Pointe-Noire

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Pointe-Noire is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, and a district in the Kouilou province. It is the main commercial centre of the country and has a population of 663,400 (2005 census). It is situated on a headland between Pointe-Noire Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

1 Climate
2 Structure
3 Economy
4 Transport
5 Attractions
6 History
- 6.1 Development of the city
7 References

[edit] Climate

The climate is hot and humid. September and October experience somewhat less rainfall than other months.

[edit] Structure

Pointe Noire is divided into four areas:

Patrice Emery Lumumba area(12 districts), the oldest area.It is the administrative and commercial centre;
Mvou-Mvou area(10 districts);
Tié-Tié area(7 districts), the most populous area;
Loandji area (20 districts)

[edit] Economy

Pointe Noire is the essential centre of oil industry in Congo-Brazzaville, one of the main oil producers in Central Africa. Congolese oil has been mostly being exploited by French company Elf Aquitaine since its discovery around 1980.

Pointe Noire is also known for its fishing industry.

Formerly, Pointe Noire was home to a potash exploitation which led to the construction of a wharf, currently closed to public.

Pointe Noire is twinned with the French city of Le Havre.

[edit] Transport

Pointe Noire is home to Agostino Neto Airport, one of the main international airports in the country.

Pointe Noire is also the terminus of the Congo-Ocean Railway, the railway station being a notable building. Thanks to her growth, the city now includes Tié-Tié Railway Station and Loandjili Railway Station, which are the next railways stations after the Pointe Noire terminus.

Pointe Noire has a taxi-bus network which works throughout the whole city.

[edit] Attractions

Pointe Noire main attractions are its beaches, known for surfing.

[edit] History

Pointe Noire (Black Point) name originated from Portuguese navigators who saw a block of black rocks on the headland in 1484. From that date, Pointe Noire, called Punta Negra, became a maritime reference, and then a small fishing village from 1883, after the French signed a treaty with local people, Loangos.

In 1910, the French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Equatoriale Francaise (AEF)) was created, and then-French companies were allowed to exploit the Middle Congo (modern-day Congo Brazzaville). It soon appeared necessary to build a railroad whcih would connect Brazzaville, the then-terminus of the river naviguation on the Congo River and the Ubangui River, with the Atlantic coast. As rapids make impossible to naviguate on the Congo River past-Brazzaville, and the costal rairoad terminus site had to allow the construction of a deep-sea harbour, French authorities chose the site of Punta Negra instead of Libreville's originally envisaged. Constructions of the Congo-Ocean Railway began in 1921, and led to the foundation of Pointe Noire on 22 May 1922.

[edit] Development of the city

In 1927, drinking water became available in the city, hich had circa 3,000 inhabitants.The airport was built in 1932. In 1934, Governor Raphael Antonetti inaugurated the Congo-Ocean Railway. The First hospital was built in 1936. In 1942, the Pointe Noire Harbour welcomed the first ship, and made the city the AEF's seaport.

In 1950, Pointe Noire had 20,000 inhabitants, and became the capital of the Middle Congo, while Brazzaville was the capital city of the AEF. In 1957, the Middle-Congo became the Republic of Congo, although it was not still independent. incidents which occurred during 1958 legislative elections led the Union Démocratique pour la Défense des Interets Africains (UDDIA) [Democratic Union African Interests Defency] leaders to transfer the capital to Brazzaville, since Pointe Noire was under the influence of political opposition.

Pointe Noire continued growing, and was the most modern city in 1960, when Congo accessed to independence. Then, the oil discovery around 1980 attracted again people and factories (Elf Aquitaine). The population doubled by 1982, and reached 360,000 in 1994.

Civil wars which occurred in 1997 and 1999 caused the exodus of people living in surrounding provinces (Lekoumou, Niari, Bouenza, Pool) towards Pointe Noire whose population is actually reaching 1,000,000 inhabitants.