Kinshasa, the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is also the largest francophone city worldwide.

Kinshasa was once a place for fishing and trading villages along the Congo River. It is now one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. It is located next to Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. The two cities are the second-closest pairs of capital cities in the world. Kinshasa is one of 26 DRC provinces. The administrative boundaries of the city-province span a large area. This means that more than 90 percent of the land in the city provinces is rural. On the west side, the urban area is small but growing.

Goma, the capital of the North Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the capital. It is situated on the northern shores of Lake Kivu near the Rwandan city Gisenyi. Both the lake and two cities are located in the Albertine Rift. This is the western branch of the East African Rift System. Goma has located only 13-18km (8.1-11.2 mi) from the active Nyiragongo Volcano. The recent history of Goma was dominated by the 1994 Rwandan genocide and volcano, which led to the First and Second Congo Wars.

In 2010, the effects of these events were still being felt in the city and surrounding areas. In 2012, rebels from the March 23 Movement captured the town during the M23 rebellion. However, it was retaken in 2013 by government forces.

Kananga is the capital of the Kasai-Central Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was previously known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg. With an estimated population of 1,524,000 in 2021, it is the fourth-most populous urban area in the country.

It is located near the Lulua River (a tributary to the Kasai River) and the Ilebo–Lubumbashi Railway. It is a major commercial and administrative center and home to Kananga Airport.

Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is called Kisangani. With an estimated population of 1,312,000 in 2021, it is the country’s fifth-most populous area of urbanization. It also happens to be the largest city that lies in the Congo’s tropical forests.

Kisangani, which is 2,100 km (1,300 mi) from the mouth of the Congo River, is the most navigable point upstream. Kisangani, the nation’s second-most important inland port after Kinshasa, is a key commercial hub for river and land transport and a major distribution and marketing center for the northeastern region. Since the late 19th century, it has been the capital of northern Congo’s commercial sector.

The third-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Lubumbashi. It’s located in the country’s southeasternmost region, near the border with Zambia. Lubumbashi, the capital and principal city in Haut-Katanga Province, is also the hub of many of the country’s largest mining companies. Although no population data is available, the city’s urban population is expected to reach 2,584,000 by 2021.