City (pop., 1992 est.: 576,206) and port, southwestern Republic of the Congo.
It was the capital (1950–58) of the Middle Congo region of French Equatorial Africa . With independence in 1958, it was replaced by Brazzaville as the national capital, but it remained important for trade. Its port facilities were completed in 1939 and expanded during World War II. The country's second largest city, it is a principal port and commercial centre, especially for the oil industry.