- Pointe-Noire
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Fr. /pwaonnt nwannrdd"/, n.a seaport in the S Republic of Congo. 141,700.
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City (pop., 1992 est.: 576,206) and port, southwestern Republic of the Congo.It was the capital (1950–58) of the Middle Congo region of French Equatorial Africa. With independence in 1958, it was replaced by Brazzaville as the national capital, but it remained important for trade. Its port facilities were completed in 1939 and expanded during World War II. The country's second largest city, it is a principal port and commercial centre, especially for the oil industry.* * *
town (commune), principal port of Congo (Brazzaville). It lies at the Atlantic coastal terminus of the Congo-Ocean Railway, 95 miles (150 km) north of the Congo River and 245 miles (394 km) west of Brazzaville, the national capital. Between 1950 and 1958 Pointe-Noire was the capital of the Moyen-Congo region of French Equatorial Africa. With independence in 1958, it was replaced by Brazzaville as the national capital but remained the primary entrepôt and second largest city. The Congo-Ocean Railway from Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire was completed in 1934 to bypass the rapids of the lower Congo River. The city is situated on a calm bay, but its port facilities were not completed until 1939; they were expanded during World War II. An international airport was built south of the town. Later, light industries and mineral-processing plants were established, but the city's chief importance remained its transit trade. In the 1970s, petroleum drilled offshore near Pointe-Noire and processed at a refinery in the town became a major national export. Pop. (1992 est.) 576,206.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
