Map of Nord-Kivu
Nord-Kivu is a first-level division of DR Congo. Its largest mapped city is Beni, with about 332,903 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Nord-Kivu, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities along with the mountains, lakes, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Beni
- Country
- DR Congo
- Highest Point Mapped
- 4,979 m
Interactive Map of Nord-Kivu
About Nord-Kivu
North Kivu (Swahili: Jimbo la Kivu Kaskazini) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population estimate of 8,985,711 as of 2020, it is bordered by Ituri to the north, Tshopo to the northwest, Maniema to the southwest, and South Kivu to the south, as well as Uganda and Rwanda to the east.
North Kivu's administrative history traces back to the colonial era when it was initially part of the Stanley Falls District within the Congo Free State. Following a series of territorial reorganizations, North Kivu became incorporated into Orientale Province, with Stanleyville (modern-day Kisangani) as the provincial capital. The area gained provincial status in 1962 but was demoted to a district under Mobutu Sese Seko's regime in 1965. It was formally reinstated in 1988 under Ordinance-Law No. 88/1976 and Ordinance-Law No. 88-031, which redefined the previous Kivu Province into tripartite separate provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema. Presently, North Kivu comprises three cities—Goma, Butembo, and Beni—and six territories: Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Walikale. A 2013 decree also proposed city status for Kasindi, Oicha, and Luholu. The province's eastern border is home to the Rwenzori Mountains, part of the Albertine Rift, which serves as a key freshwater source and supports a diverse ecosystem. North Kivu also hosts Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to endangered mountain gorillas.
The province is confronted with ongoing security challenges stemming from armed groups, resource-related conflicts, and ethnic tensions. The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has been a significant source of instability. As of early 2024, M23-related violence had displaced approximately 1.7 million people, accounting for nearly 14% of North Kivu's population.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: North Kivu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nord-Kivu in Depth
History
North Kivu has long been inhabited by Bantu-speaking populations, notably the Hunde people, whose historical settlement extends from the northwest of Lake Kivu to Lake Edward; the Tembo, who occupy lower-lying areas; and, further west, the Havu and the Yira (Nande). The Hutu people in Rutshuru Territory have historical and cultural connections to northern Rwanda. Settlement in North Kivu predates the timeline proposed by colonial writers, who typically placed it in the 16th and 17th centuries.
According to Alfred Moeller de Laddersous, population movements in the region followed a northeast–southwest axis, and the Bahunde and Bayira populations incorporated earlier groups such as the Bahera, Habombe, Bakira, Bahambo, Vitu, Batangi, and Bamate.
Geography
Situated along the equator, North Kivu spans latitudes from 0° 58' north to 2° 03' south and longitudes from 27° 14' west to 29° 58' east. Its topography ranges from less than 800 meters to peaks exceeding 5,000 meters in altitude, comprising diverse formations including plains, plateaus, and mountainous regions.
Notable lowland areas include the alluvial plains of Semliki and Rwindi-Rutshuru, stretching from Lake Edward's northern to southern shores. The steep Kabasha escarpment rises from Lake Edward's western bank, extending toward the Rwindi-Rutshuru plain, which is flanked by the massive Ruwenzori range (5,119 meters) to the east.
Economy
Subsistence agriculture is North Kivu's most significant economic activity, employing over 90% of its population. Key food crops include cassava, maize, plantains, sweet potatoes, peanuts, yams, soybeans, paddy rice, cowpeas, and wheat, while industrial crops such as oil palm, rubber, tea, quinine, coffee, coconut, pyrethrum, papaya, and cocoa also thrive. North Kivu ranks among the leading producers of premium-grade papaya worldwide and, along with South Kivu, is one of the only provinces producing tea in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Livestock production operates through two main systems.
Demographics
North Kivu had an estimated population of 8,985,711 in 2020. In 2012, the province's population was nearly 4.5 million, up from approximately 2.4 million twenty years earlier, accounting for about 8% of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's total population at the time. The population is predominantly young, with 79.2% of residents in younger age groups, and only slightly urbanized at 20.8%. The province's urban population represents only 5.5% of the DRC's urban population.
Ethnically, North Kivu is highly diverse, with populations drawn mainly from Bantu, Nilotic, and Pygmy groups. The Bantu constitute the dominant ethnolinguistic group.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: North Kivu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nord-Kivu: Key Facts
| Population | 8,147,400 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 59,483 km² |
| Capital | Goma |
Facts from Wikidata Q130625 (CC0).
History of Nord-Kivu: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Nord-Kivu, from Belgian Congo in 1890 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Belgian Congo | 1890–1962 CE |
| German Africa | 1898–1915 CE |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1960–2024 CE |
| Republic of Rwanda | 1963–2024 CE |
| Zaire | 1973–1995 CE |
Historical Maps of Nord-Kivu
Nord-Kivu on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Nord-Kivu
4 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beni | 332,903 | Nord-Kivu | Populated place |
| 2 | Butembo | 286,403 | Nord-Kivu | Populated place |
| 3 | Goma | 144,124 | Nord-Kivu | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Buluko | 1,192 | Nord-Kivu | Admin-1 capital |
Highest Mountains in Nord-Kivu
3 mountains mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Stanley | 4,979 m | 16,335 ft | Africa |
| 2 | Volcan Karisimbi | 4,519 m | 14,826 ft | Africa |
| 3 | Mont Mohi | 3,480 m | 11,417 ft | Africa |
Largest Lakes in Nord-Kivu
2 lakes mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Kivu | 2,693 km² | Lake |
| 2 | Lake Edward | 2,220 km² | Lake |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nord-Kivu
2 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virunga National Park | 1979 | Natural | (vii) (viii) (x) |
| 2 | Kahuzi-Biéga National Park | 1980 | Natural | (x) |
Nord-Kivu: Quick Answers
- Where is Nord-Kivu?
- Nord-Kivu is a first-level division of DR Congo, in Africa. Its mapped cities centre on 0.4538° S, 29.1200° E.
- What is the largest city in Nord-Kivu?
- Beni is the largest city mapped in Nord-Kivu, with a metropolitan population of about 332,903.
- How many cities are in Nord-Kivu?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Nord-Kivu, with a combined metropolitan population of about 764,622. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Nord-Kivu?
- The highest summit mapped in Nord-Kivu is Mount Stanley at 4,979 m.
- What is the largest lake in Nord-Kivu?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Nord-Kivu is Lake Kivu, at about 2,693 km².