Global InformationGoma information
Goma | |
|---|---|
Provincial capital and city | |
| Ville de Goma | |
 Goma, November 2022 | |
  Goma Location in the Congo | |
| Coordinates: 01°40′46″S 29°14′01″E / 1.67944°S 29.23361°E | |
| Country | DR Congo |
| Province | North Kivu |
| Communes | Goma, Karisimbi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Timothée Mwisa Kyese |
| Area | |
| • City | 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Metro | 670,000[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
| National language | Swahili |
| Climate | Aw |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5,000 | — |
| 1960 | 16,000 | +220.0% |
| 1970 | 49,000 | +206.2% |
| 1980 | 68,000 | +38.8% |
| 1990 | 111,000 | +63.2% |
| 2000 | 198,000 | +78.4% |
| 2010 | 355,000 | +79.3% |
| 2018 | 566,000 | +59.4% |
| 2019 | 599,000 | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 634,000 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 670,000 [1] | — |
Goma is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[2] It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. It shares its borders with Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east, Masisi Territory to the west, and is flanked by Lake Kivu to the south.[3] The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift System, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active Nyiragongo Volcano. With an approximate area of 75.72 square kilometers, the city has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census,[4] while the 1984 estimate placed the number at 80,000.[5]
Goma is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon.[4][6] The city is home to several notable landmarks, including Goma International Airport, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Virunga National Park, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas, the private Christian co-educational school Adventist University of Goma, and the significant public institution University of Goma. The city also hosts the Université libre des Pays de Grand Lac, which supports local development initiatives.[7][8] Parenthetically, Goma is home to the province's most prominent football clubs, Association Sportive Kabasha and Daring Club Virunga.
The recent history of Goma has been dominated by the volcano and the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which in turn fueled the First and Second Congo Wars. The aftermath of these events was still having effects on the city and its surroundings in 2010. The city was captured by rebels of the March 23 Movement during the M23 rebellion in late 2012, but it has since been retaken by government forces.
Goma is the home of the annual Amani Festival which celebrates peace and in 2020 it attracted an audience of 36,000.[9]
- ^ a b "Goma, Republic of Congo Metro Area Population 1950-2021". macrotrends.net. 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Hendriks, Maarten; Büscher, Karen (September 2019). "Insecurity in Goma: Experiences, actors and responses" (PDF). Riftvalley.net. Nairobi, Kenya: Rift Valley Institute. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Karumba, Janvier Bagula (2011). "De l'opportunité du développement du tourisme au nord Kivu. Cas de la ville de Goma" [The opportunity for tourism development in North Kivu. Case of the city of Goma] (in French). Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Institut Supérieur de Tourisme de Goma (ISTou-Goma). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b Kakozi, Willy Missumba; Katembo, Barry; Mazirane, Pierrot; Lukusa, Patricia Mishika; Baluntu, Edo; Makombe, Espe ́rance; Bahire, Claudine Munyatwari; Murabazi, Justin; Mukuku, Olivier (December 17, 2022). "Determinants of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices for COVID-19 infection in Goma, DRC". Syncsci.com. Others: Zacharie Kibendelwa Tsongo, Stanis Okitotsho Wembonyama. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ Revue de l'urbanisation en République démocratique du Congo: Des villes productives et inclusives pour l'émergence de la République démocratique du Congo (in French). NW, Washington, D.C.: World Bank Publications. August 23, 2018. ISBN 978-1-4648-1206-4.
- ^ Kyolo, Samuel Kule; Bbosa, Godfrey S.; Odda, John; Mwebaza, Norah; Kibendelwa, Zacharie Tsongo; Nakasujja, Noeline; Katuura, Esther (March 14, 2023). "Indigenous knowledge and perception toward mental illnesses within Goma city in Democratic Republic of Congo" (PDF). Durham, North Carolina, United States: Research Square. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs(ULPGL)". Prototypes for Humanity. 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ "A propos". Ulpgl.net (in French). Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ "Amani Festival: The DR Congo music festival celebrating life". BBC News. 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-05.