Founding of Bangui

Date: June 26, 1889 • Location: Bangui, Central African Republic

Bangui, the capital and largest city of the present-day Central African Republic, was founded in French Congo.

Bangui is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River ; the Ubangi itself was named from the Bobangi word for the "rapids" located beside the settlement, which marked the end of navigable water north from Brazzaville. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, in Bangui and the surrounding area.