Upper Congo Region is northeastern Congo(2) and is over one half a million square kilometers. It reaches further south in its southwest than in its southeast, and sits on the northern part of a plateau that falls off west of the region and rises to steep heights at the east in the form of the Blue(3) Mountains. Immediately east of the mountains is part of the Great Rift Valley, most of which is Lake Albert.
The region is named for the Zaïre River, known as the Congo further downstream (beyond this region) and as the Lualaba upstream from Kisangani. The river enters in the southwest of the region and flows north-northwest. It turns northwest and exits the region. One of its tributaries, the Uele, which joins it beyond the region, originates in the northeast and flows west. One of the Uele's tributaries, the Bomu(4), forms the region's border with the Central African Republic(5). Between the Uele and the Congo flows the Aruwimi, whose upper course is called the Ituri. It joins the Zaïre upstream from another right bank tributary, the Itimbiri. The most important river to add to the Zaïre from the left is the Lomami, which flows parallel to the Lualaba part of the Zaïre.
Just under seven million people live here. There is no majority first language, however, speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages represent together more than six in ten. The rest speak Volta-Congo languages. Of the Nilo-Saharan languages, four are spoken by more than one in ten(6): Mangbetu, Lugbara and Lendu, all East Central Sudanic languages,and Alur(7), a Luo language.
Of the Volta-Congo languages, only Zande is spoken by as many as one in ten.(8)
Some people near the river, downstream from Kisangani, learn Lingala as a trade language, and a few learn French, the language of government.
The majority are Christians, perhaps nine in ten. Most of the rest practice indiginous religions, which typically include attention to ancestral and natural spirits, and a belief that fortune and misfortune are caused by the voluntary and involuntary acts of spirits, witches or sorcerers.(9) The line between Christianity and local religions is blurry. Students at a Christian school might seek help on their exams from sorcerers, and self-identified non-Christians might seek help from a Christian priest.
Of the Christians, Roman Catholics predominate, followed first by Protestants--most of them united in the Church of Christ, and second by the Kimbanguist Church.
Kisangani(10) is the only metropolitan area with a million or more people.
Nilo-Saharan languages may have been spoken here for thousands of years. Bantu speakers moved here from either the north or the west by about 300 C.E., and the pygmies adopted the newcomers languages. Sepakers of Ubangi languages moved here recently; Zande, for example, established its importance in the late 19th century, expanding from the north and west.
Christianity and French came with the late 19th century Belgian Empire. The Kimbanguist Church grew from Simon Kimbango's preaching in the 1920's. Forty-six Protestant organizations united in the early 1960's as the Church of Christ.
northwest
northeast
east and southeast
south
west
(1) Haut in French.
(2) Kinshasa Congo.
(3) Bleu in French.
(4) Called the Mbomou in the Central African Republic.
(5) Republique centralafricaine in French.
(6) None of the other Nilo-Saharan languages are spoken by as many as one in 20.
(7) Alur is sometimes considered a dialect of Lwo, along with three Uganda languages.
(8) No other Volta-Congo languages are spoken by one in 20.
(9) Witches here means hereditary practictioners of magic; sorcery is learned.
(10) Formerly Stanleyville.