Proper noun
A region in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, originally conquered by the Congo Free State (owned by the Belgian king, not his European state) but administered as a corporate mining concession.
Since 1910, an autonomous part of the Belgian colony Congo.
Since 1933, a regular province, until 1947 however named after its capital: Elisabethstad in Dutch or Elisabethville in French.
In 1960 a unilaterally declared independent state; in 1961-63 reconquered by Congo and reorganized in three provinces until 1966; renamed Shaba 1972-1997 as part of president Mobutu's Zairization.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgBecause the Congolese army had been in disarray since the mutiny, Lumumba wanted to use the UN troops to subdue Katanga by force. Source: Internet
However, declassified documents revealed that the CIA had plotted to assassinate Lumumba, and may have carried out those actions with the help of the Katanga authorities. Source: Internet
In early January 1961, ANC units loyal to Lumumba invaded northern Katanga to support a revolt of Baluba tribesmen against Tshombe's secessionist regime. Source: Internet
History Copper mining in Katanga dates back over 1,000 years and mines in the region were producing standard sized ingots of copper for international transport by the end of the 1st Millennium AD. Source: Internet
However, in Katanga Belgian officers resisted the Africanisation of the army. Source: Internet
In 1928, King Albert I visited the Congo to inaugurate the so-called 'voie national' that linked the Katanga mining region via rail (up to Port Francqui) and river transport (from Port Francqui to Léopoldville) to the Atlantic port of Matadi. Source: Internet