Likasi

Likasi, formerly known as Jadotville, is a significant mining city in the heart of the Haut-Katanga province. The town was established in the early 20th century to exploit the region's vast copper and cobalt deposits. Situated on a high plateau at an altitude of approximately 1,300 meters, Likasi enjoys a temperate and healthy climate. Historically, the city gained international prominence in 1961 during the Congo Crisis due to the Siege of Jadotville, where a UN peacekeeping contingent bravely held out against superior secessionist forces. Today, Likasi remains a vital industrial center, hosting smelters and processing plants that are essential to the national economy. The city is noted for its well-organized urban planning from the colonial era and its tree-lined avenues. Beyond mining, it serves as an important regional commercial hub and a center for technical education. The surrounding landscape is defined by massive open-pit mines and unique geological features. Likasi continues to be a symbol of the Katanga region's industrial prowess and a key junction for the southern railway network.

Nearby cities

Lubumbashi

Lubumbashi is the mining capital of the DR Congo and the second-largest city, located in the southeastern part of the country.

Kipushi

Kipushi is a town in the Upper Katanga Province, situated right on the border with Zambia, known for its deep mine.

Kambove

Kambove is a historical mining town in Haut-Katanga province.

Pweto

Pweto is located at the northern end of Lake Mweru on the border with Zambia.

Kasumbalesa

Kasumbalesa is a border town in Upper Katanga Province, serving as a vital crossing point between DR Congo and Zambia.

Sakania

Sakania is the southernmost town of the DR Congo on the border with Zambia.

History & landmarks

University of Lubumbashi (Belvédère)

The distinctive campus buildings of the University of Lubumbashi, a center for education in the south.

Frédéric Kibassa Maliba Stadium

A major sports stadium in Lubumbashi, formerly known as Stade de la Kenya.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral

The Cathédrale Saints-Pierre-et-Paul in Lubumbashi is a grand Romanesque-style cathedral and a landmark of the mining capital.

Palais de Justice Lubumbashi

The Palais de Justice in Lubumbashi is a notable colonial-era building that houses the high courts of the region.

National Museum of Lubumbashi

The Musée National de Lubumbashi displays a rich collection of archaeological, ethnographic, and artistic works from the Katanga region.

Stade TP Mazembe

The Stade TP Mazembe is the private stadium of the famous Tout Puissant Mazembe football club in Lubumbashi.

More places

Jadotville (Likasi)

Likasi, formerly Jadotville, was the site of the famous 1961 Siege of Jadotville, where Irish UN troops fought Katangese secessionists.

Historic Shinkolobwe Mine

A now-closed uranium mine that provided the material for the first atomic bombs during World War II.

Shinkolobwe Uranium Mine

The Shinkolobwe mine supplied the high-grade uranium used in the Manhattan Project for the first atomic bombs during World War II.

Lufira Valley Cattle Ranching

A significant area for cattle ranching in Haut-Katanga, favored by vast grassy plains.

Lofoi Falls

One of the highest waterfalls in Africa, where the water plunges over 340 meters.

Kipushi Mine

A historic zinc and copper mine near the Zambian border that has been modernized.

🗺️

Lubumbashi Children's Park

Children's parks in Lubumbashi offer safe and fun environments for the city's youth to play and socialize.

Luiswishi Mine

A high-grade copper and cobalt mine not far from Lubumbashi in the resource-rich south.