North Kivu

North Kivu Province du Nord-Kivu (French) Mkoa wa Kivu Kaskazini (Swahili)
Province
View of the Rwenzori Mountains
Seal
Coordinates: 0°34′S 28°42′E / 0.567°S 28.700°E / -0.567; 28.700
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Named for	Lake Kivu
Capital and largest city	Goma
Government
• Governor	Peter Cirimwami (military)[1]
Area
• Total	59,483 km2 (22,967 sq mi)
• Rank	18th
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,147,400
• Rank	2nd
• Density	140/km2 (350/sq mi)
Demonym	North Kivutian
License Plate Code	CGO / 19
Official language	French
National language	Swahili
HDI (2017)	0.440[2] low
Website	www.provincenordkivu.cd

North Kivu (Jimbo la Kivu Kaskazini in Swahili) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[3] Its capital is Goma. The 2020 population was estimated to be 8,147,400.^[4]

North Kivu borders the provinces of Ituri to the north, Tshopo to the northwest, Maniema to the southwest, and South Kivu to the south. To the east, it borders the countries of Uganda and Rwanda.

The province consists of three cities—Goma, Butembo and Beni—and six territories—Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and Walikale. The Rwenzori Mountains, which form part of the Albertine Rift, are located on the province's eastern edge, serving as a vital source of freshwater and sustaining a plethora of flora and fauna.^[5][6] A project has been underway since 2013 to also grant city status to Kasindi, Oïcha and Luholu. It is home to the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site containing the endangered mountain gorillas.

The province is politically unstable and since 1998 has been one of the flashpoints of the military conflicts in the region.

North Kivu was the site of an Ebola epidemic, which was compounded by political instability in the region.