Nord-Kivu

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Province du Nord-Kivu
Image:None Image:None
(Provincial flag) (Provincial Seal)
Map of the Dem. Rep. of the Congo highlighting the Province of Nord-Kivu
Country Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Capital Goma
Largest city Goma
National language French, Swahili
Land area¹ 59,483 km²
Governor Julien Paluku Kahongya
Population


Density
3,564,434
(est. 1998)

59.92/km²
Districts 1
Cities 3
Demonym North Kivutian
Official Website [ Province du Nord-Kivu]
Territorial Organisation - Cities


Nord-Kivu (also Kivu-Nord, North Kivu) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its provincial capital is Goma.

Contents

[edit] Geography

It borders Orientale to the north-west, Maniema to the west, and Sud-Kivu to the south. To the east it borders Uganda and Rwanda.

The province consists of three towns — Goma, Butembo and Beni — and six territoriesBeni, Lubero, Masisi, Nyiragongo, Rutshuru and Walikali. The province is home to the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site containing the endangered Mountain Gorillas.

[edit] History

The region was the scene of much fighting during the Second Congo War (1998–2003).

[edit] Human rights issues

In October 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned of an increasing number of internally displaced people (IDP) in North Kivu related to the fighting there between the government army, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels and renegade troops, including Laurent Nkunda's forces, and a build-up of military supplies and forces, including the reported recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups across North Kivu. The UNHCR thought that there were over 370,000 people in North Kivu displaced since December 2006, and is expanding its camps in the Mugunga area where over 80,000 IDPs were estimated. [1]


Nord-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cities
  • Goma (capital) || Communes : Goma, Karisimbi
  • Beni || Communes : Beni, Bungulu, Ruwenzori, Muhekera
  • Butembo || Communes : Bulengera, Kimemi, Mususa, Vutamba
Territorial districts
  • Province not divided into districts


[edit] References

  1. ^ "DR Congo: UN agency concerned at military buildup in North Kivu", UN News Service, 2007-10-05. Retrieved on 2007-10-06. 

[edit] External links