being the height of the Cold War, the U.S. and Belgium did not want to lose control of the strategic wealth of

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6324-507: The bottom vegetation and into the bird's bill. The bird does this several times with one foot before bringing it forwards and repeating with the other foot. Although they are normally active predators , they have also been observed to scavenge fish regurgitated by cormorants . The yellow-billed stork has been observed to follow moving crocodiles or hippopotami through the water and feed behind them, appearing to take advantage of organisms churned up by their quarry. Feeding lasts for only

6426-713: The civil war in the eastern half of the country, it was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1999. The park is co-managed by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature and the World Wide Fund for Nature since 2015. Extensive consultation is ongoing, with the two main populations living within the park; the Iyaelima, the last remaining residents of the park and the Kitawalistes ,

6528-589: The coast. The completion of the Matadi-Kinshasa portage railway , in 1898, provided an alternative route around the rapids and sparked the rapid development of Léopoldville. In 1914, a pipeline was installed so that crude oil could be transported from Matadi to the upriver steamers in Leopoldville. By 1923, the city was elevated to capital of the Belgian Congo , replacing the town of Boma in

6630-455: The colony's inaugural university, was founded in 1954. By 1957, Léopoldville comprised eleven communes and six adjunct regions: Kalamu , Dendale (present-day Kasa-Vubu commune ), Saint Jean (now Lingwala ), Ngiri-Ngiri , Kintambo , Limete , Bandalungwa , Léopoldville (current Gombe ), Barumbu , Kinshasa , and Ngaliema ; along with the adjunct regions of Lemba, Binza , Makala , Kimwenza , Kimbanseke , and Kingasani. Subsequently,

6732-522: The combination of the Kikongo and Kihumbu languages. The prefix " Ki(n) " signifies a hill or inhabited area, while " Nsasa " or " Nshasa " refers to a bag of salt. According to Raymackers, Kinshasa was a significant trading site where people from the Lower Congo (now Kongo Central Province ) and South Atlantic Ocean exchanged salt for goods like iron , slaves and ivory brought by those from

6834-424: The constant parental attendance before this time, the young show little fear or aggression in response to intruders (such as a human observer), but are found to merely crouch low and quietly in the nest. After this time, when both parents go foraging and leave the young in the nest, a nestling shows strong fear in response to an intruder. It either attempts to climb out of the nest to escape or acts aggressively toward

6936-505: The dried-up, deoxygenated marshes that cannot support them and retreat to the deep waters of Lake Victoria where the storks cannot reach them. However, fish move back up the streams on the onset of rain and spread out over the marshes to breed, where they become accessible to the storks. By nesting at this time and providing that the rains do not end pre-maturely, the storks are guaranteed a plentiful food supply for their young. The yellow-billed stork may also begin nesting and breeding at

7038-434: The east to the western foothills of Ngaliema, covering approximately 20,000 hectares. The Terrace is mainly situated in the city's western expanse, between N'djili and Mount Ngafula . It comprises stony blocks of soft sandstone and silica -covered yellow clay , topped with brown silt , and ranges from 10 to 25 meters in height. It retains vestiges of an ancient surface. The Hills Area commences several kilometers from

7140-475: The eggs, which takes up to 30 days. As in many other stork species, hatching is asynchronous (usually at 1- to 2-day intervals), so that the young in the brood differ considerably in body size at any one time. During food shortage, the smaller young are at risk of being outcompeted for food by their larger nest-mates. Both parents share duties of guarding and feeding the young until the latter are about 21 days old. Thereafter, both parents forage to attend to

7242-568: The end of long rains. This occurs especially on flat extensive marshlands as water levels gradually decrease and concentrate fish sufficiently for the storks to feed on. However, unseasonal rainfall has also been reported to induce off-season breeding in northern Botswana and western and eastern Kenya. Rainfall may cause local flooding and hence ideal feeding conditions. This stork appears to breed simply when rainfall and local flooding are optimal and hence seems to be flexible in its temporal breeding pattern, which varies with rainfall pattern throughout

7344-479: The establishment of Kinshasa, the area was for a time part of the Anziku Kingdom . By about 1698, it had become an essentially independent domain known as Nkonkobela . The city was established as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881. It was named Léopoldville in honor of Stanley's employer King Leopold II of the Belgians . He would then proceed to take control of most of the Congo Basin as

7446-591: The female holds out her wings almost horizontally. The process is accompanied by bill clattering from the male as he regularly opens and closes his mandibles and vigorously shakes his head to beat his bill against the female's. In turn, the female keeps her bill horizontal with the male's, or inclined downward at approximately 45 degrees. Average copulation time in this species has been calculated as 15.7 seconds. The female typically lays 2-4 eggs (usually 3) on alternate days and average clutch size has been recorded as 2.5. The male and female share duties to incubate

7548-481: The genus Mycteria . After the male has initially established at the nesting-site and the female begins to approach, he displays behaviours that advertise himself to her. One of these is the Display Preening, whereby the male pretends to strip down each of his extended wings with the bill several times each side and the bill does not effectively close around the feathers. Another observed display among males

7650-496: The heart of the city. Food processing is a major industry, and construction and other service industries also play a significant role in the economy. Although home to only 13% of the DRC's population, Kinshasa accounts for 85% of the Congolese economy as measured by gross domestic product. A 2004 investigation found 70% of inhabitants employed informally, 17% in the public sector, 9% in the formal private sector, and 3% other, of

7752-419: The help of the U.S. and Belgium, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seized power in the Congo. He initiated a policy of " Authenticity ", attempting to renativize the names of people and places in the country. On 2 May 1966, the government announced that the nation's major cities would be restored to their pre-colonial names, effective on 30 June, the sixth anniversary of independence. Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa , for

7854-524: The industry. Parenthetically, production has increased, and Covid-related restrictions have eased, leading to sustained economic growth. Despite facing external challenges, including the repercussions of the Russo-Ukrainian War , the DRC has shown fiscal stability . In 2022, tax performance exceeded projections, showcasing improved revenue generation. However, increased expenditures related to security concerns and internal arrears resulted in

7956-510: The influence of Kikongo, transformed into Kintsaya , eventually becoming Kinshasa . Kinshasa , also known as N'shasa , is regarded as the primary "place of exchange" on the southern bank of the Pool Malebo , where bartering occurred even before the commercial boom of Kintambo . The name Nshasa is believed to originate from the Teke verb " tsaya " ( tsaa ), meaning "to exchange", and

8058-643: The intruder. As well as being abundant and widespread, the yellow-billed stork also appears tolerant of short-term natural habitat changes. However, in East Africa, it is known to be at risk from poaching and habitat reduction despite abundance and population stability and is listed under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement ( AEWA ). Nevertheless, the overall population is not currently considered to be threatened with serious decline, especially since breeding success

8160-418: The largest metropolitan areas in the world. The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which Kinshasa is the capital, is French (See: Kinshasa French vocabulary ). Kinshasa is the largest officially Francophone city in the world, albeit that the vast majority of people either cannot speak French, or struggle in speaking it. Although Lingala is widely used as a spoken language, French

8262-463: The largest rainforest in Africa and the second largest in the world. The large size and ecological complexity of this rainforest has allowed species and communities to evolve relatively undisturbed. As a result, the national park protects a highly biodiverse and unique ecosystem. Of 735 identified plant species in the southwestern part of the park, 85% rely on animals to disperse their seeds, a process called zoochory . Many large mammals are found within

8364-609: The leading economic , political , and cultural center of the DRC. Kinshasa houses several industries , including manufacturing , telecommunications , banking , and entertainment . The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the Palais du Peuple , Palais de la Nation , Court of Cassation , Constitutional Court , Cité de l'Union Africaine , Palais de Marbre , Stade des Martyrs , Immeuble du Gouvernement , Kinshasa Financial Center , and multiple federal departments and agencies. Covering 9,965 square kilometers, Kinshasa stretches along

8466-445: The main watercourses within humid valleys of the Congolese guinéo ombrophile type, have degraded into highly exploited pre-forest fallows, manifesting as reclusive foresters of varying ages. Ruderal plant groups line railway tracks within narrow strips, reflecting the region's vegetation cover's discontinuity and repetition. Kinshasa is home to diverse vegetation types, each intricately linked to specific ecological parameters. Kinshasa

8568-458: The male accepts the female and has allowed her to enter the nest, but the female usually closes her wings by this time. The male may also continue his Display Preening when standing next to the female in the nest During copulation, the male steps onto the female's back from the side, hooks his feet over her shoulders, holds out his wings for balance and finally bends his legs to lower himself for cloacal contact, as happens in most birds. In turn,

8670-637: The natural products brought from the interior. Joseph Kabila , president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019, was not overly popular in Kinshasa. Violence broke out following the announcement of Kabila's victory in the contested election of 2006 ; the European Union deployed troops ( EUFOR RD Congo ) to join the UN force in the city. The announcement in 2016 that a new election would be delayed two years led to large protests in September and December which involved barricades in

8772-720: The noun " intsaya " ( insaa ), referring to any market or place of exchange. It was at this location that Teke brokers traded ivory and slaves from the Banunu slave traders, often mistaken for the Yanzi , for European trade items brought by the Zombo and Kongo people. Despite the various theories, the historical name of Kinshasa is known to have been Nshasa , as documented by Henry Morton Stanley during his crossing of Africa from Zanzibar to Boma in 1874–1877 when he mentioned visiting "the king of Nshasa" on 14 March 1877. Prior to

8874-409: The opponent does not capitulate, the attacker may grab at it with its bill and the two may briefly spar with their bills until one retreats in an erect stance with compressed plumage. Hostility can also arise between opposite sexes when a female approaches a male on a potential nest site. Both sexes may display a similar aforementioned Forward Threat, but clatter their bills after grabbing with them at

8976-526: The other stork and extend their wings to maintain balance. Another hostile behaviour between sexes is the Snap Display, whereby they snap horizontally with their bills while standing upright. This may occur during and immediately after pair formation, but subsides later in the breeding cycle as the male and female become familiar with each other and it eventually disappears. Nestlings show remarkable behavioural transformations at 3 weeks of age. During

9078-430: The park at relatively high densities, including Bongo antelopes , black-crested mangabeys , leopards , and bonobos . The southern region has been the location for studies of bonobos in the wild. There are much higher populations of bonobos near the Iyaelima settlements than elsewhere in the park, apparently because the Iyaelima do not harm them and are playing a strong role in their conservation. Despite hunting pressure,

9180-698: The park, and the Lula River in the south. The Salonga River meanders in a generally northwest direction through the Salonga National Park to its confluence with the Busira River . The Salonga National Park was established as the Tshuapa National Park in 1956, and gained its present boundaries with a 1970 presidential decree by President Mobutu Sese Seko . It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Due to

9282-1057: The rainy season. It may also migrate regularly to and from South Africa. However, little is actually known about this bird's general migratory movements. Due to apparent observed variation in migratory patterns throughout Africa, the yellow-billed stork has been termed a facultative nomad. It may migrate simply to avoid areas where water or rainfall conditions are unfavourable for feeding on prey. Some populations migrate considerable distances between feeding or breeding sites; usually by using thermals to soar and glide. Other local populations have been found to be sedentary and remain in their respective habitats all year round. Preferred habitats include wetlands , shallow lakes and mudflats , usually 10–40 cm deep but it usually avoids heavily forested regions in central Africa. It also avoids flooded regions and deep expansive bodies of water because feeding conditions there are unsuitable for their typical grope and stir feeding techniques. This species breeds especially in Kenya and Tanzania . Although it

9384-523: The south. The urban populace swelled in 1945 with the cessation of forced labor , facilitating the influx of native Africans from rural regions. Léopoldville then became predominantly inhabited by the Bakongo ethnic group. In the 1950s, planned urban centers such as Lemba , Matete , and a segment of Ndjili were established to accommodate workers from the Limete industrial zone. Lovanium University ,

9486-504: The southern shores of the Pool Malebo , on the Congo River . It forms an expansive crescent across flat, low-lying terrain at an average altitude of about 300 meters. Situated between latitudes 4° and 5° and longitudes East 15° and 16°32, Kinshasa shares its borders with the Mai-Ndombe Province , Kwilu Province , and Kwango Province to the east; the Congo River delineates its western and northern perimeters, constituting

9588-542: The status of a city and established an Urban Committee ( Comité Urbain ), with an allocated area of 5,000 hectares and a population of 53,000. Concurrently, it became the colony's capital, the Congo-Kasaï Province 's capital, and the Moyen Congo district. The city was demarcated into two zones: the urban zone, comprising Léo II, Léo-Ouest, Kalina, Léo-I, or Léo-Est, and Ndolo; and the indigenous zone to

9690-430: The streets and left dozens of people dead. Schools and businesses were closed down. Kinshasa is strategically situated on the southern bank of the expansive Malebo Pool , spanning 9,965 square kilometers, configured in a grand crescent shape atop a low-lying, flat terrain with an average elevation hovering around 300 meters. Positioned between latitudes 4° and 5° and longitudinal coordinates 15° to 16°32 east, Kinshasa

9792-415: The title of Gouverneur . Daniel Bumba  [ fr ] has been governor since 21 June 2024. Each commune has its own Bourgmestre . Although political power in the DRC is fragmented, Kinshasa as the national capital represents the official center of sovereignty, and thus of access to international organizations and financing, and of political powers such as the right to issue passports . Kinshasa

9894-402: The water with partially open bills, probing for prey at intervals. Contact of the bill with a prey item prompts a rapid snap-bill reflex , whereby the bird snaps shut its mandibles , raises its head and swallows the prey whole. The speed of this reflex in the closely related American woodstork ( Mycteria americana ) has been recorded as 25 milliseconds and although the corresponding reflex in

9996-486: The yellow-billed stork has not been quantitatively measured, the yellow-billed stork's feeding mechanism appears to be at least qualitatively identical to that of the American wood stork. In addition to the snap-bill reflex, the yellow-billed stork also uses a systematic foot stirring technique to sound out evasive prey. It prods and churns up the bottom of the water as part of a “herding mechanism” to force prey out of

10098-413: The young's intense food demands. Alongside parental feeding by regurgitation of fish, parents have also been observed to regurgitate water into the open bills of their nestlings, especially on hot days. This may aid the typical thermoregulatory strategy of the young (common to all stork species) to excrete dilute urine down their legs in response to hot weather. Water regurgitated over the young serves as

10200-535: Was changed to Kinshasa in 1966 during Mobutu Sese Seko 's Zairianisation campaign as a tribute to Nshasa village. The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is DRC's most prominent and central museum, housing a collection of art , artifacts , historical objects, and modern work of arts . The College of Advanced Studies in Strategy and Defense is the highest military institution in DRC and Central Africa. The National Pedagogical University

10302-511: Was only 0.33 young per nest. However, increased egg predation by fish eagles has been reported to be linked to decline in fish stocks in the Winam Gulf . The yellow-billed stork has appeared on postage stamps in several African countries. This species is evaluated as Least Concern for several reasons. First, population trend appears to be decreasing but this decrease is not believed to rapidly approach thresholds for Vulnerable under

10404-402: Was the equivalent of US$ 2,150, amounting to $ 1 per day per person. The median household spending was $ 1,555, 66 cents per person per day. Among the poor, more than half of this spending goes to food, especially bread and cereal. Kinshasa is home to several higher-level education institutes, covering a wide range of disciplines, including civil engineering , nursing , and journalism . The city

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