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Kongo
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Map of Africa showing the location of the historical Kingdom of Kongo, highlighted in orange along the west-central coast near the Atlantic Ocean, in the region overlapping present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Surrounding countries and geographic features are labeled for context.
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Map of Africa showing the location of the historical Kingdom of Kongo, highlighted in orange along the west-central coast near the Atlantic Ocean, in the region overlapping present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Surrounding countries and geographic features are labeled for context.
historical kingdom of Kongo

Kongo

historical kingdom, Africa
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Kongo, former kingdom in west-central Africa, located south of the Congo River (present-day Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo). According to traditional accounts, the kingdom was founded by Lukeni lua Nimi about 1390. Originally, it was probably a loose federation of small polities, but, as the kingdom expanded, conquered territories were integrated as a royal patrimony. Soyo and Mbata were the two most powerful provinces of the original federation; other provinces included Nsundi, Mpangu,...

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