Lubumbashi

Lubumbashi is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the capital of Haut-Katanga province. With a population of about two-million people, it serves as the mining capital of the country and the economic hub of the mineral-rich Katanga region. The city is the centre of Congo's copper and cobalt mining industry, hosting numerous mining operations, smelters, refineries and related industrial facilities. Lubumbashi's economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of copper, cobalt and other minerals, making it a critical node in global supply chains for battery metals and industrial commodities. Major mining companies and service providers maintain significant operations and offices in the city. The city is connected by rail to the Zambian Copperbelt and by road to other key mining centres such as Kolwezi. Lubumbashi is home to the University of Lubumbashi and serves as a commercial and logistics centre for the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in 1910 during the Belgian colonial period as Élisabethville, the city was renamed Lubumbashi in 1966 and has grown into a major industrial centre despite challenges related to infrastructure and governance.