Provincial capital and city in North Kivu, DR Congo
About Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and the Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi), the city had a population of 782,000 people in 2024, with an additional 500,000 displaced people.
Etymology
The name Goma derived from a modification of ngoma, the city's former designation, a term of profound cultural and linguistic relevance among Bantu-speaking communities throughout Central, Southern, and East Africa. Ngoma is translated as "drum", and is commonly associated with ritual dances and ceremonies in these regions. This etymological link is believed to allude to the resonant, drum-like sounds emitted during a volcanic eruption that altered the area's historical topography. The eruption led to the destruction of the original village, prompting its inhabitants to disperse and establish three new villages: Ngoma, which evolved into modern Goma; Matcha, contemporary Sake; and Munti, which is now known as Munigi groupement of Bukumu Chiefdom. Residents of Goma are sometimes referred to as Gomatraciens, though this term is seldom used locally. …
History
The village of Ngoma was a port for lake traffic and a crossroads for the overland trade routes between Central Africa and the Indian Ocean. In 1894, the explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen, following the footsteps of an earlier missionary, was traveling to Rwanda from the eastern coast of Africa and passed through the village, which he recorded as Goma. In 1906, officers of the Congo Free State established Goma post opposite Gisenyi as a military outpost to oversee maritime activities on Lake Kivu, which later transformed into a civil status office. Around 1930, the Goma precinct accommodated camps for laborers of the Eastern Railway (CFE), initially sited along Lake Kivu's eastern shores. …
Geography
Goma is the largest and capital city of the North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. To Goma's north lies Nyiragongo Territory, the Republic of Rwanda to the east, Lake Kivu to the south, and Masisi Territory to the west. Goma is strategically located on the Goma plain, which is composed of volcanic lavas and gradual slopes gently towards Lake Kivu. The plain is bordered by the Virunga Mountains to the west, which comprises prominent peaks such as Nyamuragira, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Mikeno, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi and Mount Sabyinyo. Elevations in the northern part of the plain range from 1,640 to 2,000 m (5,380 to 6,560 ft), with the volcanic fields of Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo exhibiting continuous carbon dioxide degassing. …
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