Kolwezi

Kolwezi
Provincial capital and city
Ville de Kolwezi
N39 Highway and in the left the La Joie Mall.
Former district until 2015
Kolwezi
Location in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Country DR Congo
ProvinceLualaba
Founded1938
City status1971
District1976 (1976)–2015 (2016)
Founded byUnion Minière
CommunesDilala, Manika
Government
 • MayorJacques Masengo
Area
 • City
213 km2 (82 sq mi)
Elevation
1,448 m (4,751 ft)
Population
 (2015)
 • City
572,942
 • Density2,690/km2 (6,970/sq mi)
 • Urban
480,000
Time zoneUTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
ClimateCwa

Kolwezi or Kolwesi is the capital city of Lualaba Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It has an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. Just outside of Kolwezi there is the static inverter plant of the HVDC Inga-Shaba. The population is approximately 573,000.

Before the creation of Lualaba province in 2015, Kolwezi had two territories attached to it to create the Kolwezi District.