|
Orientale[OrEANtAl´] Pronunciation Key, formerly Haut-ZaIre[Ot-zAEr´] Pronunciation Key, province (1984 pop. 4,314,672), c.204,000 sq mi (528,360 sq km), N Congo (Kinshasa). Kisangani is the capital. Orientale borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north and Uganda on the east. It is the nation's leading gold-mining region, and cotton, coffee, and palm oil are also produced. Several hydroelectric plants provide power for the province.
The province was the political stronghold of Patrice Lumumba. In 1960, Lumumba's followers, led by Antoine Gizenga and centered at Kisangani (then Stanleyville), attempted to establish a government to rival the central government at Kinshasa (then Leopoldville). The Stanleyville regime controlled most of the region until the central government reestablished control in 1962. There were further rebellions throughout the 1960s.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
