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Lubumbashi[lOObOOmbA´shE] Pronunciation Key, city (1984 pop. 564,830), capital of Katanga province, SE Congo (Kinshasa), near the border with Zambia. The second largest city of the country, it is a commercial and industrial center. Copper is smelted there, and textiles, food products and beverages, printed materials, and bricks are manufactured. Founded in 1910, Lubumbashi was known as Elisabethville and prospered with the development of the region's copper-mining industry. It also serves as a distribution center for other minerals, including cobalt, zinc, tin, and coal. Lubumbashi was the capital of the secessionist state of Katanga (1960–63) and was the scene of bloody strife between UN troops and Katangan forces. The city is the site of a university, a regional museum, and a modern airport. It is situated on a transcontinental railroad that links Luanda on the west coast of Africa with Beira on the east coast.
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