Brazzaville

Brazzaville

The capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo, is Brazzaville. It is the financial and administrative center of the country, situated on the north side of the Congo River, facing Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brazzaville occupies a wide area north of the Congo River, under the Pool Malebo. Mbamu, a big island in the Pool, is part of the Republic of Congo. The city is surrounded by extensive plains and lies at 317 m above sea level. Downstream, the Congo has a series of rapids known as Livingston Falls, which prevent navigation upstream from its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. Roger Erell, the acclaimed architect, designed a house in the city for Charles de Gaulle, when he led Free France. Additional buildings include the Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Mausoleum, the Nabemba Tower and the Congressional Palace. Other attractions in the city include the Marien Ngouabi Mausoleum, the Brazzaville Zoo and the Poto-Poto School of Painting. The symbolic building of the city is the Nabemba Tower, also known as the Elf Tower. The tall office building is located directly on the banks of the Congo River, in the south of the city. The tallest building in the Republic of the Congo, at 106 meters and 30 stores high, it takes its name from Mont Nabemba, the highest mountain in the country. The tower houses offices of various ministries and charities, such as the African Self-Help Development Initiative, the New Partnership for African Development and UNESCO.