Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital of the province Katanga (formerly Shaba).

The city was founded in 1910 as Elisabethville, but renamed after 1965 to Lubumbashi. It was also the capital of the short-lived independent state of Katanga (1960-1963). Lubumbashi has an estimated population of 1.5 milion. Important sectors of activity: education, administration, mining, commerce, textile.