Pointe-Noire
Pointe-Noire
Njinji | |
|---|---|
 Pointe-Noire | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto: | |
  Pointe-Noire Location in the Republic of the Congo | |
| Coordinates:04°47′51″S11°51′1″E/ 4.79750°S 11.85028°E | |
| Country |  Republic of the Congo |
| Department | Pointe-Noire Department |
| Commune | Pointe-Noire |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jean-François Kando(PCT) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,134 km2(824 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population (2023 census) | |
| • Total | 1,420,612[1] |
| •Official language | French |
| •National language | Kituba language |
| Area code | 242 |
| HDI(2021) | 0.614[2]·medium·2nd of 12 |
Pointe-Noire(French pronunciation:[pwɛ̃t.nwaʁ];Kongo:Njinji,French:Ndjindjiwith the letter d following French spelling standards[3][4][5]) is the second largest city in theRepublic of the Congo,following the capital ofBrazzaville,and an autonomousdepartmentand acommunesince the 2002 Constitution.[6]Before this date it was the capital of theKouilouregion (now a separate department). It is situated on a headland betweenPointe-Noire Bayand theAtlantic Ocean.Pointe-Noire is the main commercial centre of the country and has a population of 1,420,612 inhabitants in 2023.[7]
The coat of arms[edit]
The coat of arms of the city of Pointe-Noire is:
"Gold at the point of sand accompanied by two silver oars, the handle gules, laid in chevron poured, the tip and oars moving from a sea of azure wavy three streams of silver"[8]
Administration[edit]
Pointe-Noire is a commune divided into six urban boroughs (arrondissements):[9]
- Lumumba,the oldest area. It is the administrative and commercial centre.
- Mvoumvou
- Tié-Tié
- Loandjili
- Mongo-Mpoukou
- Ngoyo
Pointe-Noire is also a department which include the area of the commune and, since 2011, the district ofTchiamba-Nzassi,formerly part of the Kouilou department.[10]
History[edit]
The name Pointe-Noire ( "Black Point" ) originated withPortuguese navigatorswho saw a block of black rocks on the headland in 1484. From then on, Pointe-Noire, called in PortuguesePonta Negra,became a maritime point of reference, and then a small fishing village starting in 1883, after the French signed a treaty with local people, theLoangos.
In 1910,French Equatorial Africa(Afrique équatoriale française,AEF) was created, and French companies were allowed to exploit theMiddle Congo(modern-day Congo Brazzaville). It soon became necessary to build a railroad that would connectBrazzaville,the terminus of the river navigation on theCongo Riverand theUbangui River,with the Atlantic coast. Asrapidsmake it impossible to navigate on the Congo River past Brazzaville, and the coastal railroad terminus site had to allow for the construction of a deep-sea port, authorities chose the site of Ponta Negra instead ofLibrevilleas originally envisaged. In 1923, it was chosen to be the terminus of theCongo-Ocean Railway(CFCO).[11]
In 1927, drinking water became available in the city, which had about 3,000 inhabitants. The airport was built in 1932. In 1934, GovernorRaphael Antonettiinaugurated theCongo-Ocean Railway.The first hospital was built in 1936. That same year,Bank of West Africa (BAO)opened its first branch in the city. In 1942, thePointe-Noire Harbourwelcomed its first ship, and made the city the AEF'sseaport.
In 1950, Pointe-Noire had 20,000 inhabitants, and became the capital of theMiddle Congo,while Brazzaville was thecapital cityof the AEF. In 1957, the Middle-Congo became the Republic of Congo, although it was still not independent. Incidents which occurred during 1958 legislative elections led the leaders of theDemocratic Union for the Defence of African Interests(Union démocratique pour la défense des interets africains,UDDIA) to transfer the capital to Brazzaville, since Pointe-Noire was under the influence of the political opposition.
Pointe-Noire continued growing, and was the most modern city in 1960, when Congo gained independence. Then, the oil discovery around 1980 re-attracted people andElf-Aquitainefacilities. The population doubled by 1982, and reached 360,000 in 1994.
Civil wars in 1997 and 1999 caused an influx of refugees from the surrounding provinces (Lékoumou,Niari,Bouenza,Pool) towards Pointe-Noire, causing the population to climb to over 1 million inhabitants.
Recentlythe Governmenthas proposed the development of a new bulk resource port to be constructed atPoint Indienne,30 kilometres (19 mi) to the north of the Port of Pointe-Noire. A meeting was held on 18 December 2012 with a collective of 10 Congo government ministries and invited mining companies to discuss future development opportunities.
Economy[edit]
Pointe-Noire is the essential centre of the oil industry of theRepublic of Congo,one of the main oil producers inCentral Africa.Congoleseoilhas been largely exploited by the French companyElf Aquitainesince its discovery around 1980.
Pointe-Noire is also known for itsfishing industry,which is often at odds with the oil development.[12]Local waters are reportedly getting overfished.[13]
Formerly, Pointe-Noire was home to apotashexploitation which led to the construction of awharf,currently closed to the public.
Education[edit]
Lycée Français Charlemagne,a French international school for primary and secondary school children, is in Pointe-Noire. It also hosts a British international school for children aged 0 to 18 years, called Connie's Academy.[14]
The city is home to the École Supérieure de Technologie du Littoral (technology) the École supérieure de commerce et de gestion (Business), Institut UCAC-ICAM (Engineering) and the Centre d’éducation, de formation et d’apprentissage en mécanique auto (Automotive Engineering).[15]TheHigher Institute of Technology of Central Africahas a campus in the city. There are also several other institutions of higher education in the city.[16]
University establishments[edit]
As a result of the decentralisation policy put in place by the Congolese government, Pointe-Noire has seen the emergence of some young universities. The city is now home to several private institutes and universities, as well as internationally renowned establishments. Every day, their reputation grows, making Pointe-Noire a fast-growing centre of higher education. This is excellent news for students and for the city's development. We can mention universities such as:
- The University of Loango,[17]which offers programmes in law,managementandcommerce
- The Ecole Africaine de Développement[18]in Pointe-Noire offers programmes in science andtechnology
- The Canadian School of Management[19]offers programmes inmanagement sciencesand marketing
- Ecole Superieure of Commerce and Industry of Congo[20]of Congo offers Bachelor's degree courses in partnership withEcole SupdeV Paris
Transport[edit]
Pointe-Noire is home toAgostinho-Neto International Airportwhich as of August 2023 had direct flights toAbidjan,Addis Ababa,Brazzaville,Cotonou,Douala,Istanbul,Libreville,LuandaandParis[21]and was the second busiest airport in the country.
Pointe-Noire is also the terminus of theCongo-Ocean Railway,therailway stationbeing a notable building. As of 2014[update]the railway was operating theLa Gazelletrain service every other day toBrazzavilleand intermediate destinations.[22]
Thanks to its rapid growth, the city now includesTié-Tié Railway StationandNgondji Railway Station,the next railway stations after the Pointe Noire terminus.[citation needed]
On 22 June 2010 a train departing from Pointe-Noire derailed resulting in the deaths of many passengers.[23]The railway was built by theFrenchbetween 1921 and 1934 during the French colonial rule in Congo.
Pointe-Noire has a taxi-busnetworkthat runs throughout the entire city.
Places of worship[edit]
Among theplaces of worship,they are predominantlyChristianchurches and temples:Roman Catholic Diocese of Pointe-Noire(Catholic Church),Evangelical Church of Congo(World Communion of Reformed Churches) andAssemblies of God.[24]
Climate[edit]
Pointe-Noire has atropical savanna climateunder theKöppen climate classification.The city has awet seasonthat spans from October through April, while the remaining 5 months form thedry season.Pointe-Noire receives roughly 1,000 millimetres (39 in) of precipitation annually. Temperatures are somewhat cooler during the dry season with average temperatures roughly at 24 degrees Celsius. During the wet season, average temperatures hover around 28 degrees Celsius.
| Climate data for Pointe-Noire 1982-2012 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) |
30.9 (87.6) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
29.7 (85.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.3 (84.7) |
29.7 (85.5) |
29.0 (84.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.7 (81.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.1 (73.6) |
24.3 (75.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.8 (74.8) |
21.4 (70.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
20.4 (68.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.0 (73.5) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 151.8 (5.98) |
183.6 (7.23) |
154.0 (6.06) |
92.7 (3.65) |
45.7 (1.80) |
2.2 (0.09) |
1.7 (0.07) |
5.7 (0.22) |
17.1 (0.67) |
96.6 (3.80) |
126.1 (4.96) |
153.9 (6.06) |
1,031.1 (40.59) |
| Source:Normales et records pour la période 2000-2016 à Pointe-Noire[25] | |||||||||||||
Sport[edit]
Football teams includeAssociation Sportive des CheminotsandJeunesse Sportive les Bougainvillées.
Twin towns – sister cities[edit]
Pointe-Noire istwinnedwith:
Notable people[edit]
- Delvin N'Dinga,footballer
- Junior Etou(born 1994), Congolese basketball player forHapoel Be'er Shevaof theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
- Ghislaine Sathoud,feminist writer
- Alain Mabanckou(born 1966), writer
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^BOKOLO, Guilesse (8 January 2024)."RESULTATS PRELIMINAIRES".INS-CONGO BRAZZAVILLE(in French).Retrieved16 June2024.
- ^"Subnational HDI (v7.0)".Global_Data_Lab.Retrieved23 August2023.
- ^Jean Dello (1988)."Toponymie sur la ville de Pointe Noire"(PDF).Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique Pour Le Développement en Coopération(in French). p. 11.Retrieved15 December2020.
- ^Cécile Manciaux (2012)."Pointe-Noire: il était une fois Ndji-Ndji".JeuneAfrique(in French).Retrieved12 January2021.
- ^Marcel Poaty et Paulin Roch Beapami et l’Alliance biblique du Congo (ABC),Kutaangë i Kusonikë Civili: Lire et écrire le Civili,SIL-Congo (Société internationale de linguistique, antenne Congo), 2018, p. 37
- ^"Constitution du 20 janvier 2002"(PDF).sgg.cg(in French).Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement, Journal Officiel.1 February 2002. p. 20.Retrieved21 August2023.
- ^"Congo (Rep.): Departments, Major Cities & Urban Localities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".www.citypopulation.de.Retrieved16 January2024.
- ^Sanz, Lionel (5 December 2017)."Début des années 50 – Un petit historique de Pointe-Noire".DMCARC(in French).Retrieved21 December2017.
- ^"Annuaire Statistique du Congo 2018, chapitre 3: organisation administrative"(PDF).ins-congo.cg(in French).Institut National de la Statistique.23 March 2021. p. 13.Retrieved18 August2023.
- ^Laws n° 17 to 19-2011"JO n° 21-2011"(PDF).sgg.cg(in French).Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement - Journal Officiel.26 May 2011. pp. 581, 589–590.Retrieved2 September2023.
- ^John Frank Clark, Samuel Decalo,Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo,Scarecrow Press, USA, 2012, p. 365
- ^Tati, Gabriel (2004). "Sharing Public Space in Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville: Immigrant Fishermen and a Multinational Oil Company". In Hansen, Karen Tranberg (ed.).Reconsidering informality: perspectives from urban Africa.Nordic Africa Institute, 2004. p. 235.ISBN91-7106-518-0.
- ^"In Pictures: The rise of shark fishing off the Congolese coast".www.aljazeera.com.Retrieved5 July2023.
- ^"Connie's Academy".Connie's Academy.Retrieved23 August2023.
- ^News of Bolloré Africa Logistics, Partnering schools in Congo Brazzaville: Congo Terminal commits to sandwich course education schemes., Congo Brazzaville. 7 August 2014,http://www.bollore-africa-logistics.com/en/media/news/partenariats-entreprise-ecoles-congo-brazzaville.html
- ^Tikdem Technologies."Higher education, universities, institutes, campuses in Pointe-Noire, Pointe-Noire".PagesClaires.com.Retrieved24 May2016.
- ^"Universite-Loango".universite-loango.com.Retrieved4 February2024.
- ^Congo, Le Pratique du."EAD (École Africaine de Developpement) | Le Pratique du Congo"(in French).Retrieved4 February2024.
- ^"Facebook".www.facebook.com.Retrieved4 February2024.
- ^"ESCIC".
- ^"Pointe Noire routes and destinations".Flightradar24.Retrieved23 August2023.
- ^"Republic of Congo travel".Lonely Planet.Retrieved5 July2023.
- ^"Scores dead in Congo train crash".Retrieved23 August2023.
- ^J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann,Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices,ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 773
- ^"Normales et records pour la période 2000-2016 à Pointe-Noire".Infoclimat.Retrieved13 January2014.
- ^"Đại liên thị hữu hảo thành thị cập hữu hảo hợp tác quan hệ thành thị nhất lãm".dl.gov.cn(in Chinese). Dalian.Retrieved4 November2020.
- ^"New Orleans becomes sister city with namesake".kplctv.com.KPLC News. 8 January 2018.Retrieved4 November2020.
- ^"Tô châu hữu hảo thành thị nhất lãm biểu".suzhouhui.com(in Chinese). Suzhou Hui. 6 March 2020.Retrieved4 November2020.
External links[edit]
- Decalo S., Thompson V. & Adloff R. 1984.Historical dictionary of Congopp. 244–245. USA: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
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