Kasai-Occidental

Kasai-Occidental is a former province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1966 by the division of the former Kasai Province into Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental. The province's capital was Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Kasai-Occidental was located in the south-central part of the country and was bordered by five other provinces. To the north was Bandundu Province, to the east was Kasai-Oriental, to the south was Katanga Province, and to the west were Bas-Congo and Kinshasa provinces.

History[edit | edit source]

The history of Kasai-Occidental is marked by the Congo Crisis of the 1960s, a period of political upheaval and conflict that followed the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Belgium. The province was the site of the Stanleyville mutinies, a series of rebellions by the Congolese army.

In 2015, as part of a reorganization of the country's administrative divisions, Kasai-Occidental was split into two new provinces: Kasai Province and Kwilu Province.

Economy[edit | edit source]

The economy of Kasai-Occidental was largely based on agriculture, with significant production of cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, and palm oil. The province was also known for its diamond mining industry.

Health[edit | edit source]

Healthcare in Kasai-Occidental, as in much of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faced significant challenges. These included a lack of infrastructure, insufficient funding, and a high burden of diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.