Kikwit

Kikwit, town and river port, southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies along the Kwilu River, which is a tributary of the Kasai River. European settlement of the site began in 1901, and the town became a colonial administrative centre about 1910. Kikwit is now the largest community in the area. The production of palm oil and kernels, cassava, peanuts (groundnuts), and corn (maize) has replaced rubber as the economic base of the region’s agriculture. Kikwit has food-processing industries and an airport. Though formerly a prosperous provincial trading centre, Kikwit underwent a decline in the late 20th century owing to a decaying infrastructure and declining commercial activity in the region. An outbreak of Ebola virus in 1995 killed some 250 residents. Pop. (2004 est.) 294,210.