M'banza-Kongo
Mbanza Kongo | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
Mbanza Kongo (São Salvador) in 1745 | |
Mbanza Kongo Location in Angola | |
| Coordinates: 6°16′04″S 14°14′53″E / 6.26778°S 14.24806°E | |
| Country | Angola |
| Province | Zaire Province |
| Founded | c. 1390 |
| Founded by | Lukeni lua Nimi |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,154 km2 (1,990 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 408 m (1,339 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 221,141 |
| • Density | 42.91/km2 (111.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Climate | Aw |
| Official name | Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, iv |
| Designated | 2017 (41st session) |
| Reference no. | 1511 |
| Region | Africa |
Mbanza Kongo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈbɐ̃zɐ], [ĩˈbɐ̃zɐ], [mɨˈβɐ̃zɐ] or [miˈβɐ̃zɐ ˈkõɡu], known as São Salvador in Portuguese from 1570 to 1976; Kongo: Mbânza Kôngo) is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province with a population of 221,141 in 2024. Mbanza Kongo was the capital of the Kingdom of Kongo since its foundation before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1483 until the abolition of the kingdom in 1915, aside from a brief period of abandonment during civil wars in the 17th century. In 2017, Mbanza Kongo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.