Moanda (Zaire)

Moanda or Muanda is a town and territory lying on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the mouth of the Congo River. It is situated in Kongo Central Province, and has a population of 90,812 as of 2012. The town has an airport and is known for its beaches, and has a few limited tourist facilities, but tourism is incidental to the main economic activities of the town. The town of Muanda is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north-west of the small port of Banana in the mouth of the Congo, and 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) southeast of Point Kipundji. The Moanda Oil Terminal, consisting of various platforms, pipelines and a permanent tanker, lies 10 miles southwest of Point Kipundji. Some 100 km upstream from Muanda, on the north bank of the Congo River, lies the city of Boma, DR Congo's second-largest port. The great width and depth of the Congo River allow seagoing vessels to reach Boma and the largest port, Matadi, despite their distance from the coast.