Matadi, Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The suburbs of Matadi

Matadi is a port in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the province Bas-Congo. It has a population of 235.400 (2004). Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River about half way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Congolese capital Kinshasa.

Culture

The word Matadi means stone in the local Kikongo language. The town is built on steep hills and there is local saying that to live in Matadi, you must know the verbs "to go up", "to go down" and "to sweat". Upstream is a series of caves known as the "rock of Diégo Caô", after grafitti carved by the Portuguese explorer in 1485 marking the limit of his travels up the Congo River.

Mount Cambier and the Yelaba Rapids also lie near the city.

Infrastructure

A power station on the Mpozo River supplies power to the town. A rail line connects it to Kinshasa, 350km away. The port serves as a major import and export point for the whole nation. The state fishing company "Pemarza" uses the port to supply fish to the capital. Tshimpi Airport is nearby but is reportedly inactive. A 722m long mixed rail and road bridge built in 1983 crosses the river. A monument to the builders of the Matadi-Kinshasa railway stands on a nearby hill.