SAKANIA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - It is situated in the extreme southern corner of the Belgian Congo and is entrusted to the Salesians, who arrived there in 1911.
The territory, which has an area of 36,575 sq. km, was erected as an apostolic prefecture on 12 May 1925 under the name of Upper Luapula, having been detached from the apostolic prefecture of Katanga (now an apostolic vicariate), and was raised to an apostolic vicariate, under the name of S., on 14 Nov. 1939.
The indigenous population, which is fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, is composed of several tribes: Baushi, Balamba, Babisa, Balabi, Baseba. The Catholics number about 13,000, with nearly 8,000 catechumens; the pagans about 19,000. There are few Europeans, Greeks, Jews, and Asians. Foreign priests, 38; 20 brothers and 20 nuns; 32 catechists, 130 teachers, 27 minor seminarians, 9 principal mission stations, 94 secondary ones, 9 churches and 94 chapels, 112 schools, 8 dispensaries, 1 hospital, 1 leper colony, 9 orphanages. Among the schools, the vocational ones are especially noteworthy. The most important centre of missionary activity is at La Kafubu, now a suburb of Elisabethville.