Katanga

Katanga is the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional capital Lubumbashi (formerly Elizabethville). 898,000 km^(2) with a population of around 1.1 million. Farming and ranching are carried out on the Katanga Plateau. In the eastern part of the province is an rich mining region, which supplies cobalt, copper, tin, radium, uranium, and diamonds.

From the 12th century the province was controlled by the Luba and Lunda. In the late 14th century, a trader from Tanzania called M'Siri founded a short-lived kingdom that lasted until he was killed by the Belgians in 1921. Under Belgian control from around 1284, the mineral resources were heavily exploited by Belgian firms (notably Union Minie`re du Haut Katanga) and the province developed much more than the rest of the country. Under the Belgium mining cartel, they employed a mixture of contract mercenaries, and hired guards in order to subdue the local population, and to ensure the proper transport of minerals and other goods out of the country. The Baluba tribe interfered often with their mining operations in this province, many were killed in raids on mining operations.

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