Bunia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bunia
|
|
|---|---|
|
Provincial capital and city
|
|
| Ville de Bunia | |
Bunia from the air, looking north toward the Nyakasanza district
|
|
 Bunia
Location in Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
|
| Country |  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Province | Ituri |
| Area | |
| • City | 576 km2 (222 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 53 km2 (20 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,277 m (4,190 ft) |
| Population
(2015)
|
|
| • City | 900,666 |
| • Density | 1,563.7/km2 (4,050/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 486,000 |
| • Urban density | 9,170/km2 (23,750/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (Central Africa Time) |
| Climate | Af |
| National language | Swahili |
Bunia is an important city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the capital of Ituri Province. Before, it was part of the Orientale Province.
The city is located high up, about 1,275 meters (4,183 feet) above sea level. It sits on a plateau. Bunia is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Lake Albert. It is also about 25 kilometers (16 miles) east of the Ituri Rainforest.
Bunia has been a place where different groups have had disagreements. Because of this, the city is home to one of the largest United Nations peace-keeping forces in Africa. This force helps keep the peace and provides safety. The area around Bunia has valuable natural resources, like gold mines.
Contents
Bunia's Weather
Bunia has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it is warm, humid, and wet all year round. Even in the drier months, from December to February, there is still a good amount of rain. For most of the year, from March to November, it rains a lot.
| Climate data for Bunia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.4 (84.9) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.2 (81.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.5 (81.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 139.7 (5.50) |
172.7 (6.80) |
238.8 (9.40) |
269.3 (10.60) |
317.5 (12.50) |
266.7 (10.50) |
309.9 (12.20) |
393.7 (15.50) |
243.8 (9.60) |
274.3 (10.80) |
304.8 (12.00) |
165.1 (6.50) |
3,096.3 (121.9) |
Getting Around Bunia
The main roads that connect northeastern DR Congo to other cities like Kisangani and Goma pass through Bunia. However, these roads are often in poor condition. They can be very difficult to travel on, especially after it rains a lot.
Bunia is only about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border with Uganda. This border runs along Lake Albert. There are no direct roads across the Great Rift Valley to nearby Ugandan towns. Instead, a dirt road goes northeast to Arua and Gulu in Uganda.
Before conflicts made travel difficult, this was an important trade route. It connected the DRC with Uganda and even Juba in South Sudan. Bunia was a busy market city for trade both within the country and across borders.
The idea of a major highway, the Lagos-Mombasa Highway, passes near Bunia. This shows that Bunia has the potential to be a big trade center. However, this large highway does not yet exist as a usable route through the DRC.
Bunia is also connected to a small port called Kasenyi on Lake Albert. A 60-kilometer (37-mile) dirt track leads there. From Kasenyi, boats can travel to other places on Lake Albert.
Because the roads are often bad and there are no trains, Bunia Airport is very important. It is the main way people and goods travel to and from Bunia.
People of Bunia
Bunia is a growing city. Experts believe it will be one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa between 2020 and 2025. Its population is expected to grow by more than 5% each year.
Other Interesting Facts
Mount Hoyo is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of Bunia. The Shari River flows along the northwestern edge of the city. The Ituri River is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Bunia. These two rivers meet about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south-southwest of Bunia.
Even though Bunia is about 170 kilometers (106 miles) north of the Equator, it was shown in a BBC television travel show called Equator. This was because the large UN peacekeeping force made it one of the safest places near the Equator in eastern DRC for the TV crew to film.
Learning in Bunia
Bunia has several universities. The biggest one is the University of Bunia (UNIBU). There is also a private university called Université Shalom de Bunia (USB). This university has the largest library in Bunia, with about 40,000 books. It even has an online catalog where you can search for books.
See also
In Spanish: Bunia para niños
