Banana, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| Banana | |
|---|---|
 Banana
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| Coordinates: 6°1′S 12°25′E / 6.017°S 12.417°E | |
| Country |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
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| Province | Bas-Congo |
Banana is a small seaport in the Bas-Congo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Atlantic coast. The port is situated in Banana Creek, an inlet about 1km wide on the north bank of the Congo River's mouth, separated from the ocean by a spit of land 3km long and 100 to 400m wide. The port is located on the creek side of the spit, which shelters it from the ocean. It is about 8km south-east of Muanda to which it is connected by a paved road running along the coast.
The port of Banana consists of one wharf of 75 m and depth 5.18 m, with two small cranes for cargo handling, and a few small jetties.The port has an oil terminal 4 km further upriver, to which tankers discharge while at anchor in the creek. The terminal has a quite separate road access east of Muanda. There are no major facilities in Banana apart from the port, since these are provided by the much larger town of Muanda, where the nearest airport is located. There is no rail link.
The town was developed as a port in the 19th century, largely as part of the slave trade. Henry Morton Stanley arrived at Banana in 1879 at the start of an exploratory expedition funded by Léopold II of Belgium. Following the Conference of Berlin (1884–85) the European powers recognized Léopold's claim to the Congo basin, and in a ceremony at Banana in 1885 the king announced the establishment of the Congo Free State, headed by himself, beginning the period of European colonization. Banana was the main Belgian naval base of the Congo until independence in 1960.
Coordinates: 6°01′S 12°25′E / 6.017°S 12.417°E
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